Job Discussion Forums

[themanymoonsofjupiter]

i am thinking--my students have worked pretty hard and i've enjoyed having them. i will not have them next term. i would like to do something with all of them outside of the class. the easiest thing is a dinner, but i don't really want to pay for that many dinners. i'm willing to part with some money--just not that much. any ideas?

[twizzler1]

How about a picnic / Party, either inside or outside te classroom.

[frenchfrydoggy]

While I suppose it's nice to be nice, this sort of defeats the profession.

The reason every Chinese person assumes that English "teachers" are NOT teachers is demonstrated here.

As a teacher, you should confine your relationship to the school/classroom.

Taking your students out to dinner and hanging out with them, etc. shows you are not a teacher, but just some social guy who came here temporarily.

That's why the country doesn't take us professionals seriously.

[MisterButtkins]

[choudoufu]

why not have the students bring all the ingredients,
and you teach them how to cook a western-style
xmas dinner?

[kev7161]

[Trifaro]

I agree with French Fry.

"So having any contact with students outside of class is unprofessional now?"

When I was in college my teachers didn't give me their personal/home phone numbers. (They didn't have cell phones then). If email was around back then I doubt they would have chatted with me on MSN or QQ. I definitely was never invited by a teacher to play basketball, eat dinner etc...

On the other hand, I think that with the changes in technology the teacher/student relationship has changed a bit, but, I still doubt professors in western universities socialize with students publicy! (Let your imagination figure that one out. If you can, it definitely isn't with the entire class!)

How many Chinese teachers give their students their numbers? Take their students to dinner etc...?

When I was a kid, my Mother gave me something to give my teacher at the end of the term. That does happen here on "Teacher's Day" though. The students should give, not the teacher, in my opinion.

I propose asking your school if they will pay for the dinner. If they say NO, then there's your answer!

[themanymoonsofjupiter]

had a teacher at my university back home take everyone out for drinks at a bar after the class was over. had another teacher invite everyone over to his house to watch a movie. the movie was assigned and he pointed out that we could all sit in the classroom & watch or go to his place & watch. can i name other times? no. did it happen? yes. did i somehow think they were no longer professional after they did that? no. it's true--i doubt many chinese teachers do this. but can you guarantee me it hasn't happened? no. i don't waste one moment of time in my classes. no student thinks it's 'fun time' when they come to my class. i know a lot of foreigners are just here wasting time, but i don't, and doing one fun thing with them at the end of the term will not change that. and even if it does, so what--the term's over and i won't have them again.

to those who gave suggestions--thanks.

[The Edge]

[Trifaro]

[xi.gua]

How about we stop comparing teaching here to teaching back home? It's not the same. The Chinese teachers at my university REGULARLY invite students to their homes for dinner, give the students their cell phone numbers etc.

You be in a country completely isolated from the world for so long or live in the countryside where you've ONLY seen other westerners on tv for your entire life. You be so interested in other parts of the world with little chance to visit them. You live the lives that they've lived and try not to be overly excited once you finally get the chance to meet a westerner and communicate with them in their own language. AND THEN see how it feels to have the foreigner you've always wanted to talk to treat you like common trash and not give you one second more than class time to talk to them because that would be unprofessional. Too me, it's unprofessional NOT to be friends with them if they want to. I will happy to be "Unprofessional" in your eyes, and in return I just feel sorry for your students.

And just to clarify, i'm the same as Jupiter. I don't sit and sing and play guitar in class. We do actual lessons to improve pronunciation, tone of voice, listening and speaking. I take teaching seriously and show the same hatred towards the "class clowns" that come here to teach as the rest of you.

[xi.gua]

On topic, I think it's kinda an easy solution just to throw a Chinese barbecue. My students do it all the time and they're not so expensive, there are places specifically for it and usually it's a good time. Heck, if it gets too expensive you can just have each student pitch in 5yuan or whatever and i'm sure they'd oblige. I see my kids organizing events like this a lot.

[Trifaro]

"....The Chinese teachers at my university REGULARLY invite students to their homes for dinner, give the students their cell phone numbers etc. ..."

I just called 3 different Chinese English teachers that I'm friendly with. None of them have invited students to their apartment for dinner. 1 said she gives them her email but doesn't reply. Another said she doesn't give them her email, but created a QQ Group for the class in which she basically posts group messages about the class; she doesn't chat with them. The 3rd said he doesn't reveal any personal information. All said they didn't give out their numbers.

I agree that things are different here in China, but also agree with FF's assertion that foreign "teachers" aren't really considered teachers but "friends" here for a short time.

I also agree with Watermelon about our appeal. 99% of the young people in my classes now never had a foreigner facilitator. Basically, they just gawk at me as I "edutain". When I "talk to" them they say NO. If I ask them "What's your name?", they say "What's your name?" like a parrott. Different folks obviously.

I guess I'm dismayed with my current position. Bear in mind, I receive money from a "3rd tier" private school. These kids didn't do well enough of their CEE to get into a public university. Their score wasn't good enough to be accepted at a "reputable" private school either.

I have 1000 rmb that says most of you reading this wouldn't last a day doing what I do = edutain. Dancing Monkey to the bone. 6.5 years and counting.

I must admit though, that over those years I have only seen 1 Chinese teacher hanging out with a few students in a local bar. I have only seen once a CT talking "with" his student after class on campus. 1 student even told me that his CT ignores them during the break and walks out of the classroom immediately after the bell rings.

I hate to type it, but when I'm hanging out open to chat during the break, kids from other "teachers" classes come to me because their "teacher" is busy shuffling paper or whatever. Cold perhaps??

Oral English Mercenary

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Pot luck.

Good luck.

(Did it 6 years now, no problems. Will get some interesting dishes!)

[The Great Wall of Whiner]