Job Discussion Forums

[eddy-cool]

Your defeatist mindset, Hansen, simply fails to wash off on some of us. Yes, you are walking the path of least resistance and that may preserve your precious 'energy'. What are your goals in life, man? Just flatten yourself against the wall when the wind blows a little stronger?

Look at the marks from the students' point of view: Those that deserved their pass grades will know what made them successful, and they will most probably persevere when the going is tougher (for instance at a foreign university). The also-rans that only passed with your little help will forget you, the English they were supposed to acquire, school and the whole subject. These guys and gals will be China's next generation of paper-pushers with no interest in their jobs and no interest in other people. They are the obstacle to their country's progress.

But you can encourage the diligent by being fair. Those justly rewarded will remember, and they will try to spread this new spirit.

[Taxim]

I found this post, and I thought the conflicting ideologies at play were interesting.

Do you define who you are by what you do?
or
Do you define what you do by who you are?

Most people tend toward the former question, and in my experience, are often angered by those that identify with the latter.
Of course being able to answer up to the second question requires that you know who you are. Once again, in my experience, that's a relatively small group of people.

Does someone need 'life goals'? Little marker posts of things to be 'done'? Or is it possible to lead a happy life with nothing but short term goals?
The answers to these questions hinge on which of the first two questions you identify with.
Also, conflict is not necessary here, if you realize there is another way of living life, and that it is not a threat to your own. (of course if conflict is simply a symptom of self-doubt then that is another matter)

Do we have a responsibility to other human beings? How far does it extend?
This one can be tough, and I think it comes down to how far you extend your circle of connection. That is, do you stop at self, family, country, or everyone? Also, how far do our positive duties extend? Are we really obliged to make positive changes in the lives of others? Some people believe so, and there is nothing wrong with this. Others believe that as long as we observe our negative duties, that is not to harm others, then we have fulfilled our obligations. I see nothing wrong with either of these outlooks on an individual scale. Of course, conflict is often the result when those who believe in the primacy of positive duties enter into discourse with those simply trying to avoid harm while in pursuit of their own happiness, but there is no need for it.

I suppose I'm bored today, but I read this whole post and figured I'd write what it made me think. If I seem like I'm lecturing, my apologies. I'm only asking the questions as I've seen them, and writing the answers as they occur to me.

[struelle]

Good on the OP for writing a decent test and delivering the results accordingly. He didn't actually fail those students, they failed themselves by choosing not to participate in his class and pay attention to the lectures.

I faced a similar problem last year, but was backed up by the school and the education system somewhat. Where I used to work at, we delivered Canadian curriculum offshore for Chinese nationals who would get credit for the courses and eventually study in post-secondary schools in Canada.

The first-year intakes came straight out of Chinese schools, and teaching these guys (BC program Grade 10) was the hardest because of their poor English and atrocious study behavior. To put it simply, these students sucked.

I was assigned a Science class, and taught it precisely from the BC curriculum standards and expectations, right down to the letter. My in-class tests were basically cut and pasted from old provincial exams, and delivered to students. The average marks for these tests were around 45-50%, and sometimes more than half the class would fail.

When the term ended, our school had a rule that anyone less than 45% was not allowed to write the final BC provincial exam. This got rid of most of the deadbeats, and those who actually *did* write the provincial exam scored an average that was very closely in line with my own test averages. In fact, they boosted their mark with with the government exam.

While the marks were not spectacular, the good thing was there was consistency between my assessments and what they did on the governmetn exam. The biggest problem would be grade inflation, or the Chinese secretary changing the marks. But this was averted, thank goodness, by a system of accountability where the Ministry of Education cross-checks the teachers' marks and those on the government exams.

To make a long story short, I could be as brutal as I wanted with my tests, so long as the marks in my class were similar as what they'd get on the government test. Based on the abysmal quality of the kids I had last year, I could not compromise with grade inflation and had to set the standard high regardless.

So kudos on the OP for doing something similar.

[Fred Smith]

Tell you the truth i worked for a tafe licensed organization and tafe head office gave no support to the teachers. They sent QA people around who did absolutely nothing except to say how important they were. Bunch a fat wind bags.

The school changed grades. Students I failed got passed. Cheating students got no reprimands and were passed.

I was pressured to increase grade scores, pass everyone, and not report anything of truth to the tafe nsw offices.

Someone told me that the school did indeed win because I stopped caring.

My last day there I was presented with a newly revised grade sheet and asked to sign it. the scores were much different than the actual scores that I handed in.

Tafe didn't care at all that this school was passing everyone that paid the fee. I'm really surprised at this and it just makes me wonder if the Australian government had become as corrupt at the Chinese government.

[Steinmann]