Job Discussion Forums

KarenB · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 227 Location: Hainan

Well, guys, don't feel bad about having to work the weekend before or after to make up for the missed days. One guy I know at a university here in Hainan is having to work extra hours all throughout the semester to make up for the 5 missed days in May (his Dean is a royal you-know-what).

I agree with the OP -- it does screw up your teaching plan if you teach the same material to different classes throughout the week. You end up with two classes that are one week ahead of everyone else. Last semester, we missed a Monday and Tuesday of classes in September due to a typhoon. But when we made up classes for October Golden Week, we made up Thurs. & Fri. classes, which meant that my Th. & Fr. students were then 2 weeks ahead of my Mon. & Tues. classes (I would have thought the logical thing would have been to make up the Mon. and Tues. classes which were already behind; however, since most of the students meet with their Chinese teachers several times a week -- instead of just once a week as with us -- I guess this really only affects the FTs).

I have approached this situation in one of two ways:

1) Permit those Thurs. and Fri. (or Mon. & Tues.) classes to be ahead of the others for a few weeks. Perhaps somewhere down the line, you'll end up getting those classes cancelled for some reason -- like for Sports Day or something like that. If you get to the end of the semester and they're still ahead, just give them their exams a week earlier, and you can book out two days earliers (if your school lets you).

2) Make it a fun day. These are the days I wear jeans or shorts to class, and maybe we'll go outside and do an activity, or maybe we'll just play games or something inside. Sometimes, I'll teach them material -- but mostly review what we've already covered, using games or other interesting techniques that we usually don't have time to do.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I was/am planning a Math test and Spelling test on Saturday morning and then DVDs for the rest of my periods for Saturday. Then on Sunday morning, we have to come in for 3 periods only, with the 3rd period ending at 10:40am. The parents are to be there by 11:30 to pick up their kids. Now, you tell me why (oh why) they just don't have the parents pick up on Saturday afternoon (like they usually do on Fridays) as opposed to sticking in 3 extra periods the next day?

Also, some of my students will not be there on Friday or Saturday and so they have to make up their tests AFTER the holiday - - I'm sure all that knowledge will be fresh in their minds upon their return. Grrrrr!

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

mondrian · Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:34 am Post subject:

Today I had a conversation with my Chinese English colleagues about this problem and asked them what they planned for the extra two days this week-end.
They all told me that the lessons they'll give will be "normal lessons". On enquiring when they will give the equivalent Monday-Wednesday lessons for that week - the answer was that they won't! Those lessons will be missed lessons and the students are expected to catch up in their spare time.
Catch up on an oral English class?!

grwit · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 329 Location: Dagobah

Well Heres my solution! I have asked my school to change my sunday classes to nights this week so my holiday will start this sunday.

As for the extra lesson plans - just plan something simple. Play some games or teach them an english song or something. Just use some time fillers to get you through the days. I am lucky I play guitar so I will teach a song on saturdays classes. My sundays classes are on thursday and friday nights this week. Thursday night I will teach the normal lesson then friday morning I have the same class again where I will just do something simple. Friday afternoon I have arranged to teach that class 4 periods back to back so I am showing them a dvd.

grwit · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 329 Location: Dagobah

Oh I forgot to mention:- I am under the impression that it is not the schools choice to change the lessons. My boss explained to me that the change comes from the provincial government and all government schools have to comply with their decision. The chinese teachers at my school don't like it either.