Job Discussion Forums

Margot73 · Joined: 16 Feb 2007 Posts: 145 Location: New York City

Whenever I am doing something in class involving the text, I ALWAYS write the page number on the board. I write it in the SAME corner of blackboard, every single time. At the begining of each new course, I tell them about this. In fact there is a nice SQUARE where I fill in the page number as needed. Without fail, every single freakin day, at least one person interupts me with "which page? which page?" like they are completely lost.

coffeedrinker · Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 149

Ha! I've noticed something similar, though I'm not nice enough to write it on the board. Of all the things students have to learn in English, the numbers have to be one of the easiest, but almost each time a page number comes up, yes - at least one person will ask again almost immediately. Look at your neighbor's, like you do on the test! (Just kidding...)

QatarChic · Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 445 Location: Qatar

Yeah I have seen that happen too many times. My own pet peeve is when students turn up to class without a pen/pencil and expect you to supply them each time. (I teach adults not kids btw) I often wonder why they even bother turning up.......

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Same problem here! I announce it orally and write it, and still there are some who don't get it!

Another pet peeve: teachers who use the classroom before me and don't erase the board!!! Evil or Very Mad

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naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Same problem. I've stopped answering them and just glare at them. They're finally starting to get it. THey do the same thing with instructions. Explain them, re.explain, give examples, re-explain. And then someone goes "What do we have to do?"

jonniboy · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject:

Too many pet peeves to rant about! Razz

Worst one though is private students who just vanish without any notice. How difficult is it to send an SMS or email?!

Second place goes to private students who turn up ridiculously early for lessons. I had one who came 10 minutes early, that was fine. But when she turned up 25 minutes early and then b-itched ("I would have been ready if it was me") cos I was still eating my lunch in my one hour gap it was time to lay down the law. Thankfully she didn't come back after that which pleased me no end.

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

The whisper campaign. As in, you know, some students have been complaining a lot about... which always seems to come up when there are financial issues. My fave was the Korean lad who was busted for not paying my insurance or pension. He sent an email which said, in essence, you know, guangho, I did not want to say this but the students all hate you, really hate you...

John Hall · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:51 pm Post subject:

Perhaps I'm getting old, but repeating page numbers gets under my skin! I frequently don't respond when asked, but with my classes of 20 or so students, there are still those who ask. I do the glare too.

I feel there is "educational" value in not repeating page numbers over and over again as well. A major part of learning English is listening comprehension, and half of that is paying attention in class. If a student is not paying attention in class, then they are not improving their listening comprehension at that moment. At least in my intensive classes, students have got to develop the l.c. to the max, so IMO they can't let their minds wander off at any time.

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

I usually have to repeat the page number at least 10 times, especially if it's above 10. You'd think they'd have some idea from the day before but no... goldfish.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Hmmm. From reading these complaints, I wonder when some of you last took a class of some kind yourselves.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

I say "Open your books" as I pick up my book. This tells them that we're moving to the book now, and they start looking through the book to where we were last class. By that time, I've found the page I want (because I remember what we're doing by how the page looks, not the number) and then I say the page number and hold up the book so they can see it as well. I sometimes get a couple of "What page?"s but I never mind repeating, unless the student hasn't been paying attention.

Just part of the service I guess.

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

rusmeister · Joined: 15 Jun 2006 Posts: 867 Location: Russia

For me it's when they ask me what a word means (50 times a lesson).
I require pocket dictionaries and then some kids and adults don't bring them anyway and they ask me what something means. I throw mine to or at them. (I have the same students for multiple years - they know me and know I care about them.)

Jetgirly · Joined: 17 Jul 2004 Posts: 741

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Tue May 01, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject:

As John Hall pointed out it is sometimes better not to respond to the students who expect you to spoonfeed them information as and when they are ready. I usually tell Ss to go to a certain page then double check with two or three students. "Which page are we on......Azuki?" "Page 10" "Okay, good. Which page....Kouhei?" "Page?"

Any students who didn't have the courtesy to listen to the instructions are going to have to rely on the benificence of their fellow students.