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theincredibleegg
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 224
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 Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:30 am Post subject: Are you serious about your teaching career in China? |
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| If so, how do you manage to stay serious without going insane? |
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therock
Joined: 31 Jul 2005
Posts: 1266
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:12 am Post subject: |
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This question made me laugh.  |
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kungfucowboy83
Joined: 25 Jan 2006
Posts: 479
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 2:17 am Post subject: |
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| isn't there some guide on Bushido with a quote like "Treat maters of great importance trivially, and matters of small importance with the utmost care"? maybe you could try that. |
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Shan-Shan
Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 1074
Location: electric pastures
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:38 am Post subject: |
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Unless you're earning well over 10,000 RMB a month for 12 hours a week, or have already retired and a have a decent pension guaranteeing post-China survival, there is no reason to be overly excited about one's teaching work in China.
Your employers sure aren't. |
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ralph wiggim
Joined: 12 Nov 2008
Posts: 95
Location: Somewhere between Itchy and Scratchy...
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:55 am Post subject: |
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I can only say that I always seem to get stuck with the least motivated group of students where ever I seem to work.
I truly wonder, is it my luck of the draw, or are Chinese students only in school to keep them out of being a factory worker?
I am seriously considering going to Toys R Us to buy 5 Monopoly boards just to get them interested in something. Maybe 2 periods a week of Monopoly will get them interested in international business?
Did that answer your question poster? |
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sharpe88
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:12 am Post subject: |
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What a horrible attitude. In any job or indeed any situation in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. And we are not only talking about money.
| Shan-Shan wrote: |
Unless you're earning well over 10,000 RMB a month for 12 hours a week, or have already retired and a have a decent pension guaranteeing post-China survival, there is no reason to be overly excited about one's teaching work in China.
Your employers sure aren't. |
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sharpe88
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
Posts: 226
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:13 am Post subject: |
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A great teacher can motivate even the unmotivated. What are your usual methods of generating participation and interest ?
| ralph wiggim wrote: |
I can only say that I always seem to get stuck with the least motivated group of students where ever I seem to work.
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Shan-Shan
Joined: 28 Aug 2003
Posts: 1074
Location: electric pastures
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| Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 8:20 am Post subject: |
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| I guess you're right, sharpe88. I'll start saving those smiles and chuckles for when I get hungry at around 65. |
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cj750nomad
Joined: 11 Oct 2008
Posts: 252
Location: Beijing and
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| In any job or indeed any situation in life, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. |
Someone should inform the students of this pearl of wisdom....
| Quote: |
| And we are not only talking about money. |
now u lost their interest... |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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and what's your answer 750?
once, i was serious. now, i'm curious. 
i focus on students' needs, although obstacles from the system come my way on daily basis. my curiousity's related to the system and those eager chinese that just want to learn and actually use their knowledge in practice.
| Quote: |
| If so, how do you manage to stay serious without going insane? |
guinnes (after work)
cheers and beers to our focus in classrooms |
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theincredibleegg
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:21 am Post subject: |
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| englishgibson wrote: |
and what's your answer 750?
once, i was serious. now, i'm curious.
i focus on students' needs, although obstacles from the system come my way on daily basis. my curiousity's related to the system and those eager chinese that just want to learn and actually use their knowledge in practice.
| Quote: |
| If so, how do you manage to stay serious without going insane? |
guinnes (after work)
cheers and beers to our focus in classrooms |
Ha-ha!
Cheers with and for a 35-kuai pint of guiness
I must admit that there are things we did at home that i didn't fully understand before i got to compare it with Chinese education.
I'm tired of not working for Chinese education. Yet, if i would work for it, i don't think i would eventually get frustrated of working in a system i don't beleive in
As for staying sane, English is a new subject to me so i have atleast learned to teach a language. I don't have the understanding of language learning as someone who went through all the necessary university courses, but i have atleast learned from my own ability. That keeps me sane. Who knows, if i stay for one more year then maybe i can teach Swedish as a second language (qualified for Swedish as 1st language now) when i get home, maybe English too.
So there, if anyone's in a similar situation as me. There's my inspiration to you!
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killian
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Location: fairmont city, illinois, USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 4:23 am Post subject: |
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well, i guess i have reason to care.
love my students. just a buncha peasant kids who have no idea that the farming lifestyle her eon this little island is about to be paved over.
yeah, most will never use english. they may very well end up staffing KTVs but a few will make it to university and thrive. my goal is to keep them in the game as long as possible.
i tell myself i am like a little league baseball coach. i try to provid ethem a good field and let them have fun. there is no way that their english level is anywhere close to "big city" kids. such is beyond my control. all i can do is try my best.
MLK. Jr in his book "Why We Can't Wait" wrote a great piece on why even janitors should be the best janitors they can. google it up. same book as "Letter from Birmingham Jail". great stuff.
fight on! |
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theincredibleegg
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:27 am Post subject: |
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| killian wrote: |
well, i guess i have reason to care.
love my students. just a buncha peasant kids who have no idea that the farming lifestyle her eon this little island is about to be paved over.
yeah, most will never use english. they may very well end up staffing KTVs but a few will make it to university and thrive. my goal is to keep them in the game as long as possible.
i tell myself i am like a little league baseball coach. i try to provid ethem a good field and let them have fun. there is no way that their english level is anywhere close to "big city" kids. such is beyond my control. all i can do is try my best.
MLK. Jr in his book "Why We Can't Wait" wrote a great piece on why even janitors should be the best janitors they can. google it up. same book as "Letter from Birmingham Jail". great stuff.
fight on! |
Yes, there are reasons for you to care, but do you consider your career(?) in China as important as a normal teacher would at home? If so, how do you manage to stay sane? |
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killian
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Location: fairmont city, illinois, USA
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| Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject: |
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"important"? after mothers and alongside health care folks, teaching is the most important job in the world (but who teaches healthcare?).
prestigious? not really. but then, maybe "prestige" is for fops.
everything is a matter of perspective. my school is dirt poor. my kids are happy to have me and vice-versa. as with any relationship, it is a two way street.
i looked into "normal" teaching at home and know i could never do it. i have a friend who more often than not wins teacher-of-year awards and she hates it. not the teaching but the politics necessary to survive. she likens it to being in jr. high with all the cliques but among/between teachers and admin to be utterly exasperating.
the teachers union back home is making teacher rich, but utterly killing education (along with parental indifference). |
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theincredibleegg
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| killian wrote: |
"important"? after mothers and alongside health care folks, teaching is the most important job in the world (but who teaches healthcare?).
prestigious? not really. but then, maybe "prestige" is for fops.
everything is a matter of perspective. my school is dirt poor. my kids are happy to have me and vice-versa. as with any relationship, it is a two way street.
i looked into "normal" teaching at home and know i could never do it. i have a friend who more often than not wins teacher-of-year awards and she hates it. not the teaching but the politics necessary to survive. she likens it to being in jr. high with all the cliques but among/between teachers and admin to be utterly exasperating.
the teachers union back home is making teacher rich, but utterly killing education (along with parental indifference). |
We all can agree on that teaching is important for society, but is teaching important to you? Your question seems to be Yes. So on to the next question: How do you stay sane? |
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