Job Discussion Forums

[Leon Purvis]

We got our class schedule last week and i was a little surprised by the class assignments.

I have an MA in English with an emphasis in writing, plus eight years teaching experience in the states with four years as an ESL teacher.

The Foreign Languages Department assigned a drunken former cabdriver/janitor/policeman with a high school education and an online TESOL certificate to teach history and advanced writing composition classes while I was assigned low-end remedial oral English classes populated by students who have histories of attendance problems. (I taught some of these kids in oral English classes last semester, so I know them).

WTF is this foreign Languages Department thinking? The majority of the other FT's students skipped his classes on a regular basis last semester. Even the class monitor quit showing up. I know this to be true because his students complained about him to me, and when I looked in on his classes, only 3-5 out of 40 students were in his room. He was issued an informal reprimand and actually had some of his courses reassigned to another teacher (me).

This is not a private school. This is a public college. He revealed his lack of credentials to me last semester during a drunken binge while he was fretting over the fact that he was in over his head. How he got the job is beyond me.

The class assignment is not a mistake. The FT liaison (who makes the class assignments) knows who we are. Can anyone shed any light on this situation and help me to understand how this could have happened?

[7969]

i'd just say it goes hand in hand with the lack of planning and the inability of chinese schools to (in general) maximize their potential resources. Your credentials may mean a lot to someone who understands what they mean and where they came from, they seemingly have little meaning to chinese employers of foreign ESL teachers.

recommend some changes to your school. i'd been given 8 classes this term, all english writing. never taught a writing class in my life. i asked the school to rearrange and now i have four writing classes and four oral english.

[hairuo]

Maybe, your speaking is clearer than the other person. I got all Oral classes because I dont have much of an accent.

[Songbird]

Seems to me you've actually answered your own question!

[kev7161]

Have you actually ASKED them why they've done what they've done? Generally, most schools don't seem to have a clue on how to organize teachers into classes in which they are best suited. Couple that with lack of resources, lack of information (until the last minute), and lack of support from the school, then it's a wonder we can get anything done! I'm not saying that about my current school, however (except the last minute thing sometimes), but referring to other teaching experiences since I've been here.

[tw]

I think most schools just figure FT John is as good as FT Joan to teach a particular course since we are native speakers and/or from the West, and we are all certified "experts".

[latefordinner]

TW and 7969 probably have it. To their eyes, our credentials and qualifications all look the same. Add to that the possibility that there is probably a semi-literate Chinese teacher with a combined degree in English and Food Service (specialising in bussing tables) who can't speak a word of English but thinks he can teach written English and there you have it. It doesn't matter if the FT can't teach a writing course to save his life, you have a real teacher who can. Actually he can't either, neither could his professor before him, but since his course is entirely in Chinese, no one will know the difference and everything will be fine.

[Leon Purvis]

You know, the answers that I've gotten from everyone are exactly what I feared I would get. It reinforces my suspicions about my school.

Why haven't I asked my foreign languages department about the situation? Because I can never find anyone to talk to. The FT liaison has been quoted as expressing open contempt for the FTs, and whenever I DO find him and speak to him, he makes no effort to hide his feelings. I really believe that the schedule reflects his general negative attitude. He gave advanced classes to the drunk knowing that they are over his head, and he gave me the dregs because he knows my qualifications. That's his way of sticking it to us.

Though I want to believe that the FT liaison assigned my classes with the intention of my doing more good for those who need it most, I find it difficult to believe. This guy is thoroughly clueless about students' needs and even more clueless about teaching in general.

I am not here for ME. I am here for my students, so I must do the best with what I have been given.

[China.Pete]

"The FT liaison has been quoted as expressing open contempt for the FTs, and whenever I DO find him and speak to him, he makes no effort to hide his feelings." - Leon Purvis

It would seem to me that those responsible for teaching assignments have arranged things to conform with their prejudices in regards to FTs. Putting an incompetant in a demanding position will tend to reinforce the view that FTs are idiots in general. Putting a well-qualified FT in front of dullards will render him more or less harmless (sorry, Leon). Those responsible for this may be so poorly managed that they are allowed to practice their social engineering schemes without much interference.

[tw]

[China.Pete]

"At my current university, the College of Foreign Language's assistant responsible for FTs' scheduling did her best to keep everybody happy." - tw

At mine too. However, this is not really relevant to the situation outlined by the OP. My explanation was aimed at his particular situation, and possibly a few others I've run across over the years.

[Outsida]

I had a class last semester where only 2-4 out of 45 students showed up. Maybe I'm a bad teacher? I don't know this colleague of yours, but to blame him for all of the non-attendance might be jumping the gun a bit.

My particular class were simply lazy, disinterested, spoilt brats.

Leon, I don't know how credible the complaining students were. The worst students will often complain in order to cover their own a rses.

[MITCH]

[Leon Purvis]

[quote="China.Pete
It would seem to me that those responsible for teaching assignments have arranged things to conform with their prejudices in regards to FTs. Putting an incompetant in a demanding position will tend to reinforce the view that FTs are idiots in general. Putting a well-qualified FT in front of dullards will render him more or less harmless (sorry, Leon). Those responsible for this may be so poorly managed that they are allowed to practice their social engineering schemes without much interference.[/quote]

This has occurred to me as well. When I consider the last crop of FTs and the subjects that they were assigned, the content of their lessons (a month talking about the Easter Bunny?), and their apparent lack of general education (you mean there's a difference between the electricity coming out of the receptacle in my wall here in China and the stuff that comes out of the receptacle in my wall in the States?), I have to agree that there's some sort of engineering going on.

One of the FTs last spring told me that he spent a class period telling his students how to insult people. One would think that a report of this sort of behavior would make its way to the foreign languages department.

[7969]