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Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

The TEFL Nazi's sibling ... The Saint ...

This is the goody-goody, soft-in-the-head type ... who by virtue of being a goody-goody with goody-goody intentions, can do no wrong ... this type doesn't have the authority to do so but likes to make decisions on other people's behalf ...

This type then gets awfully upset if someone affected by those decisions wants out ... becoming mortally insulted and offended by the incarnation of rudeness that didn't 'appreciate' goody-goody's efforts ...

... goody-goody then go hug teddy bear ...

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

TEFLers who are forever thinking of and sharing TEFLriffic activities outside of work.

TEFLers who wonder why I don't get a DELTA.

TEFLers who give you that *look* Shocked

when you suggest maybe all students aren't each wonderful individuals, or that they aren't all perfectly capable of learning if we can just create the right environment and find the right approach...

New TEFLers who look down on old ones for being jaded and cynical.

yaramaz · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:08 am Post subject:

Awww, justme, please don't tell me you are cynical now! That's so out of character! Just smile! And do your DELTA! And remember that every student is special and unique and if they can't seem to grasp even the basics of English after a year of intensive lessons its because you didn't do your DELTA and haven't been creative or intelligent enough to sense their innermost lingo acquisition needs....

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

What about the outraged TEFLer?

Usually a she who arrives and is visibly upset and outraged at local conditions. She adopts every stray kitten and teachers, students and managers are driven to despair at how to find homes for them and comfort her. She devotes and entire evening to an impromptu writing lesson where the poor students have to write letters to the President of Russia appealing for him to do something to stop bears being abused in circuses in Vladivostok.

She wails as you are rushing to get the bus when she sees a man with a rancid stump on a overpass in Beşiktaş. You of course miss the bus and have to get a taxi as you are made to feel a monster when you don't feel outraged. She tells travel agents how hard she has to work and how long her hours are and about the split shifts but fails to realise that travel agensts work 12 hours a day 6 days a week and have to commute hours every day yet they are made to feel sorry for her.

She rails on about the environment and subscribes to New Internationalist at great expense and of course is a vegetarian. Going out to eat is misery as she always ends up with a piece of meat in her vegetarian pizza and the students are sent on missons to find out if the kuru fasulye could be specially prepared with no meat.

She believes in God, also Mother Nature, is partly telepathic, also spiritual and trying to make a difference in the world whereas you are not. She doesn't last more than a year and then moves on to change the world-you stay.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Goodness I've only been away from the computer for a couple oh ours and this already on page 2.

Thrifty, I am sure one of your favourites, the teacher who has to leave the restaurant early but of course never leaves enough money to cover the bill. So silly b8ggers like me who are usually last to leave have to cover it.

Otterman Ollie · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 11:50 am Post subject:

Thrifty, these pet peeves of yours seem ,how can I put it ,well a bit on the personal side ,you seem to be attacking individuals where most of the inherient problems with our "profession" lie with the people who run the places where we work !
You do realise that fellow teflers are here under less than ideal circumstances and generally have to muddle and struggle through as best as their resourcefulness will let them,so by running down these less than perfect peers you have encountered along the way you are infact putting yourself down instead of offering help guidance and advice .Just because noone ever gave it to you do you have to repeat history and try and screw and demean others ?
An attack which is objective about the inconsisities and injustices we see at the work place would in my view have the potential for a more entertaining and interesting thread . You are just venting spleen here ,its misdirected !

mthood · Joined: 03 Aug 2006 Posts: 73

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

I disagree that most of "most of the inherient problems with our "profession" lie with the people who run the places where we work."

The managers and owners are one important problem but there are other problems. How many teachers do you work with would you describe as being their own worst enemy? The lack of TEFLers with reasonable qualifications and the low pay industry we work in is a serious problem. How about the customers being so naiive and unrealistic? Also the unrealistic expectations of newbies.

I know all about less than ideal circumstances-I have done my time too and am continuing to do so but somewhere else.

A new thread about TEFL managers would be great.

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

So Ollie wasn't writing 'in character'?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

No, never. I have been in Saudi for just over 5 years so I have avoided it that way. I have no intention of going into management and want to get out of TEFL-just don't know how.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Don't worry another 10 years in KSA and you'll be ready for mis-management in the Gulf. Wink

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

I swear to God 2007 is my last year.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I find myself agreeing with 'thrifty'. I think I will go and lie down and apply a brain-poultice.

Golightly · Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 9:55 pm Post subject:

How about the TEFLer who's there 'for the experience', so they can write it down in their fascinating sub-Kerouac novel, which the bray about to their fascinating friends over fascinating canapes at fascinating parties? There was one guy I worked with, an American guy, who made this explicit as his raison d'etre. The last I heard, he was occasionally hauled out onto TV as the Amusing Yank Who Speaks Turkce. I once heard him yelling at a class, two months after arriving in the country, 'You ashholes! I wash in Hungary fer 8 monthsh, an' I lerned that tongue fluently! Thatsh the mos' difficult language in the world, sho I'm gonna learn yoursh pretty damn fast, though yer never gonna learn Englishh that fasht!'