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[Old Dog]

The teachers are having their Wednesday afternoon staff meeting. I just walked past 9 classrooms containing in total about 490 students. There's not a teacher in sight yet, in all those classrooms, every student was just getting on with his/her work. No chatting, no horseplay, no one climbing through windows, no mobile phones, no fights .... just 490 students getting on with their work with, apparently, total concentration.

At home, we are afraid to turn our backs on students lest Armageddon erupt and there be litigation. And, as for expecting students to get on with their work without the compelling presence of a teacher, it just wouldn't happen.

What a great pleasure it is to find such a school and such students! Do ohers find such dedication from students in their schools? I guess that this is the norm in China rather than the exception.

[the fat dragon]

Yeah, Old Dog, I've noticed that too. The strange thing about it, though, (at least at my school) is that it only seems to happen when there are no teachers present. I'll walk up to my classroom and see 70 heads bent over their desks, quietly studying away. As soon as I walk into the room and begin class, most of the students seem to have a hard time keeping quiet. They begin passing notes, whispering (or outright talking) to each other, sleeping, whatever. What's the deal?

[Guest]

It never ceases to amaze me how even the little children keep quiet and sit in their seats for the Chinese teachers, but when a Foreign teacher walks into the room, all hell breaks loose.

I never see the Chinese teachers smile at the children. My children all say "you are so happy" and that is because I joke with them and play games. I have never had any control over them though, and sometimes I wish I did, as they wear me out.

They definitely look upon us as "entertainment" - at this School anyway. If I try to do any actual work now, they say "this is boring" and want to go back to games.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

They are not afraid of us (well, most of us).

They know we can't functionally tell their parents "Little Xiaomei was not paying attention and drawing pictures of dragons instead of her homework" or "Your son is wasting his time and your money in class by talking to other students and not listening to the lesson".

They also know that we don't punish the kids, and let the kids get away with things Chinese teachers would never let them get away with. They see us as kind of "big kids".

[Old Dog]

Not with me, be assured!