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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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 Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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[Response to saraswati]
I admire your stamina! Are you sure you aren't a shill for Harmon Hall?
- moonraven |
Moonraven, I don't think someone would have to be a shill for Harmon Hall to say some positive things about HH schools here in Merida. Not all Harmon Hall schools are like the ones you've mentioned. Perhaps most of them are. I don't know. Maybe the two located in the city where I live are exceptions in some ways.
I've recommended Harmon Hall to people who have come to this city looking for EFL teaching jobs, especially job-seekers without training or experience who plan to stay short-term. Compared to most other language schools in this city, the local Harmon Hall schools aren't out of line regarding working conditions or treatment of employees. Their wages are competitive with most other language schools here. I don't know of any trainees who have been required to do more than the standard 4-week required training. As far as I know, the trainers have always been very up-front about telling perspective trainees their chances of employment prior to the start of training. (Example, "There are 6 people who've been accepted for this month's training, and we most likely will have slots available for only 2 new teachers next month.") The people I've known personally who have worked at local HH schools haven't had much negative to say about their experiences. Some mentioned that it was a lot of work for not very much money, but the same could be said for almost all EFL jobs in this city (including the one I have.)
There are some things I don't like about Harmon Hall, but they're just my personal opinions. 1) I don't care for what I see as an extreme business-over-education way of running the schools, but then my background is in education rather than business, so I suppose that's understandable. 2) I don't care for the HH method of teaching. It's too similar to scripted, everyone-on-the-same-page teaching. I saw that trend come and go a few times during my years of teaching in public schools in the States, and I think it's more detramental than it is productive for teaching/learning (but maybe better from a business standpoint.) That's why I can't completely buy into your reference to "free scholarship for teacher training." I'd call it more of a one-method workshop. 3) I don't like the way Harmon Hall classifies its students according to levels, because I think it's deceptive for the students. When students who've completed Harmon Hall's advanced levels take placement tests to register for EFL classes at the university where I teach, for example, they never test into an advanced level. At best, they might make it into a lower-intermediate level.
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I agree that we must continue to love what we do--but that doesn't mean we must let ourselves be exploited when there are other options out there.
- moonraven |
What are the other options? As I see it, the only other feasible option is to become an exploiter. When one gets down to the basics of this country and its culture, everything functions on rather blatant exploitation. |
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moonraven
Joined: 24 Mar 2004
Posts: 3094
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:25 pm Post subject: |
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Just a couple of things, as I never planned to get this involved with the HH topic.
I agree that the HH method is limited, and is not educational in the sense my personal hero, Paulo Freire, defines education. But it is very helpful in creating an infrastructure for giving classes. Fpr example, the EFL professors I supervised last year at UMAR Puerto Angel could not, at the beginning of an inservice workshop I gave them, describe how to tell when they had given a complete class--so those infrastructure concerns are valid.
I am not sure why your students are testing so low on placement exams. Students who finished the HH program with me had very good levels--600 plus TOEFL scores and many also presented and passed the Michigan exam. In fact, they typically tested higher than the group of teachers I had when I began directing the school! I have had the same results with students in other schools, so maybe your teachers are the problem?
As for becoming an exploiter--sorry, I cannot buy into that approach. Seeing only the options of the hammer and the anvil is what has put this planet in the toilet. Another world is possible!
Last edited by moonraven on Thu Apr 01, 2004 4:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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MandyF
Joined: 24 Mar 2004
Posts: 16
Location: China, Gods help us
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| Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 6:47 am Post subject: |
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Wow guys! That's a fair amount of info, both good and bad! Thanks for your help. I think at the minute I may stay away of there (for a while at least!) In response to if I'd been offered a job- yep, I had, on the condition I underwent their training...
Anyway, thanks again for the info!
Mandy[/quote] |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 11:49 am Post subject: |
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In response to if I'd been offered a job- yep, I had, on the condition I underwent their training...
- MandyF |
[Waxing philosophically] Keep in mind that in Mexico many promises aren't kept. They're subject to change depending on a number of things which may happen between the time the promises are made and the time the promises are to be actualized. The longer the time between the promises being made and the proposed time of actualization, the less likely the promises will be remembered.
In more basic terms, don't count on the job offer. Unless you have family/personal connections with the DOS doing the hiring, in this particular situation it's very unlikely that he/she could offer you a sure job this early in the game. |
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moonraven
Joined: 24 Mar 2004
Posts: 3094
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| Posted: Sun Apr 04, 2004 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I agree. With HH there are no guarantees--although everyone who finished the training with me was hired. |
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MandyF
Joined: 24 Mar 2004
Posts: 16
Location: China, Gods help us
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| Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 3:57 am Post subject: A bit more thinking required, methinks |
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Ok- thanks to everyone who's helped me with this!!!
Mandy |
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