Job Discussion Forums

[Bindair Dundat]

[PanamaTeacher]

Kodak--I wanted to one-up you, but I failed to see your point. Could you tell me what is bothering you. I want to help because whatever it is that's bugging you has clearly traumatized you.

Are you saying that the world is made up of people that feel either superior to you or inferior to you and that you wish they would all feel equal to you? I hate to rock your world with this info but people like to compete. And as they say, if you are not the lead dog in a sled race then your view never changes.

Hey Zakaih, I'm busy looking for a spanish omelette recipe. I can sunny-side up very well.
Heat the pan (use fire)
slide in the butter and watch it melt (don't burn fingers)
crack the egg open (be sure that little pieces of the shell dont fall into the butter)
let the egg out of the shell so that it falls into the pan right on the butter (don't splatter your shirt or chest)
let the egg cook until the white part is firm and the yellow part is getting there (careful--some people like the yellow part firm also)
serve on a plate (leave space for the toast)

I call this creation "eggs a la fried"
Hungry yet?

[misterkodak]

Mr. Panama,
I never said I wanted everone to be the same. I never said I wanted everyone to be "touchy feely". What I don't understand is the one-upsman urinating contests which seem to occur amongst ESL teachers. If a teacher is good, the students will reflect this, not some piece of paper. It's not just the ESL industry which seems to have this mentality, but it seems more severe in this industry than others.
I fail to see why people can't just "do their jobs" and let it go at that. There seems to be 2 types of people in this business. People who are in it because they like what they're doing and people who either want a vacation or to escape from reality. Either way, it's the students who pay. I

[misterkodak]

Mr. Panama,
I never said I wanted everone to be the same. I never said I wanted everyone to be "touchy feely". What I don't understand is the one-upsman urinating contests which seem to occur amongst ESL teachers. If a teacher is good, the students will reflect this, not some piece of paper. It's not just the ESL industry which seems to have this mentality, but it seems more severe in this industry than others.
I fail to see why people can't just "do their jobs" and let it go at that. There seems to be 2 types of people in this business. People who are in it because they like what they're doing and people who either want a vacation or to escape from reality. Either way, it's the students who pay.

[PanamaTeacher]

Kodak--I think teachers trying to out do each other is 1) natural--there is a certain amount of jealousy/competition in every profession; 2) healthy-- by contending with others we sometimes learn from them or see for ourselves the foolishness of our own views; 3) necessary--only by debate and self-examination can a profession grow; 4) beneficial--constant criticism and reinforcement improves the profession and directly benefits the students; and 5) cathartic--by taking out our frustrations on each other or hearing about the problems of others it relieves the pressure of what can sometimes be a dreary and stressful job.

Speaking from personal experience, when I first came here to teach I was jumped on by all sorts of teachers for not having any idea of what I was doing, which was true at the time. At first I put it down to jealousy because I speak english perfectly and many of those that criticized me couldn't speak English well and I was well-paid relative to them (because of my better pronounciation). With time, however, I saw that there was truth in their critiques, and I undertook to improve myself as a teacher. That is when I started going into EslCafe for quizzes, etc.

As time passed, I felt I needed a broader measure of what is a good teacher than local opinions, which could well be biased. That's why I have followed the forums in Dave's for many years; it is a way to measure yourself across the world. I have benefited a lot just by reading the arguments among other teachers.

So Kodak, if you think the other teachers are wrong in some way, prove it. Otherwise, you will always be urinated on in the ongoing search for truth which debate involves. Socrates used to teach by argument (the Socratic method) and I think it works well over the internet. I probably couldn't stand hanging around a bunch of arguing know-it-alls in person.