Job Discussion Forums

[MO39]

Jetgirly,

Your situation does seem really grim - I hope you're planning to give a detailed report of what's been happening to you in Guadalajara to your university in Canada when you get back home. And I hope you'll return to Mexico in the future for a vacation or to work at a much better school.

[reddevil79]

When I was doing my exchange programmes, I know a couple of my colleagues had their placements changed for one reason or another in extreme cases. Is there no link tutor that comes to visit you? And what does your univeristy say about this whole experience? No-one should have to go through what you're having to.

Support and advice from workmates is important in situations like these, and you just don't seem to be getting any.

I remember carrying out a teaching placement at a school for emotionally troubles children in France, and initially I was apprehensive, but it turned out to be a wonderful experience, due in large part to the supportive staff there, which was everything.

[wildchild]

is the potential for this situation so uncommon? haven't we all been there before? perhaps a little self analysis is in order.

[leslie]

Bye

[MO39]

[Jetgirly]

Oh, I'm definitely planning to get out of town. I've contacted the hostel I want to stay at in Guanajuato and I'm waiting for their reply before I book any other hostels and busses and stuff. I'm planning to go away for about ten days. I can't go away for the entire time because I have a thirty-page paper due the first week of April, and that's really the only time I'll have to work on it. I spent a few days in Mexico City on my way here from Honduras, and I loved it. I will probably go back in May if my parents come to visit, as it (surprisingly) reminded me of Barcelona, which is my mom's favorite city.

I picked up my "final" FM3 from immigration today and I'm allowed to stay until July 3rd. I just bumped my flights forward from the 17th, so it worked out quite well on the visa side of things.

[FuzzX]

made a girl cry and run out screaming on my first day of class here.... dont feel bad.

[sickbag]

I'd agree with the others and say that that is normal behaviour for a (private) prepa. Daddy will sort them out with a job/place at university anyway - no need for them to do any real work.

And it is hard to remain professional when you are asked to amend end of term grades - good learning experience though. I'd suggest taking it on the chin and trying to get as much from the experience as possible.

[Samantha]

Sickbag wrote :

[dreamon]

I can only tell you what has worked for me. Actually it was set up for me when I arrived, and wow, what a difference it made. My class has a Pig. It is really a piggy bank. There is a set of class rules. When someone breaks a rule, they have to pay 1 peso to the pig. When they pay the peso it makes a sound. At the end of the semester, the money goes to a party for the class. I was amazed at how it worked. It gets to where the students start telling me that someone is breaking a rule, and they will cant, peso.. peso.. And my doctors and other professionals put 5 pesos in the pig on Monday, because they know they will receive a call in class. It works, teaches them to respect the rules, or pay for the consequence. At the end, they receive a party, to honor their learning respect.

[Guy Courchesne]

I like that idea with the little piggy. One question, dreamon...where are you from?

[dreamon]

Thank you. I am from the USA.

[wildchild]

I like the piggy idea too; making the students pay for the party, brilliant

[MELEE]

I've worked with such a system at a language school in the past. It was fun and more or less effective. But I wonder if you could pull it off in a large prepa class?

I wouldn't do it where I currently work because I have a very wide variety of socieconomic backgrounds in my class. While for some a peso is nothing, for others it might mean they don't have enough left over for lunch.

[Samantha]

Right...or bus fare home.