Job Discussion Forums

[leeroy]

After "Lucy", a DELTA trainee, had drawn a picture of a postman, elicited his job and responsibilities, had eye contact with every student in the room (and ensured that she was speaking in a suitably soft, unthreatening, easily comprehendible voice) she then proceeded to kneel down on the floor and place other cartoon pictures of jobs on the ground, gesturing to each one eliciting some more. Every time a student miraculously identified a policewoman, chef or teacher there would be vigorous nods of approval, with "good!" or "excellent!" thrown in for good measure. This might have been over the top, as they were Pre-Advanced.

"Irene" taught a learner-training lesson, with the help of a video, to an Elementary class. The point was that if you can't understand the words of an advertisment, then you can listen to other sounds to guess what its about. The student correctly ascertained that the sound of a phone ringing meant that the ad was for phones, and later that a camera clicking and winding was for cameras. What the f* this had to do with teaching English I don't know - but both lessons passed.

A learner-training book recommends that students spend the first few minutes of class discussing with each other some new words that they have learnt recently - and how they feel this has affected their confidence as learners of English. Perhaps this could be followed by group therapy sessions for every time someone mis-uses an article - and "discover your inner child" sessions when covering the past tenses.

Maybe this is a female/male thing.

I can't stand this "touchy-feely b*llocks" (a phrase coined by another, male, colleague).

Wearing hats in the classroom, realia, learner training, soft and high-pitched voices, "gooood!", all of it. I don't feel "proud" of my student if he writes a really good essay - similarly I'm not "dissapointed" if they fare badly in an exam. I see these things objectively. In short, on an affective level, I don't care about my students at all. It sickens me when I hear teachers of adults referring to their role as something parental! ("Oh we have such a responsibility..." To do what? Bang out some grammar and speaking exercises?) My role as a teacher is to improve my students' communicative abilities in English. It is possible to do this without cuddling them.

Unfortunately, not all students agree.

Yuki: "Teacher... i hab plobrem for spikking..."
Leeroy: "OK, we'll cover some of that today"
Yuki: "Is difficult! I feel sad because spikking.."

So Yuki feels sad. It may sound very callous and uncaring of me but I don't care about the feeling sad part, it's the "l"s, "r"s and long and short vowels that interest me more.

So this is a call to arms! Let's end all the touchy-feely rubbish right now!

[Canuck2112]

I agree about 99% with what you're saying. In an teenager/adult class, I never, ever do anything remotely "touchy feely". They aren't stupid (many are incredibly bright), and they'd see through my facade immediately, making them feel awkward and making me feel like a complete knob. If they perform exceptionally well, I'll commend them for it, but I have no time for romper room spoon-feeding.

It's still possible to have a laid back, fun class without the high toned "Goooood!" remarks though. We all crack jokes and have a great time, and they also learn alot without me acting like Tickle me Elmo every time they get a correct answer.

My 1% disagreement is with my childrens classes, in particular my 2 year olds. I HAVE to act like a nitrous-huffing muppet in those classes, or the kids start bawling their eyes out and trashing the room. Enthusiastic tones and facial expressions (the latter is key) are needed in these classes IMO.

[denise]

I agree maybe 80%. I do care about my students' moods, but my goal is fairly clear: to prepare them to take university classes in America. There are several very well-defined skills that they need, and we all have to keep pushing them. I do try to be sensitive to their learning styles, give praise where it is deserved, etc., etc., but hell, they've got to learn to cite, paraphrase, give speeches, think critically, etc., whether they like it or not. That's why they're here.

In a different context--teaching younger students (which I probably wouldn't do anyway) or teaching conversation classes--I might be more touchy-feely, but in my current job it would feel completely inappropriate.

Come on, now--group hug!

d

[Capergirl]

I do encourage students and give genuine praise when they perform exceptionally well - no oohing and aahing, just a little comment to tell them that I was impressed with their reading/speaking/writing skill at that particular time. I'm not like your colleagues, though, Leeroy. If my students were young children, I might praise them just a bit more often but only if they seemed to need a little extra push/pull. My adult students don't want to be patronized. They are all very educated, intelligent folks and would read the "touchy-feely" attitude as condescending (and rightly so, I suppose). Only babies need to be babied.

[shmooj]

While I did cringe at the extent of the approaches you outline Leeroy I do disagree with your approach quite a bit.

The people you teach are human beings and can no more disassociate their feelings and other affective factors from their language learning experience than they can physically leave their brain at home (no matter what impression they might give!) What they feel will directly affect how they learn. If your aim is to increase their communicative ability you will have to deal with issues relating to confidence, motivation, fear, etc. Even you as a native speaker know how these can affect your own production in English. How much more so a student.

I think you are mistaken not to take into account affective factors when you teach students. I think they suffer for it. I wonder if it possibly threatens you to have to deal with someone wearing their heart on their sleeve because to acknowledge this might mean you have to be a bit more transparent about your feelings too.

Just a stab in the dark. Hope I didn't hurt your feelings

[leeroy]

[guest of Japan]

Shmooj captured my feelings on this issue as well. I cringe when I see a teacher treat adults as if they were children, but it's also very important to try to be in tune with the emotions of the students.

[shmooj]

Glad to hear you do have some strategies for affective issues. OP sounded like you didn't care if they learned or burned

[Dr.J]

Hmm, I think maybe you agree with the underlying reason behind the 'touchy-feely' stuff, but just have issues with how it comes out sometimes in practice.

Teaching is a personal thing, and everyone has to find their own way of getting students to learn. But, it seems that teaching and parenting are very closely connected in our minds, hence a teacher must often adopt stances and attitudes that are parent-like. I don't think it is possible to be a good teacher unless you have some ability to understand and sympathise with your students, though perhaps you can be an effective one. I'm not worried about what you do in class, because sometimes a hard approach is necessary, but I feel uneasy when you say you don't care about your class at all. I mean, you see these people every day as part of your job; how can you not feel even a little close to them?

[Celeste]

I do agree that one needs to keep some professional detachment, however many times the job of teacher (especially ESL) requires a bit more support than one might expect.

When I taught ESL in Canada, many of my adult students were having trouble with adapting to life in their new country, homesickness, job hunting, medical problems, immigration issues, etc. While I would never pry into their lives, I would certainly take all of these things into account while teaching. Some of my students were refugees/escapees from places of great violence and upheaval. You bet they had problems that kept them from learning English. While I would never want to play amateur counsellor, I did listen to a fair number of horror stories and referred students to the appropriate agencies.

I make it a point not to socialise with students outside of the school setting, and I also do not feel the need to tell them every detail of my own personal life (though I don't mind telling them about my upbringing in the wilds of Northern Canada- they seem to find the facts that we used wood heat and that my older brother and I would toboggan down the mountain road to the school bus stop to be really quite amusing and provincial.)

Now I teach elementary school EFL and do teacher training in Japan. It is in many ways easier. I don't have to worry about students who have been absent from class and what that might mean. I don't have to help people with their immigration forms, social assistance reports, reading their eviction notices to them, etc.

I have had to consult a few books about child psychology, learning disabilities, and developmental disorders. Often the homeroom teachers will neglect to tell me that they have special needs students in their classes. I get to figure it out for myself (fun fun fun!)

I am generally a no physical contact person, but I have been pleasantly surprised when an enthusiastic elementary student has given me a spontaneous hug at the end of class. I have been more than a little taken aback when adult students have done same.

[Roger]

Some of my TEFL colleagues have me puzzled with their anticipations of low student self-esteem or lack of confidence due to an authoritarian teaching style; correcting students' poor English does not have to be upsetting for the student, but this misbelief is often being bandied around.
Personally, I believe the oral English scene in many countries is too touch-feely - too tolerant of students' disrespect for their subject matter as though TEFLers want to justify their own presence in a foreign classroom without being judgmental of the learners' efforts.

I do not have inhibitions in becoming very involved when teaching small children although I can't dance nor sing; but I refrain from giving too superficial praise. In fact, I incite the student's peers to recognise a good performance by clapping their hands.
With older children and with adults it's a tricky situation; they are quite aware of their own shortcomings though, perhaps, not quite aware of what is imperfect. Many of them cling to the same erroneous belief that TEFLers often do - but I feel it's not my job to reinforce bad habits in speech. Either they accept they have to learn to work in a novel way, or else

[guest of Japan]

I have to ask. Or else what?

[Gordon]

Be yourself when you teach. If you're a touchy-feely person in the "real world" than do it in the classroom. I can't stand fake teachers and students can see through your illusion. I joke with my students and usually have a scapegoat (someone I recognize who is a bit of a class clown) in the classroom that I tease a bit. I pick a male because I don't want them to think I'm flirting. This always breaks the ice and lets the students know I like to have fun and am not so different from them. This doesn't apply to teaching kids.

[Kurochan]

[MELEE]