Job Discussion Forums

[baijioubloke]

if you enjoy constantly looking over your shoulder at work and would enjoy the thrill of an end-of-year lottery wherein students decide whether you are offered another contract, read on; there's a vacancy for you at Shunde Polytechnic.

Without any consultation/warning, the teaching affairs department launched their own little 'people's war on mediocrity' last week by announcing to a packed lecture hall of chinese teachers (no laowais allowed - sorry) that they've ranked teachers according to student evaluation scores.

My contract for 2005/2006 was signed by both parties at the start of July, I've got my timetable and WAS planning (a little bit) when I was called in (at 4:30 on a friday!!) to be given the news that my student rating of 72.3% was 3rd bottom for the department and I've got to go!

When we performed peer evaluation (a chinese teacher handed me 5 forms, 1 for each of my FT colleages and told me "just tick good for all questions") we used a 4 point scale to grade on each other - strange I thought lickert scales offered 5 choices
Anyway, to the point - likert scales into %? Any ideas?
I'm really not clear how qualitative data can be reliably converted to quantatitive data ...... nor have I seen this 'technique' in anything other than those sex/love/doesmybumlookbiginthis? surveys seen in womens' glossies - but what do I know? I've only done a Psych degree


I thought the rating of my lesson plans was amongst the best.
Half the girls won't wear their glasses to see the white board; yet they've managed to see whether my plan (lying flat on my desk, 10 ft away) contain the aims, learning outcomes, skills, sub-skills language focus, anticipated problems stages timings etc.

Clearly my little darlings thought I could I could write better ones since I was given 74% for the effectiveness of my plans

bollocks - the most they could possibly offer on that criteria is that - yes, the teacher brings a piece of paper into class and he occasionally looks at it!!


what about the "official" assessments by the college assessors?
Well I did have a couple of elderly men in my class purportedly doing a similar job on me a number of times this term - it's pity they couldn't speak a word of English or I'd have involved them in the class - but at least one gave me the thumbs up as he left - I took that as a good sign but those results seem to have been exluded from this exercise.

Along with my 76% rating from my 16yr olds (maybe it was the kid who wrote "thank you very mush" in the 'additional comments' box that did me in???)

I can't say I envy those left here operating under that regime of fear
I can see the relegation battles being competetive affairs as teachers bring in cakes, sweets balloons etc to win the hearts & minds of their student's in a hope that ratings will soar....

the american guy who got 73% (and is allowed to stay on) may never know just how close he came to the push nor that he is now lying bottom of the leage table.
Why? because he's gone for the Summer & the college haven't yet told any of the 3 other foreign teachers about this new policy - perhaps mgt. will sit them all down next semester & brief them.........perhaps, just perhaps....

"It happens to chinese teachers too!!" the administrator designated to give me the bad news quickly proffered. (the Foreign Language department were too afraid to tell me, apparently)
obviously aware of China's human rights record- they are keen to impress upon us that outrageous draconian behaviour, can, in fact, be completely appropriate so long as it's consistently applied


But those chinese teachers, because they are Govt. employees, cannot be sacked - ever- they won't teach next term, will take a pay cut (not in direct proportion to the 'lost' 12-odd teaching hrs I'd wager or they'd be on the breadline)

Oh & the real icing on the cake - they're given the chance to improve - so yeah I follow you Shunde Poly, this isn't a racist policy at all?

Finally I promise*
If you like writing, you'd get on here there's plenty of opportunity and inspiration particularly those into the fantasy genre

You will be strongly reminded a number of times that you must ensure 10% of your students must fail an exam
at the same time 10% must achieve 90 or above
and at the re-sit ......................everyone passes.

You may also be asked to 'try' to give a participation to students who only attend 2 classes all term one of those lessons I decided to send him away as he'd brought no writing or study material & I didn't like his face

Perhaps a qual in creative stats is needed alongside your CELTA and degree cert for this place? As I said I did proper stats as part of my degree so I couldn't manage (read - refused!) to give out shedloads of 90%'s - perhaps another indication of my ineptitude as a teacher??

(reminds me- one senior chinese FT asked worriedly how I could possibly give students a % score when my exam had 65 not 100 questions - doh! so much for 'them' being good at maths, eh?)

I should try to be balanced I suppose - It might appear that if the college won't enter into development discussions with foreign teachers that there are no growth opportunities (what!! CPD! in a learning establishment! don't be stupid!!)
but I guess working here has been like a 10month session in a mind gym with my principles given a good work-over & my ability to tolerate cognitive dissonance tested to the max.

Ive lost 6kgs this term so if you'r a bit lardy, and unhappy with it, consider this post as the stress here might be a whole lot cheaper (but not easier) than liposuction.
I now weigh 66Kg - average for a chinese male I think, so I'll never get the "why are all 'you' foreigners fat?" comments directed at me- so I suppose there's another small social benefit too.

Arghhhh!! I've just remembed my eyes were deigned a bit too almond shaped for some Taiwanese employers & now I've the local body shape too - I'll never get work

Oh & because they don't have a clue what they're doing I've got myself a brand new Z visa, residency & expert docs valid for the next 12 months

stupid f**kers

enjoy - I'm off to Indo to see if they have rabid racists there too!

* I lied - I'm really going native

[Don McChesney]

I've heard of people being 'released' just before their contract time is up, for various reasons, including standard of teaching.
This may result in them not getting the return air fare, which is payable on completion of the contract.
Economical benefit to the institution? Sure is.
One day they may learn that the much liked and popular teacher is not necessarily a good teacher, and that we come to teach, not amuse. However, exam marking can change anything.
Perhaps China CV's should include our favourite jokes, party tricks, and entertainment skills, rather than academic qualifications, as often they just want a white face out there in front of the class.

[tw]

[burnsie]

I learnt very early on in my short and illustrious FT career that you are only there as the dancing monkey. Schools make money on your white face and they ALL think that native speakers are the best way to learn a langauge!

I played up in my class had lots of fun, played games and virtually didn't really talk much about what they should be learning. Prepared them for exams, they got good scores and they moved on.

No complaints, no problems etc were heard. Not all classes were like this but most were.

Other teachers complained, lost Director's face, and then lost their jobs.

I now have a bad attitude about teaching in China. I decided that this is not for me. I am not doing anything that is worthwhile so I won't do anything at all! It's a waste of time and not worth my time if all they are interested in filling in their time.

The education system is so useless in China that does nothing to prepare students for the real world, make them think or be able to do anything except clutch their expensive diplomas that they worked long and hard at sleeping during their 3 years at University.

It's likened to a factory where you put the student on the conveyor belt and three years later they fall off clutching their diplomas which are worthless. All about quantity, passing students, keeping the kids busy so they don't start thinking about the government, hating other countries such as Japan. If they start to get them thinking then, my god, they will start pointing their fingers towards the government! We don't want that happening.

OK enough. You got me going baijiubloke. Yes I am bitter and twisted also!

[baijioubloke]

Agreed Burnsie,

Up to now I'd been adopting the right approach to be a career teacher but this has left such a bad taste in my mouth......
what are you doing now if you are still in Beijing?

Don - this wasn't being released. I have a contract for next year - this was someone upstairs not liking my face. Possibly the Dean who was not involved in my recruitment but had to accept a teacher 'forced upon him by International Affairs?
The economic motive is for funding.
The college will be assessed next year and pulling out a shit ledger of teachers who were axed in 2004/5 will serve as 'evidence' of striving for efficiency & no doubt earn someone a ribbon or 2.

This IS a specific case but if you feel you are being shoehorned into a post in a hurry over the net (as I was) - once you get in-country pay particular attention to getting onside with the person who DIDN'T recruit you!!

[clarrie]

One thing I've done a couple of times in the past when I knew students were doing teacher 'assessments', and Chinese administration hate it, is offer the students a survey in which they are asked to assess their own performance and attendance: how much they contributed to the class, how much of the set work they did, how often were they in class, how they rank their own application, did they often sleep in class, how much effort did they put into seeking out assistance, etc., etc.

One school I did it in the dean was livid, but it was very nice to 'throw' it back at her!

A wee bit of warped fun.

As a friend said to me several times, 'It's all performance in China, everything!'