Job Discussion Forums

[Tudor]

I find teaching adults infuriating for the following reasons:-

Punctuality

They stroll in when they feel it. Not only does this constantly disrupt the class, but it prevents me from conducting warmers or proper lead-ins as they just filter in to the classroom in dribs and drabs. The other day, after 30 minutes of the class, I had one student out of sixteen - ridiculous.

Attendance

Many students attend less than 50% of the classes - I don't know why they bother coming at all. In fact, I wish they wouldn't.

Attitude

When they bother to come, many of the students spend half the lesson playing with their Blackberrys. The other day, all three students were sat opposite me playing with their phones. I stopped talking and just sat there and it must have been a full two minutes before they realised I'd halted the lesson and they sheepishly put their phones down. Needless to say, they soon picked them up again when the next message came through. If I ask them to put their phones away, they may complain that I'm "strict" or "boring" and I'll get gently reprimanded and urged to "make it fun" by my manager. Perhaps it's that my lessons aren't very enagaging (how fun can you make report writing?), or maybe the students I teach are just wastrels.

Lack of effort

I teach a lot of test prep, and usually give the students essay questions so they can email me their essays. I'd say about half of the students do this. The other half, despite wanting to study overseas and paying a lot of money for test prep courses, simply can't be bothered. We're talking about young, single people here most of whom have no job or other studying yet they claim "not to have time". How am I supposed to gauge their progress (or lack of) if they won't do the work? It's easy to say "screw 'em, it's their problem" but I'd like to see some reciprocation of the effort I put in although I asking myself more and more why I bother.


Most of my friends have left the language mills and are now teaching in schools and they're urging me to do the same. They say the lessons are shorter (40-45 mins), and all the kids are already there in the classroom so you can crack on with the lesson straight away; there's none of this having to make painful small talk with some grinning buffoon who always arrives to class on time. I'm sorely tempted to do so as I figure I'm just teaching big kids most of the time anyway so there'd be little difference.

Sorry to de-rail the thread, but I couldn't let the comment that teaching adults is easy pass by without comment although I guess all countries are different. For example, I doubt European students would complain if the teacher doesn't play games with them

[EFLeducator]

[Sashadroogie]

Don't know where you fellows are teaching, but I am used to having to earn learners' respect. Especially adults. It is a mistake to think that they should automatically think highly of you.

[artemisia]

[Sashadroogie]

This is very true. But blaming the students and crying out for respect is only going to make things worse. There are better strategies to try out.

[Tudor]

Sasha - I'm not sure where exactly I've "cried out for respect", but I do agree with you that respect has to be earned in much the same way as rapports have to be built with students. Unfortunately, I work in a school where I teach different classes all the time so the opportunity to do these things with students are few and far between. We (the teachers) are basically pegs to be put into holes (i.e. classes on the schedule) and as long as all the holes are filled then the management are happy.

[spiral78]

[bulgogiboy]

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Tudor

You are quite right: you were not the one talking about respect, nor making an over-generalised statement about its lack in EFL, the world over.

However, you have asked for some suggestions, so I'll do my best. Bear in mind this is naturally limited as I do not know your situation exactly.

Punctuality.

This is a pain for most of us. However, there is no use just getting annoyed with students because they upset a warmer or something. Far more effective is to adapt activities to take account of the fact that there will be stragglers. Choose, create, adapt etc. warmers that require no prep on your part and are easy for the learners to do. No big set-up, nor instructions etc. Board rush, vocab review, ball-toss etc. Alternatively, just skip the warmers if needed.

Again, for persistent lateness, let tardy students into the classroom, but have the rest of the class finish off whatever they were doing before the latecomer joins in for the next task. Make it clear that they have to shut up until the next stage of the lesson.

More radical, though probably won't fly in your situation, have students wait in canteen etc until next tea break. Has to be a school policy though : (

Again though, the key is not to go for tasks that involve complex instructions or endless cut-up paper shuffling about. Too easily disrupted.

Above all else, always start and finish on time no matter if it is indeed just one student.

Attendance

Do they know that attendance is being marked down? Care? Perhaps not. However, letting them know that you care, and have a record of it, is good for self-protection: no complaints from them will ever be taken seriously with a 50% absentee rate.

In any case, re-cycling material is always a good idea, so missing classes can be caught up. Regular testing, surprise testing if needs be, is a good way to show them that they need to attend if they want results.

Attitude

Put a large sign on the wall. One of those 'No phones' jobbies. Refer students to this if they really need it.

Your manager is totally wrong here. There should be no question about phones or linking them to 'boringness'. Have the students actually complained about this? Has your manager really taken their side? Or is this just a fear of yours. Don't let it be. Be strict with the students. Anyone using their phone can take it outside to the corridor. Be consistent here, and observe it yourself.

However, your comment about the three students playing with phones, while drawing my sympathy, seems also to suggest that a much more learner-centred approach will force them to participate more actively, rather than you taking the 'talking' part. Get them to share the burden. don't let them have time to mess with their phones.

There are materials available to broach delicate topics like 'attitude' to learning. 'Recipes for Tired Teachers' has one. A little role-play where students act according to learner type, e.g. nerdy grammar fiend to vacuous socialite. Can be instructive for learners and teachers...

Drawing up a 'classroom' contract may be an option. Learners decide what they and the teacher should be doing, and with compromise an agreement should be reached. It's up to them to respect it then. And for your part, perhaps you'll learn something that may be of use in planning your course. Would a silly fun activity really hurt every now and then?

Lack of effort

Sounds like you are putting in more effort than you should. They are adults, or at least supposed to be. If they don't care about doing the work, then it is indeed their problem, and certainly not yours. So I say, don't bother. At least not the way you are now. And remember, you never know what is truly going on in their lives which could account for their listlessness. Probably is bone idleness, but you never know...

If you want to be mean though, set the essay for class time and force the buggers to do it then and there : )

Not sure if any of that helps, but one more thing to note is that teaching kids is a completely different kettle of learners. they come with their own, distinctly separate, issues ready-made too. If you find that the most radical strategy of all, i.e. quitting, is the only option, remember to consider that kiddies and business teachers are usually two different beasts, and you should know which you are...

Best of luck

[Tudor]

Wow! Sasha, thanks a lot for taking the time to give me such a thorough reply, it's much appreciated. As you say, not everything will suit my situation, but you've certainly given me two or three ideas.

As for 'edutainment', I'm quite happy to play games when teaching kids, teens or young adult general English classes. Most of these students are in the class under duress so anything that can be done to engage them is vital - if that means acting the goat, then so be it. I do take exception however to being told to do it in corporate classes. Don't get me wrong, I always try to introduce an element of fun in lessons and I will play a game if it pertains to what we've been studying, but I object to playing games for the sheer hell of it. If educated, supposedly intelligent adults can't sit in a classroom for 90 minutes (or 60 by the time some of them arrive!) without being entertained then it's a sorry state of affairs.

Also, I'm not entirely unsympathetic towards the mangement; we have several high-maintenance clients and if we don't keep their staff satisfied they'll go elsewhere - there's no shortage of language schools.

Anyway, in a nutshell, I shall probably seek pastures new in the summer, but for now I'll carry on as I am and try to implement a couple of new approaches as suggested above.

Thanks again, Sasha!

[djunamod]

Tudor, if it's any consolation (and it probably isn't ), your description matches many of my adult students and I'm not talking about ESL - I'm taking about English writing courses for American college students!

In 8 years of teaching, I've come to resign myself to the fact that they are adults and if they don't want to take responsibility for their learning, I can't force them to.

Djuna

[EFLeducator]

[spiral78]

[Sashadroogie]

All these 'facts' floating around makes me wonder about what this word means in US. It would appear to be shorthand for 'my limited experience and personal bias'.

[AGoodStory]