Job Discussion Forums

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

Sorry Gregor,
(all that long list of whinges, and you write so eloquently)

i seem to have given a sideways swipe unintentiionally.

No spring chicken myself, I have a similar backgroud to your own. Except now, decision made, I am moving more into trainer training and exams, so I agree with most of your comments

'Scrape' in this sense was not meant to convey a negative i.e. "in a tight spot" but as 'scrape' in the emollient substance spread on one's bread or toast. Not just earning your daily bread. For most of us earning more than our daily bread, in comparison to the locals, get a scrape to add to it...but that is all. not negative but really only just positive. scraping by and it depends how thinly you spread it. "An extra bit of scrape"

Dunno where I picked that one up but I like it.

The point, he said blithely babbling on...was that it was dreaming that got us there...not planning.

The post was intrended for Chancellor and was hardly intended to be taken that seriously.
So cut me a little slack here, I don't feel inclined to instigate one of those great big long extended duration Dave's eslcafe debates for one word. I am sure you don't either.
We could, of course, allow others to do this for us....

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

'bump'

I have just returned from a long stint abroad and one of the questions raised at a conference in Cape Town was about the professional, and other, needs of newly qualified teachers. The point being that what we receive and what we need are two different things. How well do ELT courses prepare newbies for the real world of ' here's the course book, your school is on the other side of town..' teaching. Social skills and life skills are given short shrift on intensive courses and it is the 4 skills, vocab and grammar that get highlighted as the most important teaching skills to be taught. There are many others that get no mention in courses or in books...

I quote ...

Cast your minds back to when you were newly qualified and basking in the reflected glory of your newly achieved certificate. What exactly were the skills you thought you would need to teach.... and what were the ones you developed or did you stumble over new ones, over the next couple of months/years?
Can we get a list of four per person to get things rolling.

isanity · Joined: 05 Nov 2004 Posts: 179

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

I think for a lot of us in Japan we would like more support for career development and more job security. The pay in the uni sector is good, paid holidays, commutation, but the job security is nebulous for even most of the full timers.

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

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

Sorry folks,

Let this be a lesson to me.
Check your spelling and grammar before submitting a post when you are tired and jetlagged and your computer screen is blurred( more than usual0
because you are not wearing your glasses.

I have made myamendments and additions to my previous post and cut and pasted it down here. This time it should make more sense.
I suppose I could ,grudgingly, offer thanks to isanity for pointing out the inconsistencies of the posting in the first place. Well,,,,,,,,,, thanks!

Here's the updated version

...ooo...

I have just returned from a long stint abroad and one of the questions raised at a conference in Cape Town was about the professional, and other, needs of newly qualified teachers. The point being that what we receive on training courses and what we need in reality are two different things. How well can ELT courses prepare newbies for the real world of ' here's the course book, your school is on the other side of town..' teaching in a variety of, as yet, unknown settings? Social skills and life skills are given short shrift on intensive courses and it is the 4 skills, vocab and grammar that get highlighted as the most important teaching skills to be taught. There are many others that get no mention in courses or in books...

I quote ...

Cast your minds back to when you were newly qualified and basking in the reflected glory of your newly achieved certificate. What exactly were the skills you thought you would need to teach.... and what were the ones you developed or did you stumble over new ones, over the next couple of months/years?
Can we get a list of four per person to get things rolling.

Deconstructor · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 775 Location: Montreal

Top 10 things I've always wanted from ELT and gotten:

1 When I get up in the morning, I never want to feel like I have to go to work. A great person once said, "If you love your job, you will never work another day". This is how I've felt for the past 11 years of teaching. I feel so lucky.

2 Having others pay for my travel expenses. I've taught on a number of continents having never spent a single dime of my own money.

3 Getting a superstar status JUST BECAUSE I SPEAK ENGLISH!!!! I mean who can top this?!!!

4 Chicks! I mean they love you JUST BECAUSE YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!!! I MEAN REALLY!!!!

5 Money! I never wanted too much of it anyways. Or is this just a rationalization? Both my wife and I work; we bought a house, a car and started a family. Who says you can't have it all on ESL salary?!!

6 Power. I can dream, can't I?

7 Having stupid students (They are a dime a dozen, which makes it pretty much everyone in any given class.) This way I always look good no matter what I do in class.

8 Having a stupid DOS. (They are a dime a dozen.) This way I always look good no matter what I do in class.

9 Never having to think about, or prepare for, a single class. At least the great teachers do this. The mediocre spend hours on each lesson. Wow! an entire industry based on ad libbing and winging it. IIIIIII love it!

10 Never having to see, talk to, or work with any other teacher. This is the best! I mean having to work with my students is more than enough on any given day.

GOD I LOVE MY JOB!!!!

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

I'm a great teacher. Who knew? Me.

KaiFeng · Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:56 am Post subject:

Let me share a different perspective.

I think this is wonderful: a business where most of my competitors leave the field every few years. For any consultant or business professional, this is a damn dream come true! Consider the implications:

1. My greater experience will always put me at an advantage versus 90+% percent of the field.
2. I can cherry-pick the client portfolios of my colleagues leaving the country.
3. I can use this quote (about the four-year-longevity) to give me an advantage with HR managers and justify the premium rate I charge.

So, if you're serious about the ESL field or just serious about maxing out your income (and what's wrong with that?), all you have to do is outlast the competition. Life is beautiful!!

Oh, and listen to Dekonstructor. There are wise men, and there are wise guys, and he's both!