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Hello AKA

I do not have 16 more weeks of this - I have nine more months of this.
I have signed a contract until 30th June 2004. So, you do not have any bright ideas for me I take it - you are happy to let me flounder around.
Believe me I am really trying as I do not want my time here to be wasted. Obviously my time at the Orphanage is not wasted but unless I can learn to control these children I will not be teaching them very much.

I am not content to just ride it out - I cannot take the money if I do not feel that I am doing a reasonable job.

AKA · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 184 Location: China

The nice thing about China is one can choose the kind of teaching one does. I wouldn't have touched your job with a barge pole at 4 times the salary, so I'm afraid as you've made your bed etc. They want an entertainer, not a teacher.

As for cheekygal, I'm waiting for her to say something remotely sensible; or intelligible for that matter. What the hell does she teach anyway? Please don't let it be English!

Belmont · Posted: Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:32 pm Post subject: help for Rhonda

Rhonda. Are there any other teachers around you? Someone who could give you some advice, or someone you could observe teaching? There are lots of teaching strategies for dealing with the situation you are in; it's just a matter of your finding that resource. I've never taught kids as young as the ones you're dealing with so I can't offer any help. I'm sure if you search around Dave's and keep asking, someone is bound to throw you a lifesaver! Smile

kimo · Joined: 16 Feb 2003 Posts: 668

Rhonda, you could give AKA your phone number and you guys could talk from time to time. You know, you two being from the same hometown and all.

Kai6854 · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 53 Location: USA

Right on, Rhonda, Right On!!!! I applaud you!!! I love your positivity and your story is similar to mine.......I'll keep in touch! Exclamation

gerard · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 581 Location: Internet Cafe

Rhonda how big are your classes.? The only time I dealt with this age group I had a local teacher in the room to keep order. If you are alone we should start calling you Saint Rhhonda. Wink

You could read the teacher side of this board where a lot of good people post. My first run in China I had no resources---not even a damn copier. This time I came armed with books to use as a starting point...Also 2 books which are sort of classics inEFL...5-minute activities and Discussions that work..Amazing how many textbooks are just a rehash of Penny Ur...I also have the Lexical Approach although this is more theory ---interesting though.

7 year olds and 2500 RMB you have my sympathy...I was not dissing you but the idea there are all these highly qualified lousy teachers out there. Has anyone met them??? I bet they produce excellent lessons for students that want to learn.

Isn't the 1-child policy just a tax nowadays??? Most of my students have brothers and sisters.

chinasyndrome · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 3:04 am Post subject:

Rhonda, click on this link. It will take you to a main menu on this site that has a lot of useful sub-menus and posts. http://www.eslcafe.com/ideas/index.html
You might also try www.efl4u.com

chinasyndrome · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 7:04 am Post subject:

Might be something useful in here. Have a dig around.

www.meddybemps.com
www.stenhouse.com
www.onestopenglish.com
www.reward-english.com
www.skyline-english.com
www.englishupgrade.com
www.shine-english.com
www.smart-macmillan.com
www.moveahead-english.com
www.prospect-macmillan.com
www.the-stop.net
www.wayahead.com
www.businessenglishonline.com
www.busstop.com
www.insideout.net
www.getrealenglish.com
www.teachers.net
www.mycharades.com
www.childfun.com

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Sigh of reliefg: CS is with us again!
How I have been missing his posts over the past weeks!

chinasyndrome · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2003 12:29 pm Post subject:

Thanks Roger! Very Happy

It was a real shock to come in and see only a few stalwarts like yourself still here. There's a lot of newbies talking to newbies and I feel sorry for them. The debacle that caused the exodus means that tens and tens of years of experience is no longer available here. And where has all the fun and banter gone? Crying or Very sad

cheekygal · Joined: 04 Mar 2003 Posts: 1987 Location: China, Zhuhai

Well, I am teaching English. Terribly sorry for not being intelligent enough for someone *smile* I wouldn't really bother to prove neither my intelligence nor my teaching capacities to anyone Smile

Same style? Perhaps I just share certain views based on my personal experience and agree or disagree with few things as well Smile

Sue me

-cheekybabe

AKA · Joined: 04 Jul 2003 Posts: 184 Location: China

Cheekygal

"Intelligible" does NOT mean the same as "Intelligent". Thanks for helping me make my point though.
Your posts would render our former resident linguist Bertrand apoplectic.

Rhonda

It's impossible for children to "learn" a language in 40 minutes a week. I hope you find enough busy work on the sites CS has given you to stay sane though. A CELTA course would have given you some strategies, but it was too expensive and you're too old [you said it, not me!]: in other words, your students' needs weren't important enough.

Guest

Thanks China Syndrome for those excellent sites. What the hell did we ever do before the Internet - how did we survive?

Gerard, my younger children Grades 3 - 5 have 26 children in each class and the older students, Junion 3 - there are 45 in each class. With 45 kids and only 40 minute lessons, it is impossible to hear everyone speak and communicate with them on a one to one basis. I think you are all correct, I am just of form of entertainment - and not a very good one at that!

Thanks for all the helpful advice and kind wishes.

Debalky · Joined: 28 May 2003 Posts: 79 Location: hell on earth

Hello,
Here is my current situation:
I'm teaching at a primary school (fist time). While in negotiation with the school I told them that i had no experience teaching young children, and i thought maybe it would be difficult due to my "personality". They said that it was no problem. They promised me that I would be supplied a class assitant who would help me control the classes and translate my course ideas to the children. So, I took a chance and accepted the job.
The Idea was to teach 9 and 10 year olds (20hrs per week at 6600rmb). When I arrived they informed me that I would instead be teaching grade one and grade two. I was not impressed, but I gave it my best shot. I told them that perhaps I would be better suited to teach the older kids in the school, so they decided to have me teach all the grades (1 to 6). This bumbed up my schedual to 23hrs per week at 6600rmb. I didn't complain because i thought it was in my, and the school's, best interest.
As time passed, a growing trend was that the "teaching assitants" did not show up to my classes. So this week, a third of my classes were taught without the aid of anybody. I patiently told the school that this was a bad thing, and caused many behavioral problems in the classes.
So, yesterday i asked when i would be payed and how. The school said that i would be payed, but they did not know "how much". I told them politely exactly how much "6600 Rmb". They said maybe 5 000rmb, due to the fact I was only teaching 16hrs per week. What ?????????????? I have been teaching 23hrs per week.
Also, I have not signed a contract yet. I asked why. The princible said that the school was having a "parents day" before the national holiday, and if the parents (who would all cram in to my little classroom already packed with 45 students each) liked my class, then they would sign a contract.
I have not lost my cool yet, but i'm here looking for another job instead of teaching today. In my mind they are stealing from me. I came to class everyday and my lessons were always prepared. This school wants a babysitter and entertainer. I can't believe how snakie these people are.
Yes, i'm partly to blame for taking this job on when that little voice in my head said "whoa, this is not your scene dude", but i thought (and still do) that with the proper help and materials, i could do as good a job as possible. "Under Pressure" (Queen, Bowie)