Job Discussion Forums

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

I think attractiveness does count for something. My favourite teacher in HS was about 25 and good looking. I paid attention and was always polite (can't be said about my other classes). Looking back, I don't think she was any more competent than my other teachers, but that was my impression at the time.
As far as getting work in this industry, we all know people who were given jobs because of their looks. Leeroy mentioned something about good looks and confidence, that is certainly a factor.
I have some socially inept students who are quite unattractive. I have noticed that they have few friends on campus too. I make it a point of including them in activities and encouraging and praising them in front of others. I try to make up for their lack of social skills.

Capergirl · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 4:37 pm Post subject: Re: Do looks matter?

Midnightstar · Joined: 07 Nov 2003 Posts: 20

I agree with johnslat. Good looks are initially appealing to students, but in the long run, competence as a teacher is the ultimate decision-maker as to whether a teacher is "good" or "bad". I've found that Asia is ALOT more responsive to teachers with the stereotypical good looks (i.e., twenty-something teachers with blond-hair and blue eyes - the Brad Pitt Syndrome). But, to some extent, this is probably the case everywhere.

Best Regards,
MS

West Brom · Joined: 20 May 2003 Posts: 28

A year ago I went to a Japanese school, signed up and was assigned a male teacher. The receptionist was most unimpressed when I insisted on a female teacher (they chose to ignore what I had written on the questionnaire). That might be why I've been stuck with a middle aged trawler.

However, one year on I think she's a superb teacher, and that I'm learning a lot. Which is all that matters.

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 1:06 pm Post subject:

I think in all walks of life good looks do matter, like it or not.

I believe that we are sub-consciously more favourable to those we consider to be good-looking (even if they are of the same sex and we are not homosexual), and I doubt if teaching is any different. From the other side of the desk, I always preferred teaching handsome male students to teaching plain male students - all other things being equal of course. I'm sure students, initially at least, as John has said, would prefer an attractive teacher.

Some research - don't know how reliabe it is - has, however, shown that, while employers tend to be favourably disposed to good-looking people, those who are TOO good-looking (male or female) may not be rated so highly. A case of too much of a good thing?

Laura C · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 211 Location: Saitama

Following on from what dduck said, motivation to learn a language can definitely increase when hormones are involved! I didn't try to learn any Japanese in Tokyo until I had a Japanese boyfriend. Similarly, I had 5 years of French in school and couldn't even construe a verb at the end of it. Now here I am in France, with a French boyfriend, constantly muttering 'je suis, tu as, il a...' as I walk down the street... Smile

I remember as well that our school had a French student teacher for a few months when I was about 13. I was immune to his charm as he wasn't my type, but most other girls in the school loved him. People who hated French were suddenly dusting off their dictionairies so that they could ask Antoine if he had had a good weekend...

L

fat_chris · Joined: 10 Sep 2003 Posts: 3198 Location: Beijing

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

If it were up to me, I'd rather learn Chinese from an attractive, competent teacher than from an ugly, incompetent one who slaps me in the head whenever I make a mistake.

Just in case any of you were wondering where I stood on the issue....

joe-joe · Joined: 15 Oct 2003 Posts: 100 Location: Baku, Azerbaijan

I guess in school the better looking teachers were more popular, although I have to say that I found my art class teacher's figure 'distracting' rather than something which focused my attention on the subject matter of the lesson. In other words I spent more time staring at her 'posterior', not the board... Very Happy

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

@ Steiner. What about an attractive, competent teacher who slaps your head?

Lynn · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 696 Location: in between

Looks do matter to a degree. A study was done on Dateline NBC (news magazine tv show in the states). Everytime the better looking person beat out the average looking person from getting hired for jobs, getting help from a broken down car on the side of the road, to helping someone pick up loose papers. At the end, a real kindergarten teacher went into the room and read a story to the kids. Then a model came in. The children then took a test. Which teacher is smarter, nicer...etc. The model clearly beat out the real teacher.

I always keep this in mind. When I start a new class/school, for the first week I wear make up, nice clothes and boots. Once they get to know me, it's back to bare face and my very plain, but comfy work clothes.

I remember I overheard two Jpes students talking. They weren't my students and they didn't know I could understand them. The convo went like this:
"did you see that new hot teacher?"
"Damn! If I had a teacher that fine, I'd never skip class"
Of course, I had to go around the corner and take a look.

OKay, if you are still reading this, there is one last thing I'd like to add. Even a hot teacher can be a terrible teacher and adult ESL students are smart enough to figure this out. The most popular teachres in my school are not the beautiful ones. They are not young and slim. I can think of four. All are men in their 50s, short, fat, bald, or gay. The students don't care because these teachrs are good.

Capergirl · Posted: Sat Jan 17, 2004 8:27 pm Post subject:

I watched that episode of Dateline, Lynn. I was amazed at how superficial people really are! We don't even realize that we do this. I'm sure that the people who were helping those beautiful models had no idea they were behaving any differently than they would normally.

arioch36 · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 3589

Speaking of the dateline show, Dateline or 20/20 did a simialr show about height. Women were asked to choose from four men. The tall handsome succeful, caring man won out, of course. Then they gave all the positive attributes to the short guy, and gave more negative attribute to the tall guy. Women still picked the tall guy.

here in China at my last college, many of the female students didn't like the math teacher because he dressed to sloppily. I thought that was what math teachers were supposed to look like?

I guess how we dress and groom and carry ourselves shows how we think of ourselves. And if we don't respect and appreciate ourselves, it will be hard for others to respect us.

I do know many students love, in a long term way, their good teachers regardless of looks. But first impressions do carry a lot of weight

Belmont · Posted: Sun Jan 18, 2004 5:31 am Post subject: Re: Do looks matter?