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Am I being cynical?
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SueH



Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Posts: 1022
Location: Northern Italy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi John, I've sent you a PM.
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John ELS



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 61
Location: Genoa, Italy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

jnesta1 wrote:
Sorry john you seem to angry to answer teh question.

I willno longer respond to this thread.,

Did I sound angry? Sorry if I gave you that impression. It takes much more to make me angry.
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jnesta1



Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 96
Location: Here and there

PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No sweat, John.

Do you feel that you already answered my last question?
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Caroline



Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Posts: 29
Location: USA

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:33 am    Post subject: privates Reply with quote

I agree there are some "gray" areas here. My personal philosophy is that if my own students at the school ask me for privates, I say no.

But I have taken a few students who did courses with other teachers at my school years before and then somehow got my name later (usually through a friend). John, I'd be curious to know if you think this is unethical. I guess it is a bit tricky.

Another gray area is when ex-students contact you because they feel they've been lied to by school management about a current course! In this case, I still said no, but was tempted.
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John ELS



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 61
Location: Genoa, Italy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:02 pm    Post subject: Re: privates Reply with quote

Caroline wrote:

But I have taken a few students who did courses with other teachers at my school years before and then somehow got my name later (usually through a friend). John, I'd be curious to know if you think this is unethical.

Totally above board. Business agreements usually provide for 2 yrs but I would say students are free game after 1. Moreover, they weren't even your students.

Caroline wrote:

Another gray area is when ex-students contact you because they feel they've been lied to by school management about a current course! In this case, I still said no, but was tempted.

A client's perception of what is right or wrong, high quality or low quality, is more often than not very different from reality. Be careful with this one. Besides, the important thing is if the school is ethical with you. Now, if you're sure the school is not being ethical with you then leave...and take some students with you. After all of my preaching on being ethical or unethical I really shouldn't say something like that but...business is dog-eat-dog and if I found out that a school cheated me then, you know what they say, what goes around comes around. I don't mean an eye for an eye, but I certainly wouldn't turn the other cheek, not in business.
If the relationship with your employer/business partner is good, then stay with them and make sure you're always as ethical as possible, it will make you a better person.
I'm sure I don't need to tell you that there are universal rules on what is ethical or not, then there are culture-specific rules on being ethical and then there are your personal ethics. Of course they overlap. I think one of the most important universal rules is to ask yourself: Would you want them to do that to you?
Then your personal ethics. If I were working for a school and being paid crap and I saw the opportunity to take on (steal) a very strategic student...then I think it would be very difficult to resist. Yes, that does contradict what I've been preaching but I'm far from being perfectly ethical. If I were, I would still be working for that school and being paid crap.
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jnesta1



Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 96
Location: Here and there

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John,

So far, I agree with almost everything you've said. But you stll haven't answered my question. you say a student is the school's property. what if that student wants/needs more help? what if he/she wants you? what if therre are no other teachers doing privates? just a gew scenarios that need addressing, and from the other posts here they are probably real scenarios.

i commend you for your ethial practices.

thanks

jn
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John ELS



Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 61
Location: Genoa, Italy

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John ELS wrote:

Extra help = extra lessons so extra money. Students have to pay for extra help.

Sorry, I should have been more specific. If a student wants/needs more help then he/she has to buy time with the teacher. If he/she wants a specific teacher then they have to make that request (through the school).
wrote:

what if therre are no other teachers doing privates?

What do you mean? Do you mean the school doesn't offer private lessons? I'm afraid I don't understand.
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jnesta1



Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 96
Location: Here and there

PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see...you've just told me something...I didn't undertand that tutoring was available through the school. My assumption was that tutoring was up to teh student to find, and I thought if he is willing to pay then he should go to whomever he wants. In this coutry, when I took Italian at the Unviersity, the school did not provide tutors, and the teachers did not tutor nor did they want to tutor (most had families or outside duties to fill). Tutoring was available from Italian speakers who either lived or worked in teh community or were students themselves, adn who decided to pick up a little extra cash by tutoring. But there was no assocaiation whatsoever between them adn the school.

Thanks!

Jeff
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