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[Malsol]

I give my students my course outline, with rules, on the first day. We discuss them at length. Everyone knows what to expect. I run a tight ship, maybe even a boot camp.

A student physically sitting in their seat may still be marked absent if:

1. they do not come to class prepared with book, note book, pen, dictionary, homework completed etc.

2. If they fall asleep during class

3. If they leave early or arrive late

4. If they use mobile phone during class

The grade is reduced 10 points for every three absences.

The rules also state that if a student uses their mobile phone during class, I have the right to confiscate it and return it, if and when I decide.

Yesterday was the last day of the semester for one of my classes.

I have one male student who in 16 weeks has 14 absences. He has just never gotten with the program. Yesterday, during a movie, he was playing games on his mobile phone. When I walked up next to him he put a book over the phone to hide it, a clear indication of culpability in knowing what he was doing was wrong.

I confiscated the phone and advised him he could only get it back by explaining to the Dean why he was not going to be allowed to take my final exam and would receive only 10 points for the semester, an F.

Then the tantrum began, disturbing the entire class. First I had no authority to take his property. Second I am unfair. Third he could not afford to fail my class for some unstated reason. I asked him 23 times to sit down and stop disturbing the class.

I finally called for security to have him removed. He left and immediately starting attempting to poison the well against me with the Chinese teachers, the Vice-Dean and the Dean.

When class was over I immediately went home and wrote a detailed letter about this student's history and why I had taken the action I took. I sent this email to all Chinese teachers, Vice-Dean and Dean.

My apartment phone rang within minutes but I did not answer. Then my mobile rang, first my Chinese co-teacher, then the Vice-Dean, then the Dean. I never answered.


Half an hour later, after things cooled down a little, I walked into the Dean's office and gave him the student's mobile.

The Dean invited the Vice-Dean and my Chinese co-teacher to join us for a little chat. I thought this was going to be the Chinese version of being taken out behind the woodshed.

The Dean first asked me why I had taken the action against the student.
I simply said, "I care."

He then told me that when the student came to him to complain about me, he criticised the student for failing 2/3rds of his classes in three years. I immediately criticised the Dean for allowing this to happen. He winced.

Then he totally surprised me. He thanked me for caring about my students. He launched into a 45 min tirade about how all of our teachers need to exert more discipline and insure that students do not pass just by showing up. He thanked me and said it was a shame I was not staying next year.


This post is in praise of a progressive Chinese Dean.

[saint57]

[Malsol]

This morning the student was advised to pack his things and go home. He will fail all of his courses and be suspended for one year.

[sigmoid]

Oh yeah. Running your class like a 'boot camp' is a sure fire way to motivate students to learn...

[Malsol]

[Damo22]

[kev7161]

"Boot Camp" seems to be a poor choice or words. I fully agree with Malsol and think he did the right thing. Can you have set rules and still run a fun and interesting class? Sure you can, as long as you enforce the rules from day one equally and fairly to all students. Rules can become a non-issue if they are explained from the beginning, gently reminded throughout the term (perhaps posting them someplace conspicuous) and enforced as quickly and painlessly as possible. Sadly, it's usually a BIG DEAL when one of these goof-off students are caught red-handed and asked to tow the line (like phone boy in the OP). Quiet and meek these students are not (when it comes to their mobile phones, that is).

[Malsol]

OK OK stop the PMs - here are my course rules in toto -



CLASS INTRODUCTION


COURSE#: International Business
SCHOOL:
TERM:
PROFESSOR:
TEXT:
Supplement:
MOVIES: Life and Debt
The Corporation


Course Description
This is a business course taught in English. The subject is �. This course will be taught utilizing the �Socratic� or �case study� methodology. The students will be responsible for reading the assigned text and other materials prior to coming to class. At the commencement of each class students will have an opportunity to ask the professor to explain those portions of the assigned text and other materials that they do not understand. During the class the professor will propose a hypothetical problem fashioned upon the assigned text and other materials. The professor will randomly ask the students questions that require the students to think creatively and apply what they have learned from the text and other materials. This means that the professor is a facilitator and that the students carry the bulk of the conversation. To familiarize you with this teaching methodology you will be shown the movie �The Paper Chase."

Course Goals
Upon completion of this course the students should have an appreciation for the complexities of international business and have the ability to identify potential problems and know when to seek timely professional advice and the appropriate type of advice to seek. The students will also acquire the ability to approach problem solving through critical analysis and creative thinking.

Classroom Behavior
This is an English class. Therefore, you will speak English at all times in this class, unless the Professor gives permission for a Chinese translation or explanation. If you insist on speaking Mandarin you may be asked to leave the classroom and you will be marked absent. Disruptive behavior may cause a student to be expelled from the classroom and marked absent. An expelled student will be required to make an oral apology in front of the entire class before being allowed to return.


Be On Time
Do not be late to class. Coming to class late is extremely rude and thoughtless, in disregard and disrespect of your Professor and your fellow classmates. It is extremely disruptive. If you arrive late, you may find the classroom door locked, you may be denied late entry and you will be marked absent.

Be Prepared
Always bring your writing instruments, notebook, textbook and dictionary (preferable electronic with pronunciation function) to class. Always bring your homework and other class assignments to class. Always come to class having prepared your homework assignments. THE BEST WAY TO STUDY FOR THE FINAL EXAM IS TO REVIEW THE NOTES YOU TAKE IN CLASS. If you cone to class unprepared you will be marked absent and you may be asked to leave the classroom. Any mobile phone that rings during class will be confiscated and not returned until the end of the school year. Warning: Do not bring your face to class.

Ask Questions
If you do not understand anything at all, ask the Professor to explain. The only stupid question is the one you do not ask.

Grading
100% of your grade will be based upon the final examination. The professor reserves the discretion to adjust a student�s final grade upward or downward based upon the quality of a student�s classroom participation. This will require that you read all homework assignments to be prepared to participate in the class discussion. Three absences and your final grade will go down 10 points. Six absences and you will not be allowed to sit the final examination and will fail the course. This is a discussion class and work cannot be made up later. Quizzes are for information and evaluation only.

Final Exam
The final examination will constitute one or more hypothetical questions. The student will be required to solve the hypothetical problem through creative application of the information garnered during the semester, common sense and individual life experiences. The final examination will be �open book.� THE BEST WAY TO STUDY FOR THE FINAL EXAM IS TO REVIEW THE NOTES YOU TAKE IN CLASS.

There will be zero tolerance for cheating. A student caught cheating will be removed from the examination room and will fail the course.

WARNING: A photographic memory will be of no avail. You may memorize the entire text and other materials and still fail this course. You will be graded on how well you are able to creatively apply what you have learned.

[no_exit]

Boot camp? Give me a break.

We're the teachers here, they're the students. I give my students a ton of leeway during class, but if they outright disrespect you, their classmates, and the class in general, then you have a right to deal with them in a proper way. The fact that most Chinese universities don't care about your class and will pass the students anyway doesn't mean that you just let them get away with that kind of behavior.

And students do get suspended and booted out of school. Just because most of the time the administration is lax about FT taught classes doesn't mean they let the students just do nothing until they walk out with a diploma. They have to pass their exams. They have to show up. And there are endless rules regarding their behavior -- no boyfriends in the dorm room, no staying out past a certain hour ... all sorts of things that, in the end, do amount to something. A girl I know got kicked out of high school for hitting a teacher. They don't just sit around letting these kids get away with murder, even though it seems that way sometimes.

Masol's big victory here was getting the administration to take his class seriously. All too often FT classes are just treated as a blow off class. Good old Basketweaving 101, as we used to say back when we were in school in the States. An easy A. They need to realize that these classes, especially for English majors, are essential to their progress with the English language. These students aren't going to have that many chances to actually learn from a native speaker in their, and it is a pity that a lot of them take that chance and blow it off. I'm glad Masol's dean sees the light.

[sigmoid]

[sigmoid]

[Malsol]

[Malsol]

[Malsol]

Sigmoid I notice you post in Vietnam, Thailand and China. You are the expert's expert?

If you do not like my rules, do not use them. I did not post them for your approval or not.

I always give my potential employer my class rules before I sign any contract.

And if you do not have anything positive to add, or a set of better rules, why not shut the **** up?

It is far easier to criticise than to create, right amigo?

[Midlothian Mapleheart]

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