| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
MeiYu
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
Posts: 24
Location: Hangzhou
|
 Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 5:31 am Post subject: |
 |
|
so many good ideas. yeah, i'm sure this is an issue that SO many FT's deal with. this place is the second contract. so i am not a seasoned veteran, which means i don't know all the ropes...
and maybe still quite idealistic.
who knows, maybe this school will listen to us and want to improve their English program.
they have been really receptive and accommodating so far...
but thanks for the advice and tales of experience.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
If they are really receptive they will lend you an ear or, maybe, both, to your suggestion that their classes ought to be made much smaller. Tell them oral classes have practically no meaning if there are more than half as many students in the class as a period has minutes!
That's quite a revolutionary discovery for the Chinese education establishment! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:23 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| That's quite a revolutionary discovery for the Chinese education establishment! |
I think the more revolutionary discovery belongs to the FT - that of finding out that they are considered of more value when more fee-paying heads are packed into their classrooms - steppenwolf how long have you been in China, ain't you discovered this rather obvious fact by now 
The only way around this problem is getting mummy and daddy to fork out more dough to create that financial motivation for the school to shrink those pupil numbers 
Last edited by vikdk on Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:33 am; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
China.Pete
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
Posts: 547
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:33 am Post subject: Make Practical Suggestions |
|
|
"They have been really receptive and accommodating so far..." -- MeiYu
With new FTs, and particularly with a new school or new staffing, Chinese administrators will often try to be accommodating. I would decide what is really important to the two of you in terms of changes, have specific proposals to make (such as, sample textbooks in-hand), and some idea of a realistic timeframe for doing them. Then, speak with the administration in a non-critical way ("Isn't it GREAT how you've been able to get FTs here. We've been thinking about some ways to really help the school and the children's parents to get their money's worth.") You should very quickly get an idea of how much they are willing to do for you. After that, it's up to you to be persistent, and show you are willing to work with the school by adapting your proposals to their concerns. The length of time you are willing to work at the school, and the willingness of other teachers to take up your methods, will also be considerations for the usefulness or cost-effectiveness of any changes you may be able to implement. Good luck! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
no_exit
Joined: 12 Oct 2004
Posts: 565
Location: Kunming
|
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| China.Pete gives excellent advice. You need to present it as "this is what we want want to do for you," not "this is what we want for ourselves." |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Steppenwolf
Joined: 30 Jul 2006
Posts: 1769
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:48 am Post subject: |
|
|
| vikdk wrote: |
| Quote: |
| That's quite a revolutionary discovery for the Chinese education establishment! |
I think the more revolutionary discovery belongs to the FT - that of finding out that they are considered of more value when more fee-paying heads are packed into their classrooms - steppenwolf how long have you been in China, ain't you discovered this rather obvious fact by now
The only way around this problem is getting mummy and daddy to fork out more dough to create that financial motivation for the school to shrink those pupil numbers |
Why this mock siurprise, why this cheekiness, Vicky Danish Girl? You can't really be talking as an insider, can you, since you are not teaching in any classroom...though we have grown used to your butting in any ongoing discussion between teachers on the ground.
BUt I have some surprise for you: it isn't a priori a problem of finances that keeps classes so overpopulated. The Chinese simply don't realise what difference to the quality of teaching they could make by lowering the number of participants in class. For Chinese, it would be a "waste of money" to put one teacher in a class of 20 when they can "teach" twice, nay: thrice that number of learners.
They haven't come to realise that within a class there always are different levels - a disocvvery only foreign teachers seem to be making every time they accept a class.
There are many reasons why the CHinese fool themselves: one: they don't know how much chedating goes on in their exams! Chinese teachers also merely teach to exams and they rehearse exams before the real exams take place.
And there is the responsibility system: teachers whose classes underperform come under increased pressure and may even be redeployed or dismissed - it's never the students that pay for being lazy.
And chorussing can be done as well with classes numbering 20 as with classes numbering 200. Who hears the individual student mispronouncing a single phoneme or word?
In fact, Chinese often believe the more students the more peer pressure on the individual. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
vikdk
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
|
| Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 5:10 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| The Chinese simply don't realise what difference to the quality of teaching they could make by lowering the number of participants in class. |
Well that high-powered research that makes you come to these conclusions must be a tad out of date, mate
better get onto those boffins who feed you this info - and tell'em that yur ol' mate vikdk was this very morning teaching at a kindy that has two types of classes - the high density normal class (around 20 kids/qualified teacher) - and the low density type, where student numbers are restricted to max 10/qualified teacher in a (so-called)montessori style setting - at the moment student numbers in second type are around 8/teach and also interesting is the class is of mixed ages. Of course parents pay through the nose for this service but the bait of smaller class size seems to impress them enough into handing out that extra dough - so they must realise something, even if you reckon the rest of China doesn't So it looks like us kindy people are not only leading the way in wages - but also in local educational innovation
By the way steppenwolf heres a tip with regard to writing effective hard-hitting posts - when you make some far sweeping statement try to back it up with some hard evidence rather than just another set of tired personal opinions - otherwise those posts do tend to hit these threads with a rather hollow sound when they fall off the back of your lorry |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
