Job Discussion Forums

[DosEquisX]

My superior instructed me to be more accessible to my students outside of my class. Strangely enough, another student suggested something similar as she pointed out my shyness outside of class.

While I do converse with some of my students, I certainly do not engage them to the degree that some of the other teachers do. Quite frankly, I think one goes a bit too far by inviting them up to his apartment (though no girls alone of course).

I'd rather keep the teacher and personal sides of me separate. Sure, it's not too bad to get to know a couple of them outside of class as I have with some who have greatly assisted me with my transition to China. But I personally don't want to get too close.

One student asked for some contact information and I gave that student my e-mail address. I have heard many recommendations to not do that. But my boss said I had to do be more accessible. So, I did so.

What are the opinions of Dave's here? How personal is too personal?

[Zero]

Depends on what the boss means by "accessible." Students may need a way to get in touch with an instructor outside of class in the case of needing clarification on an assignment, a bit of help with a tricky point, informing the instructor of a reason for missing class, etc. It was the case when I was in college. But if your boss means you need to be available for all-out tutoring sessions or to go to dinner with your students, then he or she needs to pay you for those hours.

[slareth]

I do not get personal at all outside of class. No email address, no QQ, no phone numbers....nothing. I also try to keep that same distance from my coworkers, foreign and native alike.

I also never take anything from my students. Not a lunch or beer or even a cigarette.

Because of this some of the people I work with think I am a very boring and dull man. They can go right on thinking that and I will continue to encourage them to think that. Anyone who has actually seen me teach will know different. My students understand and so does the owner of the school. That's enough for me.

After a student has completed their courses and will not be returning to the school for study, I may enter into some kind of relationship outside of teacher/student. Not a moment before. There is nothing to be gained and a lot to lose.

[DosEquisX]

[nickpellatt]

I know its each to their own, but I personally think sharing a little life with students outside the classroom makes China more rewarding for me, and sometimes gives them an advantage in learning English too. I have been happy to do it TBH.

Of course, the nature of the job, the location, where you live, and perhaps even the terms of the contract have a bearing on this. No offense slareth, but I think your approach sounds a little harsh, but like I said at the start of the post, each to their own.

My last job in China was teaching adults at a training centre (Im returning there later this year). Interaction with the students is encouraged with social activities and I have always been more than happy to socialise with my adult students there.

A previous job in China was at a vocational college. I lived on campus and the employer liked to encourage an open door policy for students to visit teachers. Again, I never had too much of an issue with this. I accepted a few offers to visit students homes and meet families, and it was that kind of interaction that made that job enjoyable TBH. That was in a very lowly city/town, with few other FTs, (ZERO other FTs who werent missionaries) and little else to do. It would have been a very hard 18 months there without the help/assistance/friendship of the students.

I dont think you can really set hard and fast rules for it. Each job must be judged on its merits, considering the needs of the employers, type of students and also the power balance between student and teacher.

[daCabbie]

I agree with Nick, life is boring if you just stay to yourself.

What have the students done that was unprofessional? Or are you worried about what you will do?

Give life a chance.

[askiptochina]

For high school and younger, you can create a community page somewhere on the internet. Make the interaction ACCESSIBLE and also at a distance. You can use www.wiziq.com and have virtual classrooms.

For college students and adults, you need to gauge the maturity of the younger ones and greediness of the older ones. If they are still acting like high schoolers, then treat them like that. If they are mature and can have a coffee or smoke without following you after then there should be no problems. You could also arrange group activities instead of 1:1 encounters.

With the older ones, simple language exchange at a public area can be enough to set the ground rules.

[nickpellatt]

Oh he definitely isn't referring to anything like that. I think he meant to socialize with them informally outside of class. Nothing like dinner or drinking or anything like that. Like if they say hello, say more than "Hello" back and keep walking on. I guess he wants me to create some rapport with them.

DosequisX

I dont think you are being asked anything out of the ordinary here. Not by a country mile! I think state school teachers in the UK would say more than 'hello' and keep walking!

The professionalism and power balance between teacher/student in China is often a little skewed IMO. For most of us, our position doesnt allow us to ever use undue influence to create better exam results for our students. Also in terms of language, we are often like children in a country and culture that is so foriegn to us. Teacher/student relationships in China are wildly different to them back home IMO.

Using my example of vocational college .. I often had boys in my class that were less than gifted, and if I saw them playing on the basketball court outside my house I would often join them for 20 minutes and shoot hoops. It made them realise I was a pretty normal guy, and wasnt just interested in teaching them, but also interested in them as people sometimes. I think thats kinda important sometimes.

Likewise with many other students I had there. They dont always have the most interesting of lives living on campus and studying all the time. I remember seeing a group of students one saturday afternoon and they were bored, so I knew there was a film on TV that night so I had a group of them come over and watch it with me. I had no other plans, it wasnt doing any harm and they were happy to spend the time with me, practise a little English, watch a movie.

You have to know when enough is enough of course, but at the end of the day ... behaviour like that is just being human IMO.

[slareth]

[flyingscotsman]

[7969]

Most of us don't have office hours as they do at universities in other countries. At the very least students should have an email address to contact you at, that way if they have questions regarding classroom material they can ask them and you can reply to them. Every class in a Chinese university has a class email address that teachers can use. Its a very efficient way of keeping the students informed of what they should be doing from one week to the next. I use email to keep in touch with classes every week on various topics and the students appreciate a bit of extra effort in this area.

btw, i occasionally have students help me out with various local problems, and as a reward i sometimes take them out to dinner and once in awhile have students over to my apartment for tea. Never had any mishaps and it has made my life here a lot more enjoyable.

[Non Sequitur]

My last school had a rule about no classes ie tuition away from the classroom unless cleared through Teaching Affairs first.
Missionary types can be issues here.
As DTA I had to step on one of these people who without any warning a couple of weeks before Christmas started holding ALL his classes in his apartment. Go figure!
Apart from the fact that it was against the rules, it also potentially created a hazard as the FT apartment block had domestic sized staircases and only one at that.
Imagine the mayhem in a fire or earthquake.
I'm not anti Christian but I'm against 'clouding' our professional relationship with students by soft selling something else.
'Render unto Caesar' etc

[igorG]

[Non Sequitur]

Not forgetting the private or holiday tutoring opportunities that can arise from eyeballing the parents at home.
Just before I left my last school they extended the teacher car park by about 50%.
The vehicles in the park were not bought on non-supplemented Chinese teachers salaries.

[nickpellatt]

@slareth. Agree, its what you are comfortable with, and probably what your employers and students are comfortable with too.

At the time of writing, I am teaching German teenagers on short stay courses. I teach up to 15 students in a class, they leave and do activities, I leave and go home. Social interaction isnt required, expected, or I assume, approved of. So I do my classes and leave.

My Chinese jobs have been quite different. At vocational college I lived on the campus, the students lived in dorms on campus and teachers were encouraged to have open evenings at their homes for students. The FAO would often encourage interaction too, 'You need a mobile phone?, I will find some students to take you shopping!'. In fact, when I was there as a volunteer to begin with, they even arranged a homestay at a students house. TBH, In a small town of <100,000 people, No McDonalds, Bars etc...I needed the student company to keep me sane! Never even considered doing private lessons though, and turned down the few that the FAO introduced to me!

My training centre job was with adults. Often adults who earnt more than me in their day jobs, and I enjoyed the social side to that job too! TBH, a job where I couldnt socialise with my students (for reasons of age, or school rules) would put me right off. Ha, that might just be me though, the expat scene isnt for me TBH