|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
|
 Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:44 pm Post subject: |
 |
|
| ElNota wrote: |
I haven't spent anytime working in Mexico (or anywhere remotely like it). Hence all the qualifiers, including "Just to throw this out there, maybe, if, I would think, should, etc...
Just trying to understand the situation, and contribute a bystander's view on what might be necessary to cope with this situation. I didn't mean to imply that these teachers resent their student's wealth, I just meant to say that one would need to accept one's social position in order to keep their sanity. |
If keeping one's sanity is a priority, that could change the entire picture here. 
Seriously, I believe there's something to be said for your idea of accepting one's place in the class system. Again, I can only speak from my own impressions of how things are in one little corner of Latin America. It can be confusing for a foreigner to figure out exactly what his social position is sometimes.
There are two different class systems in operation where I live. One is based strictly on the amount of money that a family has, and the other is based on social position in society. There are "old families" who are part of the upper social classes, even though they may not be particularly wealthy, at least not when compared to families with real money. They, or their family names, carry quite a bit of weight socially and are somewhat influential, but they don't really have the clout and power that wealthy families have. True, many of those "old families" are also wealthy, but not all of them have the kind of money needed to wield lots of power. Wealthy or not, they still see themselves as part of the upper classes. They aren't financially in poverty, but neither do they have extra money to burn. Yet, many of them expect to be treated as "Yucatecan royalty" by anyone who is of lower status.
Gringos are accepted into the upper classes almost automatically, because most locals assume that all gringos are rich and upper-class. If gringos have enough money to maintain that upper-class status, then they're in. On the contrary, if a local family of lower social class somehow comes into money, they will never really be accepted into upper-class society. If gringos/gringas marry into local lower-class families, that pretty much shoots their chances of being accepted by the upper classes socially, no matter how much money they have. If they are wealthy or perceived as wealthy, lots of upper-class folks will suck up to them for financial reasons but still not view them as really upper-class socially.
There's also a big difference between short-term gringos and long-term gringos. (Short-term: on vacation or here for 6 months to a year as an exchange student or EFL teacher, etc.) Short-termers are cut a lot of slack, because "they're new and just don't know any better." They can socialize with a variety of classes, and although they may be given advice on who they should or shouldn't socialize with, they can be forgiven because they don't understand the rules. Most long-term gringos, if they're at all perceptive, have a better idea of where, when, and how to socialize with a variety of classes if they choose to do so. Some short-termers figure it out, too, but not many from what I've observed. An exchange student could date the chauffeur maybe, and she could invite him to an upper-class party that her host family gave. The chauffeur would probably know better than to accept such an invitation, because he wouldn't want to put all those involved in an uncomfortable situation. A long-termer would understand and not invite the chauffeur to the upper-class party, because it would put him in a very awkward position of either accepting or rejecting the invitation. Some of her young upper-class friends might think she was cool for making her stand on the issue, ignoring advice against it, and inviting him to the party. Then again, they wouldn't be the ones at the party who made a phone call the next day to get the chauffeur fired from his job and pretty much guarantee that he'd never work as a chauffeur or get any decent job in this city again. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
gambasbo
Joined: 23 Nov 2003
Posts: 93
Location: Cochabamba, Bolivia
|
| Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 3:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Hi Justin
See that building in the middle of the picture!!! Well.....
Actually I teach from my apartment and love it.
Mike
PS I can also give myself holidays whenever I want!
| Justin Trullinger wrote: |
Mike,
WHERE exactly are you working? Can I come? Sounds great...
Justin |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JZer
Joined: 16 Jan 2005
Posts: 3898
Location: Pittsburgh
|
| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I would never give a student a mark he/she didn't earn. Life's too short to sell your soul out. |
I am not sure what I think about this but I am not too sure that it is that bad to give someone a grade they did not deserve since grades will never make the man or women. Some people with excellent grades fail in life, so we should wonder whether the grades really have any meaning at all except to get into a university which the rich kids parents can pay their way in if they are poor students(i.e. George Bush going to Yale) |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Flo
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 112
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
As far as giving grades that aren't earned, here is my experience. If a kid at my former school fails a class, his parents take him or her to a different colegio and the school loses a chunk of very expensive tuition.
That being said, my boss told me that if I failed any student she would go into the computer and change my grades. Needless-to-say, everyone passed. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
JonnytheMann
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 337
Location: USA
|
| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject: |
|
|
In my opinon, life is too short to risk your well-paying job in order to try & make a difference in the life of one rich, spoiled, completely thankless child. If his parents want to ruin him, that's their problem.
I don't think it's worth it. Focus on the kids that want to learn because you can make a difference in their lives. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Flo
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 112
|
| Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:07 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I had a job, but it wasn't well paying...thanks for the vote anyhow Jonny.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
