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Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

You enter an OC l classroom of 20 high school students, one of them is watching you intently. She has just returned from a 3-week homestay in San Diego. She is very eager to speak with you, but tries hard to conceal this. The others are either sleeping, playing with their phones or zombied-out. During the lesson you notice a phone charging on an empty desk, plugged-in to the wall. Later, you notice a habitual phone user, who you have never heard utter a sound or pay any attention, plugging-in his phone to re-charge it. Another student you have never seen do anything but stare into her phone is sipping on a pack of juice. Your Japanese counter-part is also in the room, seated and poring over various texts planning lessons presumably. My question is does this bother you? And would you be able to conduct such lessons day in and day out?

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 6:08 am Post subject:

Ban all phones, food and drink from the classroom. Anytime anyone breaks this ground rule then confiscate the phone or their juice. You don't see students in PE classes using their phones and there's no reason they should be allowed to use them in English class either.

Start off strictly from the beginning and don't allow any exceptions. You will need to co-ordinate this with your Japanese co-worker if you have one.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Agreed 100% Ali, in theory. As an ALT at this public night school do you think that would go over well?

ripslyme · Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 481 Location: Japan

Put yourself in the students' place: They're all basically just killing time so they can graduate and get some kind of menial labor job somewhere. English is not high on their list of priorities.

That being said, if you are still concerned about being an effective "teacher", try to present English in a way that is accessible to the students. If that means watching videos and playing games most/all of the time, well hey, it's more than they would have gotten if it were only that slacker JTE running the show.

Heck, get them to use their phones as a part of the lesson. Have them call/text message each other and try their best to use English. (wishful thinking, but you never know....)

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Thanks for that Canuck, appreciate you taking your time. What I described seems to be the norm at this particular school, don't see any sense in stirring up the muck. The JTE is actually a friend of mine and we have taught together for years, though I never thought much of his style. I expressed to him last night that I have, and have always had, difficulty accepting the way things are here, the way that schools here seem to give students as much rope as they need. Must have something to do with the 20-80 rule, meaning eight out of ten kids end-up flipping burgers here. But another part of me feels that because of Japan's uchi/soto reality, teachers just don't care about their charges, care enough to bring them into the fold. Then again, if they did who would be making burgers?

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Sweetsee,
Have I missed a post about your work situation? I thought you were a full-time teacher now, not an ALT?

Regardless, you've been here 15 years. I find your question to be pretty unnecessary. Moreover, you're asking this in November, 8 months after the school year started. Week one, ok, week two maybe, but 8 bloody MONTHS???

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 9:32 am Post subject: Re: care less?

bornslippy1981 · Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 271

Sweetpea,

Give 'em a few backhands with your racket, and they won't bring food or drinks again.

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Howdy Glenski,
Spare me your condescension please, though I doubt it is possible. At my full time job I am technically an ALT, this thread is in reference to a part time job (55 hours a year). I work all day at the money machine and I teach two classes twice a week in Tokyo in the evenings, in addition to another part time job. Things are the way they are at that public night school and I just go with it. I only posted this to give some folks an idea of what life is like as an ALT, the question was rhetorical. Yes, I could implement the rules mentioned here after the break and I may, but like you told me long ago, things are the way they are and nothing I do is going to change it. Afterall, as Rip pointed out, the students have bigger fish to fry, or burgers as it were.
That said, rest assured that I do run a tight ship at my regular job, thanks in part to the wealth of information and kind advice gleaned from this site.
The sun is shining, life is good and I wish all of you an awesome teaching day.
Enjoy,
s

Eva Pilot · Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:08 am Post subject:

That kind of thing would be stopped very soon in a class of mine. As much as people say they have their own agendas, they are just filling time, whatever, I'm there to do a job not entertain, babysit or just let them sleep.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

And if it was not your class, you were assisting?
And if the entire school was like that?
And if you were less than perfect? (joke, don't get mad!)

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:00 am Post subject:

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Thanks for that Ali. Thinking to run it by mate right now as I am now in Tokyo.
Why would I want to ask for the thread to be locked?