Job Discussion Forums

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 4:36 am Post subject:

Student cancellation peeve - always seems to be that the middle student of a block of three privates students is the one to cancel. Grrr!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 4:42 am Post subject:

Another student peeve is the 'I-know-better-than-you' student. Had to restrain myself with one fellow who kept contradicting me at every turn, not just about language, but about ... everything. For example, he saw one of my ring-bound text books and noticed how expensive it was. He concluded that the price was high because of the binding. When I said not really, it was because of the photocopiable materials, he just smiled and repeated that it was the ring-binding. The smiling face of peevedom.

Stopped teaching him after a while. There was no point - I mean, he knew everything already!

artemisia · Joined: 04 Nov 2008 Posts: 875 Location: the world

Some of the activities in teacher's books. Some are great but others are terrible.

They can be far too complex (and not in an interesting way) and not right for the level. When I look at the way they're designed, I can't believe they were tested out on students (or even NS) first before being committed to print.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 6:46 am Post subject:

True, it does look like that sometimes. But for the most part, they are trialled fairly extensively in different parts of the world. But sometimes they just fall flat in the part of the world we happen to be located...

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:19 am Post subject:

Staffroom peeve: "My students are lazy/stupid/unimaginative". Grrr.

Usually not true, of the students at least. And even if it were...

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:22 am Post subject:

Teacher peeve: constant references to how things are back in home country, either when teaching in class or sharing a beer with colleagues. Peeving, even when it isn't a veiled complaint about or unfavourable comparison with host country, though it often is.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:26 am Post subject:

Circular arguments in staffroom about teaching philosophy. Various of these about - some examples of which believe in some sort of Platonic all round education, others holding that the goal of education, even EFL, should be limited to securing employment. Very tiresome when one is just trying to plan a lesson for the next class...

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:28 am Post subject:

Student peeve. The late student is always the one with the loud, crinkly plastic bag and a seeming inability to sit down on a chair without knocking something over. Grrr!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:29 am Post subject:

Chewing gum peeve! Why do some learners insist on chomping away through a whole class and wonder why their teacher can't make up what they are trying to pronounce? Peeved!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 8:31 am Post subject:

Interruptions: very peeving, both when learners interrupt the teacher, and also each other. Ah, the difficulties of turn-taking...

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

How about those little tomes that promise things like 'Ten-Minute Activities for the EFL Classroom?" What's the use of ten minutes in a one or two-hour class? Shocked

Are we going to string together ten of the things?

Zero · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 1402

The term "quals" to describe TEFL degrees and certificates.

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

Improper use of idioms, such as the ones used here http://www.gotoaltay.com/about/placesofinterest/

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 2:25 am Post subject:

Quals - yes. Guilty of that on occasion. Still not as bad as 'quallies'. Or using 'quals' to refer to a person, as in 'you need to be an MA or a DELTA to apply for that position'.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue May 31, 2011 2:30 am Post subject:

Rather unfortunate false friends can be peeving, especially when they are taboo and racist words in English. "Негр" in Russian is a particularly peeving word. Very hard to get learners to stop using its false friend equivalent in English. Even worse, when speaking Russian you have no choice but to listen to and even use it yourself...Peeevvvveeeedddd.