Job Discussion Forums

Mike_2007 · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 349 Location: Bucharest, Romania

The obvious solution would be to start up your own business. You have other capital so could cover yourself until your schedule was full and you could teach in your own style. You'll earn more and be more satisfied.

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

I'll just say that it's easy to give and take insult that is not necessarily intended. Our naked words, without body language, intonation, or anything else to clarify our intent make it easy to misunderstand each other. I wouldn't rush to assume that people are patronizing or belittling you. They may be trying to say an honest thought without putting it through electronic tact filters.

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:30 am Post subject:

If you wanted to teach Faulkner and Shakespeare then why don't you become a literature teacher and inform people that "my mother is a fish" and "brevity is the soul of wit" (the latter being a line you must have skipped over in your last reading of Hamlet)? A bit of Orwell wouldn't be bad either: "Never use a long word when a short one will do."

Otherwise, perhaps you're in the wrong line of work.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 3:58 pm Post subject:

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

MELEE - it's a great metaphor, definitely! (finite, definite, definitely)

You're absolutely right about the continuum from fast food to haute cuisine. However, I'm afraid that our friend mdk has a bit of a chip on his/her shoulder and is unlikely to appreciate the distinction.

In any case, for what very little it's worth, I, too, am at the higher end of the TEFL scale in terms of professionalism/pay/qualifications. But it takes quite a lot of work and commitment to get there. mdk's unlikely to be a candidate for better positions, so for her/him, the McDonald's end of the scale is his/her reality.

zorro (3) · Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 202

Do all men become cantankerous when they reach a certain age? I thought that was just a myth...

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

I'd give the man a second chance. We've all misunderstood people online at one time or another.
I like the analogy, too. But what do you call me? I take 1st graders for a few hours a week (that's all the English they get) and after 4 years we're watching "The Empire Strikes Back" and they're telling me they understood nearly everything (as 4th graders). Not sure where I'd fit in this analogy. I do complete and exclusive but slow 'sculptures'.

mdk · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 425

Well, at least I know now what is liable to happen if I ask a simple question in this general discussion forum. Perhaps, I should have asked instead, "Do you know of any ESL schools where you would care to see your own child teach.

Some of you seemed decent enough, and the less said about the supercilious twits the better. But it seems to have just confirmed my original hypothesis that organized ESL schools are places where professionalism gets sold down the river so the teachers can all keep their phoney jobs. The sad case where the teacher mentioned that she had to (If I recall) cook the test scores rings too true and I expect is all too commonplace.

Whatever my level of competence as an ESL teacher may or may not be, at least I still puke at the idea of phoning it in to keep some boss happy. I will go off and content myself with teaching private lessons.

phis · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 250

mdk said:

"Do you know of any ESL schools where you would care to see your own child teach.

......I still puke at the idea of phoning it in to keep some boss happy.

? ? ? ? ? ? ?

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

mdk,
You did not originally ask just one question. You asked several.

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

mdk, I'd suggest dropping descriptive adjectives and derogatory nouns to describe others here. Believe me, some of them have gotten on my case on a few occasions, but I find that on the whole, most can be reasonable if you give them a second chance. I'll do it for you; you should do it for the other guys, and when you find over time the (very) few real jerks here, just ignore them.

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

mdk, I'm sorry you seem to have had a bad time in Moscow. I think many of the teachers here on this forum have complained about unmotivated and/or spoiled students from time to time. I have also taught some very arrogant adult students in the past who didn't like being pushed both intellectually and time-wise (the syllabus was set by the company I worked for, not myself).

Rather than give up you do have to consider what might be better students for you to teach and as you mentioned the subject areas that may better match your interests. I currently teach a boatload of low level university age students, and I do things that try to engage them and keep me interested as well, not always an easy task.

Younger children are always difficult and may not suit your temperment and your concept of teaching. I teach them from time to time, enjoy it, but mostly because I know I don't have to do it daily. I do it twice a year, during the university semester breaks, and even then it's not every day.
As mnetioned earlier, try and see if you could teach at a university. I have taught some Russian students here in Japan, and they are a pleasure to teach in my limited experience (especially when compared to many average Japanese students). They might be a better match for you.

Good luck and don't give up.