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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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 Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2005 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| PAULH wrote: |
| I did a little spy work, apparently the OP is somewhere in western China, somewhere near Tibet. |
No spywork needed, Paul. He says he's in Chengdu which is a large city (capital of Sichuan Provence) on the eastern border of Tibet. I spent about a week there back in 1986 trying to catch a ride on a mysterious bus that was rumored to make the trip from Chengdu to Llasa once a week. It is still a thoroughly Chinese city but as you say probably cheaper than say Beijing or Shanghai.
You're probably right that in terms of living the good life ("high on the local hog") China is probably better for a single person. It's got to be a tough place for a family though and I wouldn't want to find myself "trapped" there for whatever reasons. |
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The Noodles
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 202
Location: China, Chengdu
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 4:57 am Post subject: |
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Maybe a little unrealistic.... Thanks 4 the comments. I was having a real panic attack that day... Can u go through a midlife crisis at 26?
Anyway truth be told, i do live like a hog... and have managed to save nothing.
I don't believe i'm scum or the lowest of the low. But u shud check out the Korean forum. Teachers are kinda looked down upon. I take the job very seriously.. trust
Chengdu has changed a lot since 1986. Very, very modern now. But yes still alot cheaper than Shanghai or Beijing.
Why would i want a western DOS. WEll because in China the DOS deals with the teching and not the business side of things at school, so he/she expects you to act and teach as a teacher, not a clown. U can get feedback and attend workshops to help u become a better teacher. Maybe not the case in Japan.
Well Cheers anyway... especially Paulh... U caught me on a day where i was a complete emotional wreck!!! |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:31 am Post subject: |
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We all have days (and sometimes weeks) like this. It's part and parcel of the expat EFL teacher's life. BTW, I'm 49 now and have already gone through at least three major mid-life professional crises -- and I figure it's just about time for another.  |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 779
Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 6:46 am Post subject: Re: i just want happiness |
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| PAULH wrote: |
Curriculum development includes:
Needs analysis: finding out what students want out of their course
Setting goals and objectives (not the same thing)
Materials and Teaching: what textbooks do you use and how do you teach the material?
Methods.
Testing and assessment: are the students learning anything?
Evaluation: is the course doing what its designed to do i.e. is the curriculum working? |
Paul, I sure wish this is what curriculum development meant in our department. Instead it seems to mean exactly the same thing as "course scheduling." The idea of starting with program goals and working one's way down through possible course offerings to meet the program goals then eventually on down to mundane details like numbers of sections, teacher assignments, and time-tabling, seems to be completely foreign to my Japanese colleagues. For example, one of my colleagues was asked to pick a textbook for a course before there was any syllabus or really even any agreement about what such a course (cross-cultural awareness) should try to accomplish.
Also due to an inherent inability to come to consensus based decisions we tend to have quite a number of empty course titles (like "Seminar 1A") that leave the contents, and even the language of instruction, entirely up to the whims of the instructor. |
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PAULH
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan
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| Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2005 10:57 am Post subject: |
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| The Noodles wrote: |
| Maybe a little unrealistic.... Thanks 4 the comments. I was having a real panic attack that day... Can u go through a midlife crisis at 26? |
Not unless you plan on leaving us in your fifties. Sounds like a bad hair day or culture shock, or you have just found yourself in a place you really have grown out of or don't want to be anymore.
Its really only when you are in your forties and still teaching ESL (like me) retirement is around the corner, you are considered a fossil, and you wonder whether you still want to be doing this line of work in another ten years time that you might hit some bumps. Ive had a few of my own in the last few months. |
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