Job Discussion Forums

[DistantRelative]

SocratesSon2 Wrote:

[China.Pete]

"Why would anyone (such as, the students) want to get someone else fired?" -- Mei Sheng

For the same reason that some FTs come to China, perhaps for all the wrong reasons, and, confronted by a foreign culture, discover an instant loathing for at least some things Chinese. Similarly, there are bound to be a few Chinese students, notwithstanding their stated intention of going abroad, who seem to demonstrate an almost reflexive dislike of things foreign: active teaching methods; being forced to speak anything besides Chinese (even those who speak a different dialect of Chinese than they do may be recipients of their disdain); having to think critically to do well in school. It's not something that can be easily explained. It's just something you observe in the course of living here (or probably anywhere).

[SocratesSon2]

Isn't it kind of disingenuous to say you won't engage in tit for tat when your doing it at the very same time you are making the statement that you won't engage in "tit for tat"?. Perhaps it is not I who needs to learn to read, or write.

[SocratesSon2]

Yes China Pete, there are indeed many reasons why this would happen. It is also often because, quite simply, the students will often feel inferior, not up to the task. Having to face thinking as an individual for the first time, and learning in a way that they never have before is often just too much of a challenge for many. In turn the FT often because the focus of their resentment. This is not an uncommon occurrence. The key is not to take it personally, and try to empathize with them and their plight.

[Nemesis]

[SocratesSon2]

Complaining about the advice given when you ask for it, now thats boorish I wish we all lived in a world where everyone told us what we wanted to hear, wouldn't that be nice

[Nemesis]

I stopped looking for advice the moment I decided to take action. From that point on, this thread has simply been a report of events.

I assumed most people would have been able to figure that out for themselves.

But that's enough. I choose to ignore you from this point on. Leech away!

[SocratesSon2]

Thats a shame, since I think even you realize the action you took was the wrong one.

[Nemesis]

Well, I guess I should wrap this thread up.

First, a recap: I had a class from hell, had no idea how to proceed, and so decided to "shut down" in class and refuse to teach. This led to me "locking horns" with uni admin.

What happened next: the uni responded by giving the kids a "stern talking-to". The first class after they were read the riot act, I had total obedience. The kids seemed absolutely freaked.

I still wasn't in the mood to teach them, so I killed two lessons with time-killer writing assignments (all kids did as they were told). On the third day, I decided that conditions were stable enough for me to try "teaching".

Basically, I did an extended "listen and repeat", and then had each student stand up at the front of the room and recite a paragraph or two.

Well, most were terrified, and most could barely string together simple sentences (ie "the dog jumped over the fence"). That said, at least they were trying. Effort. That's all I needed.

In the end, however, it still seems clear that they aren't really into studying English at all. In the same way, I'm not really into teaching them at all.

* * *

We've reached a happy balance. This week, we've been doing 15 minutes or so of oral drills (listen and repeat, simple Q & A, etc). Then we've been spending the rest of class doing "time-killers" (reading or writing assignments).

The mood in class is good now. We're enjoying a bit of banter at the start and end of every class, they're doing the work I ask of them, and I'm even managing to pull some oral English out of them.

* * *

Sooo, in the end, I'll say it again: I have no regrets how I handled this situation, and I find myself in a better position because of my actions.

The end.

* * *

PS: The reward for my suffering? An unscheduled (and paid!) 10-day X-mas holiday, then back for 2 weeks of work, and then a seven week (also paid) spring break holiday -- bumped up from five, just because...

Folks, dodgy unis may stock some crappy classes, but there are indeed some benefits.

The dudes who run this gimmick are even lazier than I am!

[Noelle]

Just thought I'd share my experience here too...

it's not quite like the OP. You sound like you've slipped into the 7th circle of hell with your uni students. I honestly didn't realize Chinese students could be that scathing... guess it happens all over the world.

I was involved in Cambridge teaching last year in the states... my class was ideal... adult students from Germany, Switzerland, Norway etc...
only about 14 total. It was one of those expensive IEP schools.

The students often walked out for a smoke break (very indiscreetly) answered their cell phones in class, deliberately spoke German or French to one another and looked at me like an alien when I suggested they apply themselves for the Cambridge exam.

Considering the amount of money they were paying for the class, I didn't think my attempts to motivate them should have consituted such a reaction.

Anyway, the point is... if the students really don't give a rat's a3$... your job becomes rather pointless. Doesn't matter if they're Chinese or European.. if the class is 14 or 40... if they can quote Shakespeare or can only say "I'm fine, thank you", students (particularly uni and adult students) who don't care just DON'T CARE.

I feel for you but I think you shouldn't waste your energy especially if your school isn't backing you up.

[Ger]

I sympathise with your situation as you describe it.

I assume that you have had a session with them as to the rules of the classroom. I assume that they have had some input in devising such rules and that the rules are posted up in the classroom, with steps to be taken for each violation of each rule, and that the students have signed in agreement to abide by the rules.

If you and the students are working from the same ethical values base, then, I would guess that the feelings and thoughts you are having towards the students are the ones that they want you to have. I guess that they are trying to engage you in a game of psychological warfare. You do not have to play their game.

I would recommend video recording technology! Of course, they could damage the equipment, so you'd want to take preventative measures to ensure against that. It would probably be best to use the school's equipment rather than your own private one

One thing you could do is produce a pre-recorded lesson of you teaching according to your model plan. Show that video to your unmotivated students. This is kind of like your bosses "mime" strategy, except you do actually cover the curriculum, and it may get you through the inspection.

A second alternative is to video record yourself teaching your other students. Show the unmotivated student class the video of you teaching and your good students learning. Your bad students may not know what you expect of them during lessons. They may not have a standard norm of reference of how other Chinese students learn from a foreign teacher. So by watching video footage of your other students learning from you may give them that norm. You would probably need written permission from your good students to show the footage.

A third alternative is a combination of number one above and some recorded footage of the bad students and how they behave during your lessons. Then you could just show them both parts of the footage, the lesson part of you covering the curriculul and the learning part of the students themselves. You could ask them to reflect on what their learning strategies were from the footage of themselves that you showed them. They simply may not have self-reflected on how they learn during lessons. I think they will be facinated to see themselves on video.

What do you think? Could you try video technology?

I would advise against getting drawn into their psychological warfare game if I at all could.

As part of correction training (some people call it punishment) you could write an essay title on the board, "What my duties and responsibilities are as a student and how I performed them during this lesson." Then, you could tell them that if you write their name under that essay title then they have to stay after school that same day and write a 200 word essay for you.

Other essay titles include:

What I learned in my English lesson and how I will use it in my everyday life."

How I was a positive and participative student during the lesson.

What steps I need to take to learn during lessons and to encourage other classmates to do the same.

[AussieGuyInChina]

Along the lines of Ger's behaviour correction ideas, below is an exercise that I use to try to cause students to self-reflect:-

Finish the Story - Not Studious

Write words in the blanks to finish this story; words that have correct meaning for the story.

Peter felt very __________. He had been studying __________ since he returned to his __________ at 6:30pm after having dinner in the school __________. It was now midnight and Peter wanted to ___ ___ ___. However, he understood how __________ it was for him to pass tomorrow's exam.

Peter had _________ the exam once already. How on earth could he __________ it to his parents if he _________ a __________ time!

Peter _________ remorseful. Throughout the term, his teacher had told him many, many times ___ pay attention in class, to concentrate on his lessons and to do his homework. But, Peter hadn't __________ attention, hadn't _____________ on his lessons and often __________ to do his homework.

Now Peter was worried. Really worried! He was not at all __________ that he would pass tomorrow's ______. He simply wasn't prepared. He hadn't studied hard enough during the __________. His parents would be so _____________ with him!

Peter's parents had high hopes for him. They dearly __________ him to have a successful and __________ life. It cost them a ____ of __________ to send Peter to college, __________ that they worked long and hard to earn. But they thought it was __________ well spent. They wanted Peter to get the best education __________.

Peter also had _________ __________ for the future. After graduating from the Chinese college, he wanted to study __________. He wanted to study __________ and then return to China to become a successful businessman.

Peter wanted to earn __________ money to be able to _________ _________ of his parents when they were _______. He also wanted ____ ____ ____ to buy a house and a car. And, of course, Peter wanted to get married and have __________.

But, will Peter's dreams become __________? How many other __________ are like Peter? They want to get ________ jobs, they want to _________ successful businessman and business women but they don't want to _________ __________. Do _____ really believe that it is __________ to be successful __________ doing a lot of hard work?

[A Token of My Extreme]

To stimulate your extreme intuitions and notions toward a cosmic-subconscious universal solution for your paricularly unique predicament , A Token of My Extreme rock 'n' roll stichomancy may be of some humble assistance.

These rock 'n' roll lyric excerpts represent extremes on which, should you meditate, may give you a hope in hell:


"Children of tomorrow live in the tears that fall today"
Black Sabbath

"Money, its a hit, don't give me that do goody good bullsh.t"
Pink Floyd

"Use two sticks to make it in the nature"
The Red Hot Chili Peppers


If this doesn't help, well as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, maybe you could try teaching them a song like 'Highway to Hell' by ACDC.

[Mydnight]

Everyone ends up with classes like this or similar to this. Happened to me in every school I have ever taught in here in Dongguan. It's usually the case that there is maybe one class that's good and the rest are nightmarish. I am not the best at discipline, I admit it, but I frankly don't think it's part of my job description to bother with a bunch of dullards (excellent word choice) hooting and hollering in the "classroom". I am there to teach English; I am not there to wrangle little monsters.

I can usually maintain control for about a month or two before it just gets unbearable and redundant. I will typically "sell-out" (as a guy here I know says) and end up watching movies for most of the remaining class periods in your situation. I've never been fired using this strategy but it's likely they won't ask you back. Never bothers me much because I haven't found one single school in Dongguan that I think I could stomach for a whole year. Dullards. Think of a more harsh word than that and THEN say the word that's more negative than that one and you have about 98 percent of the students here.

But, anyway, don't let it bother you. It has nothing to do with you as being a "failure as a teacher" and it is not your fault. For the longest time, I took it very seriously and to heart when classes ended up like this but then I realized that it wasn't worth it. There's always another school.

[Mydnight]

dp