Job Discussion Forums

[Roger]

If they want a more education-specific background and experience on the part of applicants they should also be willing to appoint FTs for jobs other than those useless oral English classes!

[Super Mario]

The oral classes I had with less than 20 students, 2-3 hours a week and with commited students possessing a reasonable base standard of spoken English were by far the most successful I had.
I'm a BEd with post grad TESOL, by the way.
In what sense is that "useless"?

[vikdk]

what can be more education-specific than being a teacher, FT, CT, PST whatever variety - therefore stupid me can't see why talk of prospective employers making a connection between working as a teach and possesing a teaching qualification should be creating so much bewliderment in the minds of certain posters. Personally, I don't think, much will change in that environment the typical FT inhabits - the educational swamplands of oral English. Teaching qualifications here are just to thin on the groun to meet demand. But if it indeed does - cheer up guys an'gals - every party's gotta come to an end sometime

[kev7161]

I think experience does count for something. The longer you teach here, the more adept you will (should) become and the more you'll learn from your mistakes, regardless of what kind of degree you may hold. However, I think with a teaching background, you may get to that stage a little more quickly . . . maybe. I make mistakes every day and learn from them. Here's one example:

All this school year, I've been trying "positive reinforcements" - - you with your Bed degrees know what I'm talking about. We've celebrated all the major western holidays: Halloween, Christmas, Easter, we even made Mother's Day cards and paper flowers last week. I have stickered these kids to death, brought in candies and other goodies. Only just today, I 've realized I've overdone it. The "good" kids are just as good as they've always been and the "trouble" kids are just as much trouble as they've always been. No amount of stickers or candy is going to change that, it seems. I've learned that, yes, a sticker here or there can be fun and possibly a good incentive for your average child, but to overdo it is a mistake. The Chinese teacher, from what I've seen, doesn't treat the kids to anything, possibly because she's on a limited budget and possibly she sees that I'm the one taking care of that particular task. However, she gets much more respect from these kids than I ever do. She's not too strict of a disciplinarian, but when she snaps at these kids, they sure do come to attention right away, I guarantee you.

Today I also noticed that when I'd say "put away your colors" or "sit up straight" or some other sort of request, I'd have to say it sometimes 3 or 4 times. I've grown weary of that. So, as of tomorrow, I'm not going to say anything, but I'm done with the giving. Some kids will still get a smiley-faced sticker on a good test paper, but that's about it. I'll see how it goes these last few weeks of school.

(Sorry for turning this thread into all about me, but just wanted to share)

[Voldermort]

Kev,

I have noticed that me and you are in quite similar teaching positions, in that we are teaching the same small number of students on a more frequent basis. During these past few weeks, I have come to exactly the same conclusion.

I would pay anything to know what the secret is of the Chinese teachers. How do they get the kids to sit down, shut up and work?

Before coming to this school I used to hold the type of teaching positions where the teacher would go to class once a week. This was quite easy. In my case I used to find out what they were learning for that week, make a lesson plan, and go to class. Doing this the students had a great time. They had a break from the mundane and had a chance to speak to the foreigner. Obviously my personality took a big role in this, I would be 'over' friendly with the kids, and they loved it. I never had a complaint other than when I had to inform a school that I would be leaving.

In my current position, where I teach them 4 times a week, I guess they have become used to me. The FT is no longer a novelty. Now they are expecting lessons to the same style and standard of their regular Chinese teachers. I am now starting to recieve complaints. I will be the first to admit this is partly due to my teaching style. But the biggest problem here is "you're a teacher so go teach". I am left to teach with no curriculum, no textbooks, no materials, no exams, no feedback, no nothing. They want me to teach like a Chinese teacher, but do not provide me with the means to do so.

This is China, we FT's know very little if not nothing about Chinese education. So what if we have a degree, all that says is that we are used to foreign teaching methods. This does NOT apply in China. Foreign education is an art, the teachers mould our brains, we are given choices and pointed in the right direction. Chinese schools are nothing more than factories producing robots. I have yet to meet a single Chinese person who is able to think for themselves.

In my opinion, having a degree does not qualify you to teach, with the exeption of teaching courses. The only reason China demands a degree is because that's what they demand from the natives. Now they are forcing these traditions upon us. I don't know about the rest of you but I am tired of hearing the "well, this is China" excuse. When will they get it into their heads that we are not Chinese.

Perhaps a better way of judging our ability to teach would be to give us an exam. Something like TESOL or TEFL, but aimed towards a Chinese classroom. Hah, what am I thinking, this is China, they would probably charge us rich laowai $6,000.