Job Discussion Forums

[flyingkiwi]

What a day! It started in a class before lunchtime. I was playing a game with the students (I am an ALT). One girl (student X) was working on another worksheet at the time and paying no attention.

Then, when I changed the format to having pairs competing against each other to answer a question, it came to her and another student's turn and she was taking an age to answer a simple question. So, after about thirty agonising seconds, I decided to let the other student have a go.

Well, Student X threw a fit and had a tantrum. THe JTE thought I should let her have another go. So, to keep the peace, I did. But student X was sulking and refused to comply.

The JTE is blaming me, I think, because next class I did my country's intro with a lot of materials. The JTE hardly assisted me in class (she stood at the back), and didn't thank me and didn't help me pack up afterwards.

Sorry to make it sound like I'm whinging, but I am wondering if I am to blame for all this? Was I too tough on Student X (knowing that she has had a poor attitude for the past two years).

A BAD day in the life of an ALT...

[gaijin4life]

Not that I`ve ever been an ALT but students like that (Student X) sound like a pain in the rse. I dont have alot of time for temper-tantrums or `its all about me` students in the class, - not when there are 30plus other students there who want to take part with no drama.

To that student, Id probably say something like, `Too slow` and let another student answer. - The students need to know there is time-pressure though otherwise they might not think its fair.

Good on you for trying to do something interesting. Your JTE is probably just stressed as most teachers are. Ive had negativity or no comment (from my J teacher colleagues ... ) after doing interesting lessons which the students told me they enjoyed.

Go and have a beer (or 3) and be thankful you are not your JTE...

[japanman]

I've waited for over five mins for a kid to give a response. In a class of 40 students, that can be harsh. Then the other students start playing up etc. I've eevn told them the answer and got them to repeat it but still no response. All the kids shouting at them to say something but still no response. At first I used to get stressed by such things but not any more. You have to just emotionaly step back a bit and accept that it's one of those things that happens.

[flyingkiwi]

Five minutes??

Man, that's too long IMO. Think how the poor student feels. I give them about 30 seconds, and if nothing is happening, then I open the question to the rest of the class.

I can only think that I should have told the students there is a time limit to answer, to make it clear. Other than that, I'm not sure what else I could have done.

[Glenski]

5 minutes is insane. Nobody should wait that long.

As for 30 agonizing seconds, I don't doubt that it felt like that. Been there. However, what exactly did you do to encourage student X? Any hints? Any repeat of the question? Anything at all? Or did you just embarrass the snot out of her (and you) by standing there waiting for her to answer?

Her response may sound childish but look at it from her side. She obviously wanted to give an answer, and you ripped away her chance. Please tell us you did SOMETHING to try prying it out of her other than dead silence and looming over her.

And, just what did the JTE do during those 30 seconds? Have you consulted with her to see what advice you could have gotten? This is not your home country, and the rules of the game are different here. Is student X a social misfit, or perhaps does she have other emotional problems? Sure sounds like it to me, and I've seen my share in HS here, enough to know that you can't treat the situation as if she were a native speaker. You did, and everyone is suffering. You said it yourself when you wrote that she has had "a poor attitude". How does that manifest itself, and do you even know why? I'm betting the JTE does.

Teachers here, especially Japanese teachers, serve a role as counselor and psychologist, as well as nursemaid and surrogate parent. They often know very intimate details of students that you and I would find irrelevant, private, or out of bounds, but that's the way it is here. Try to learn from the JTE what the situation is aside from a "bad attitude".

[nonsmoker]

I don't have nearly as much teaching experience as, say, Glenski but I know this: School age girls in any culture (but especially in collectivist cultures) are easily embarassed in front of classmates and a lot of them are very self-conscious. Next time, you should offer some hints and if the student still can't answer, you go right there next to her and find the answer together, regardless of how long it takes. You must learn to treat each student on an individual basis because not everyone learns at the same pace.

That's my 2 cents.

[Gordon]

I have found that it takes a ton of patience to teach in Japan as students can sometimes take forever to answer. Get to learn your students and then when you ask questions of varying difficulty, you can ask the students who you know can answer the tougher ones and who can handle only the easy ones.

Always give students an easy way out if they can't give an answer and give them lots of tips to encourage them.

I know easier said than done as sometimes it seems they could stare blankly for an eternity.

[dove]

There is such a simple solution to this, but it involves real English so I doubt it will ever come to be: teach the kids to say "I don't know", or even "Pass" when they can't respond to a question. My adult students sometimes remain silent when they don't know an answer so I guess it must be so ingrained in them (from an early age )that when you don't know an answer, the best thing to do is to remain silent. It's irritating--especially when it holds up the class--but it's part of the culture here. Sad actually, when you think of all the fear that must pulse through the average Japanese student--fear of making mistakes, fear of looking foolish, fear of looking too smart.... I wonder how my Japanese teacher feels when--on the completely opposite side of the coin--I and my classmates from Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines, Brazil, and Paraguay, are all vying to answer the questions, even if we are wrong.

[Nismo]

Bring a stopwatch with you and write a rule on the board at the beginning of class that says if there is no answer within 15 seconds then it's an automatic "pass". You don't even need to use the stopwatch, just estimate the time in your head and make a show of looking down at it, like it's the officiator of the class. If there are any tantrums, just tell them you can't do anything about it - It's the rule. We can't break the rules now, can we.

[zorro (3)]

I think that a five minute wait is a good length of time. It gives the student time to really consider what a fool they are.

[flyingkiwi]

In response to Glenski's very good post: Yes, I did give her some hints. The question was 'What is the date today'?

I said 'It's May....' after about 10 seconds. I then said 'Pass?' i.e. 'Do you pass?'

But I think you are right: I should have got an answer out of that student at all costs.

Next class, I might rig it so that she has to answer a question. Then, I'll give her all the time she needs and help her out, like you said.

[TokyoLiz]

You're hardly to blame for the student's temper tantrum. She's got lots of models of good interaction around her, and knows what is appropriate or not. She's also got Japanese teachers to counsel her. Your JTE is just shifting the blame to you because s/he is having a hard time with the kid, too.

About open class one-student answering --

I avoid having one child answer in open class by doing lots and lots of pair and group work. I monitor while they are working together, and have them present their conversation/answer in pairs or groups (while the others do busy work) so that I can make an assessment and give feedback. I've done this in classes of 25 plus kids.

I find that if I ask for volunteers in open class, only the strongest ones will answer. That's of no benefit to the other weaker students who either aren't paying attention or don't understand what's going on.

You don't have time to wait for an answer when you've only got one or two lessons a week.

I find choral drilling also avoids this. I circulate, look at students who have the correct answer, hand them chalk and tell them to write the answer on the board. All students check their work and correct as necessary. Then I have them choral drill the correct answer - the teacher asks a question, and the students chorally repeat the answer.

I hope that helps.

[Big John Stud]

flyingkiwi wrote:

What a day! It started in a class before lunchtime. I was playing a game with the students (I am an ALT). One girl (student X) was working on another worksheet at the time and paying no attention. Then, when I changed the format to having pairs competing against each other to answer a question, it came to her and another student's turn and she was taking an age to answer a simple question. So, after about thirty agonising seconds, I decided to let the other student have a go. Well, Student X threw a fit and had a tantrum. THe JTE thought I should let her have another go. So, to keep the peace, I did. But student X was sulking and refused to comply. The JTE is blaming me, I think, because next class I did my country's intro with a lot of materials. The JTE hardly assisted me in class (she stood at the back), and didn't thank me and didn't help me pack up afterwards. Sorry to make it sound like I'm whinging, but I am wondering if I am to blame for all this? Was I too tough on Student X (knowing that she has had a poor attitude for the past two years). A BAD day in the life of an ALT...

When a student is taking too long to reply, I sometimes give hints. For example, If I asked where are you from? If the student doesn't reply after a while I might say, I'm from the U.S. Where are you from?
I also encourage other students to give the answer as long as they do so in English. After all the whole point of lanuage is communication.


Try to get a long with the homeroom teacher. Remember no matter what they have the upper hand!

[nonsmoker]

[flyingkiwi]