Job Discussion Forums

[007]

[scot47]

well of course numerical seven

That is part of the duty of a teacher - but you can imagine the resistance from the students ! To them the teacher is a walking dictionary - and a subsitute for the servants they had at home !

[johnslat]

Perhaps they need to be reminded"

"One of the rights of the scholar is that you greet people generally and then greet him with a special greeting; sit in front of him; do not point with your hand in his presence, nor wink with your eye; do not quote someone else who said opposite of what he said; do not backbite anyone in his presence; do not hunt for his faults, and if he makes a mistake accept his excuse; dignify him for the sake of Allaah; if he needs anything, rush before everyone to serve him; do not whisper in his presence; do not grasp him by his garment; do not insist for answers when he becomes tired; do not ever feel you have accompanied him enough, because he is like a palm tree from which people wait for fruits to drop from�."

"Respect for teachers and scholars.
The Fourth Imaam has said, " Your teacher has the following rights. Firstly, total respect from you. Secondly that you listen attentively when he speaks. Thirdly, that you never raise your voice in his presence".

"Respect to (and Duties towards) Teachers
The respect towards a teacher is as great as that of a parent. A person who teaches you is giving you something more valuable than any other wealth, because knowledge is the greatest of all treasures. One should never insult a teacher, and should talk little in his or her presence.
All the Prophets (A) and Imams (A) were all teachers and guides. Even your parents are your teachers because they spend so much time bringing you up. You should obey a teacher the way you obey your father and mother.
This respect can be shown by standing in the presence of teachers and by remaining silent while they are speaking. Make best use of your teachers, and ask them questions while they are still around. This applies to all your teachers, whether they are at Madressa, school or elsewhere."

[007]

Well, John, the above is an �idealistic� view of the relationship between the student and the teacher. And most of what you quoted above was basically in the context of the relationship between students and teachers of �faith� and religion. Of course, as principle, and idealistically, it applies to any teacher. BUT, you have to remember we are not living in an �idealistic� world, and the �mentality� and 'culture' of the students of this 21st century, culture of WiFi and HipHop ( ), is different from that of your or my generations.

Nowadays, the concept of �respect� as you described above does not exist in the proper sense of the word, and the relationship between the student and teacher is not anymore like the relationship between a father and his children! The relationship is based on the concept of �customer� and �provider�, and the teacher these days can be challenged by students and society as whole if he deviates from the requirements of the �customer�!

[lall]

[Imdramayu]

Ghost,

In 2003, I came to Riyadh to teach EFL after teaching for 6 years in Korea. Now I'm returning to KSA after a 4-year stint in Qatar. To be honest, I miss Korean students. I'd love to return to Korea b/c of the Ss but the housing & salary is too small. I recognize hangul and can mouth out the words in a book. I know maybe 50 words but that's it. But I've hang onto this level...it must be fossilized by now. It's not worsening but its not getting better.

The shocker in KSA: poor study skills/habits and immaturity of students. I worked in a school in Riyadh which took in nationals who hadn't finished high school. Our school was to give them work skills (after a foundation of English). We were given the textbook (SideBySide, Basics in listening, Keep Writing, or Basic Reading Power) and told to make classroom magic.

[scot47]

You think Saudi students are bad ? Try teaching a foreign language to secondary or post-secondary level students in the UK !!!

[Imdramayu]

Scot47, it seems that you and I are both typing on a keyboard at this moment and hanging around Dave's: one in Qatar and one in KSA. Brilliant minds think alike (and do alike)!

I suppose the problem with teaching a foreign language to UK teens is they think English rocks.

[desultude]

[Imdramayu]

Please encourage me by telling me this (even if it's not true):

This disrespectful attitude to foreign Ts is reserved for public school and not post-secondary institution -- especially an institution which says it takes only 15% of the students who apply there. I assume that would weed out the lazy students with bad study habits. What admission process is used to find the top 15%?

[Cleopatra]

[Mia Xanthi]

[personae gratae]

Hi

Apart from suffering from chronicle extreme laziness, Saudi tertiary students are generally very well behaved...Not the brightest students I have taught, but certainly among the nicest...that is just from my personal experience...

P.G

[lall]

[007]