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[kev7161]

Quick update (This will make Rickster elated):

Today, in one of my Senior Two classes, EIGHT boys were missing (1/5 of the class). One boy is one of my good students and is in pretty much every class. He was sick and in the school clinic. No problem there. The other seven were in the previous period, just decided to skip my class. ALL of these boys are at the low end of the class. They don't like english (or I'm such a bad teacher that I can't find a way to teach them) and are usually hopelessly lost in my class. The really need to be in a remedial class, but those don't exist here.

Anyway, I told the head student to make a list of the names for me and for her to tell their class's head teacher that these boys will not be allowed to come back to my class for the rest of the term (I'm sure they'll be greatly disappointed ) until they do the following:

1. Have their head teacher write them an excuse for missing the class.

2. Take this written-in-Chinese note to the Chinese english teacher and have him translate it for me and sign it.

3. Come to see me outside of class with the notes so they can be allowed back into class.

See, next class is my final test of the term and then we are getting ready to watch a movie. I don't want these boys to be able to traipse back into class after the test and plop down to enjoy the movie. It's not fair to the other students who actually give a damn and at least try to improve their English. The head teacher saw me at lunch and said each of these boys' parents were to be called this afternoon. I'll be interested to see if I get a note tomorrow or if they attempt to come back to class without one.

[anthyp]

Thanks for the tips regarding the Tongue Twister Tournament, kev. I've decided to go with a Jeopardy! Tournament instead, because I only have one or two classes left with each group of students and a TTT seems much harder to organize. I had my first go at it today and things went well, though I needed one of the Chinese teachers to tag along and translate most of the questions for me (they long ago abandoned observing my classes). There were quite a few students missing but it made the game easier for everyone. I've found that not getting angry and not taking low attendance personally makes for a less grouchy English teacher, and better classes.

[Magoo]

I agree with Kev and Roger; lack of respect, laziness, racism from administration. In my previous school, there had been a 'teacher' who'd left school at 16, had long dirty hair and, according to everybody, stank (our summers are HOT). My best classes loathed him as a time-waster who only showed videos and never actually taught. My worst classes loved him as one cool dude who only showed videos and...
I always tell my students that English is a vital part of many aspects of employment and will only become more so. Your future depends on this (a tad melodramatic, but, hey, but that's just me). When they started skiving, I told them, when I did see them, that it was their loss, not just in employment, but in life. Sure, don't come, just don't get caught, or you're in for an almighty bollocking. Classes were a doddle with the losers and smarta r s e s out of the way. Sorry, it might be unprofessional, but why should decent students lose because of a few morons?

[kev7161]

Perhaps you are getting bored with my "updates", but here is a final one (I think): A couple weeks ago, two boys in one of my Senior One classes decided to skip my class. I told their head teacher if they didn't come to class today, they were not welcome back. Yesterday, their head teacher said the two boys asked to come back to my class. Well, the real lessons are over for the year, they missed the final test, we are having a (hopefully) fun tongue twister tournie probably followed by a movie to finish up the year. I wonder why they want to come back NOW? I told their head teacher, "No." There's no longer any reason for them to be there anyway and they are certainly not welcome to join in on the fun now that the work is over. I'm probably being a hard-a s s, but I don't care. (and I'm generally a nice person, really I am!)

[kev7161]

I told the six boys who missed my class a couple weeks ago (Senior Two) not to come back until they had a signed note from their head teacher (and then translated for me - and signed - by the Chinese English teacher) explaining their absence. To date, I have not received a note. They tried to come in to class today at the beginning of our movie. I chased them out. Doors were slammed, very angry. What do you bet I have notes next time? (or maybe not, at this point I'm beyond caring about them)

[Roger]

...and an update from my front:
Today I announced I was going to conduct the year-end exam next week. Every class will have their exam during regular lessons. The school informed me I must make arrangements with my students myself, and I promptly found out that many of them had other exams scheduled during the last two weeks - so there was hardly any hope I could do my exams then.
Then I noticed how many lessons some of my "adult" students had missed; one guy had skipped 5 lessons.
After the lesson he showed up at my desk and BEGGED me to admit him to the final exam. I was really surprised.; He made no bones about the reasons why he failed to come to my class so many times - "overslept" every time...
So I said, he was welcome (his English is above average), but I would discount 20 points from his score first thing to take account of his nochalance.
I explained to him that if he made "20 grammar mistakes" in his writing, his score would drop to 50 - the 20 points off his score for failing to come to class, and a further minus 30 for his mistakes!
He agreed, and we both were happy!

[kev7161]

. . . and finally (yeah, right!) . . . yesterday, two of the boys came to class each with a little yellow sticky note. Both had written apologies for missing my class (well, one wrote his; the other had someone else write it for him). But, I asked them to leave. This is NOT what I asked for (and I've said it many times to the other teacher). I want a written EXCUSE for their absence. "Doug was absent because he thought sleeping in his dorm room was more important than coming to class" (or whatever) Signed, Mr. Ma (head teacher). This has now become a comedy of absurdities.