Job Discussion Forums

[yamahuh]

As per my other thread I'm doing 'movie' related classes for a couple of weeks. I'm showing a movie clip from the 'Chronicles of Narnia' and the kids absolutely LOVE it.
Anyway I got to thinking about how I could give them a break from the monotony of their daily routines and something typically 'Western' to do. Seeing as they all wanted to borrow the movie and watch it themselves I figured a 'Movie Night' would be awesome.

There is a central A/V room here where the movie can be piped onto screens in the classrooms so that all the kids would be able to watch it at one time.
Even better; charge them 1 RMB admission and donate it to the library...perfect I thought.

I present the idea to my FAO, who goes off to check with the headmaster.
She comes back and tells me it's not possible.
Why?
Because the kids will have to go home later than normal and it's not safe.
Bear in mind that the Grade 9's go home at 9:00 at night every night and I wasn't going to show the movie for them anyway.
I figured I'd start the movie at 6:00 p.m, be finished by 8:00 at the latest and get their parents to pick them up at the gates.
Where's the problem?
'Not possible' I'm told.
'Why?'
'In China safety is the most important thing'
"But I just told you how to avoid the safety issue'
'I'm sorry, but it was a very good idea'

I even tried to promote the idea of a 'release form' for the school. The kids take a form home stipulating that in order for them to attend the 'Movie Night' they must be met at the gates by their parents. In order to get into the movie they must present the form.
They wouldn't budge...
...so I'm gonna show it in my classes instead. It'll probably take 2 weeks of classes to get through it but screw 'em; inflexible sob's.
They won't try to lighten the load or bend the rules even one iota for these kids. Sometimes I really hate Chinese bureaucracy.

[Roger]

Yes, China is not a country where laowais can introduce new ideas! These may rock the boat or something.

[kev7161]

In my last school, there was a large building made up to look like the US White House (long story, don't ask). Inside was a nice, cozy movie room with comfy looking chairs and sofas and even a place to set up a bar if so desired. I thought this would be a great place to take a couple of classes from time to time to show a movie (much in the vein of your movie night, OP). Do you think my idea was even given consideration? Don't hold your breath! And, by the way, my students lived on campus, so the safety consideration would have been a non-issue.

[grwit]

Yes I have these problems! Each month me and the English Association (students) arrange a disco for some fun on a friday or saturday night. Safety is not an issue because the big hall is on campus and all the students live in the dorms.

The hall we use as a great set up of lights and speakers and everything you would need to make a great disco for the students, but do you think the college would support this idea? Noooo!!!

They allow us access to the room for the night but we are not allowed to use any of the equipment in the room!!! What The? So we have to supply our own little sterio and speakers which are not nearly powerful enough for the size of the room. We can turn the lights on but cannot control them so how ever the controls to the lights were left last time the room was used is what we have to use.

[yamahuh]

Yeah!!

"Come on over to China and introduce us to your Western ideas and teaching methods; well tell us about them anyway...actually don't bother to tell us about them if it involves the students actually enjoying themselves or doing something out of the ordinary. Actually don't tell us about any of your ideas unless the closely resemble Chinese teaching practices.
Ah Ferk it!!
We'll just hire a Chinese national to teach oral English!!"

[7969]

yamahuh.... i've run into the same troubles you and others have. FAO and other teachers (chinese english teachers) were of little help in arranging rooms for showing movies.

so i put the onus on the students to arrange multi-media rooms, since they had the most to gain by doing something different during or after class (english corner for example, why stand around for an hour or two discussing the same old stuff?) i dont show movies often for any purpose, but when i do, the students often get the room we need. sometimes depends on whether or not the manager of the AV room is willing to keep it open an extra hour or two. one thing that works in that regard is i let the manager of the AV rooms copy some of my extensive collection of DVDs from time to time.....

strange (maybe not) as it may seem, my students have often (usually) been of much more help than my FAO or any other teacher in helping me out with this, and other things.

7969

[yamahuh]

Good idea.
I'll be trying to scale that daunting wall in about 2 hours...