Job Discussion Forums

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Do you get em where you are? I got one today...clay statuette of dancing Aztec dogs...and I only had to hint once to get it! I'm easy to please. Very Happy

Nobody gives me alcohol anymore...not since the last Xmas party. Embarassed

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

One of my students gave me a lollipop today.
Hmmph. Not quite in the same league as artwork, is it?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

I've received winter clothing (hats, scarves, gloves) all from my "grandmother" class in conversation school.

Jizzo T. Clown · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:25 am Post subject:

None of my students here gave me a present...not a single one. Nobody ever said I was charismatic. Shocked

Dragonlady · Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2005 5:37 am Post subject:

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out of date

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Nada, zip. I think there is a perception that a gift could be construed as a bribe since Final exams are around the corner at my university. That and they don't even give each other Christmas gifts as a general rule. Or perhaps my students hate me. I'll go with my first guess.

Boy Wonder · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 453 Location: Clacton on sea

Homemade cookies from one of the mother of one of my boys.

Great.Very tasty.

Haven't ha the pleasure of meeting her but she sure does bake well!

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Nothing! Sigh... My classes for the past few years have all ended a few weeks before Xmas, so I don�t really see my students very much in December.

d

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

I have gotten some. I even got a wedding gift from a student! Mostly store bought things, and yes I have recycled some of them as gifts to others.

Kent F. Kruhoeffer · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Posts: 2129 Location: 中国

Well I'm off to a slow start this year but I just received a very nice bag

of festive-looking cookies from the HR staff at The Peninsula Bangkok.

I'm modifying my usual dinner menu this evening for obvious reasons. Very Happy

And my boss picked up the tab for pizza & beer last Friday night.

Does that count? Shocked

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject:

I don't know what is says about me, but my students tend towards nice Chilean or Argentinian red wine. Cool

Also have received, mostly from kids, hand made cards and pictures (Really precious!), a key chain, several pens and pencils, and a ceramic coffee cup with 3 dimensional pig heads all over it. (I use it every day.)

From management, I got a nice xmas present once, in the form of an envelope with an unexpected check in it. It was just what I wanted!

Do you guys give presents to your students? Or co-workers?

Justin

Dragonlady · Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:16 am Post subject:

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out of date

Luna Chica · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Trujillo, Peru

A pearl necklace, tickets to theatre, choccies, biscuits, kimono, books, pictures all sorts of stuff. All very very sweet.

Luna Chica · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Trujillo, Peru

We used to have a sweet student with empty nest syndrome who used to make us dinner and bring it in at least once a week. She was so sweet and such a good cook. She put me onto condensed milk with strawberries, you gotta try it!

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

Just a quickie while I wait for the chauffeur to arrive, I have been invited to stay at a beach resort on the islands for the next 2 weeks as the guest of the families of some of my students. I have only ever seen it from the outside before it is very upmarket ....woah!!! room service!...

Lesson planning starts in October. Everyone here knows each other, the families all have embassy links, golf clubs and tea mornings etc.

No, I am not married girls and no, I don't have a girlfriend and yes of course I like local women and yes sometimes I am really lonely at home
at xmas all alone.....in my cold, heaterless flat with a really thin duvet

All those harmless little interactions in the classroom.......... they always have questions so give the correct answers and you get what you want

Drop a hint or two. nobody expects a teacher to be using subterfuge .....

Likes and dislikes.... So I never get milk chocolate, gold earrings not silver. Oh yeah! by the way, I just heard about a great new book coming out in The USA, UK, NZ ...but not here yet.... by my favourite author. Pinker, Crystal, Chomsky, change it around for each class and give them the details... "just might be of interest to you lot in a year or two" I am allergic to coarse sheep wool, lambswool is tolerable, cashmere or alpaca is better I do so hate scratching myself in class it gives the wrong impression doesn't it?

Favourites.... to guarantee I get what I want.

Story telling... and writing.... about my best xmas present. This includes my introduction about last, and previous year's presents from students....it sort of sets the standard for quality control before they even start thinking about my pressie

I lose my watch every year or have it stolen at the end of November... discussion of why I don't have time to look for exactly what I want in the shops and what exactly I do want....

I start wearing the number one suit to work with the jacket casually draped over the chair arm ...label out. my old pair of shoes that that I can't get here 'cos they are hand made and I have wide feet ...DISCUSS! and the shirt with the cuffs that are frayed...so I can pick at the bits and trim them off with scissors in class. you know by the end of the first term I am looking decidedly worn around the edges, clean tidy but approaching shabby withan air of gentility...on a teacher's wage....decisions food or rent clothes ...unfortunately
comparatives.... more or less important...

So don't forget,

sizes comparatives, weights and measures allows me to get my correct measurememnts out to the whole bunch so next year's shirts are the right size. Handmade shoes are The ones that are not the right size or the wrong colour I give to other people for xmas. They never ask the boss where he got his shirt from do they...

Aah! Christmas....the spirit of giving............ it is better to ......................
...............................................................................
get the pressies you want so prepare them all for it.....

I keep complaining about the walk to school
and the rubbish bus service.

I have Janis in the background on the music player in class all month before the hols

"Oh Lord won't you send me a Mercedes Benz"

And remember, cover your rrrrrsss, we are professionals after all. Do this properly; plan your teaching, teach your planning Xmas is all about planning.

This is all about cultural exchange and understanding keep the exchanges one-way

"Of course not, children!"

I never received a present from my teacher, that would not be appropriate would it?

Aah! Sweet commercialism. Get it while you can.

Doncha just love the smell of wrapping paper in the morning.

Happy Holidays to you all