Job Discussion Forums

[organix]

I have been teaching Senior students for the past two years now. I love it. However I am interested in teaching at the university level. Is there anyone here with experience in both fields? I like the energy of the middle school students and fear that is something the university students will lack, however they are likely to be more serious and be able to handle topics of greater depth. If you have experience, what is the verdict? Thanks.

[Roger]

My experiences with middle-school students are somewhat mixed; it is at this level that youngsters begin their downward spiralling towards cynicism and falseness. They realise those magic numbers you put in their school reports have some bearing on their future but they do not always go along with your criteria...
Anyway, some cooperate nevertheless.

But at university level you see them even more sullen, distant, distanced, fixated on makrs and certs but not truly interested in much. You also have to bear in mind that at university level you might be dealing with two types of studewnts:
a) the also-runs. These are students from just about any subject that take English as an elective to bump up their overall marks.
b) English majors.
The latter can be a joy to teach (I have had such experiences). The former, however, constitute the majority. Studying even at tertiary level is not much different from secondary schools: it's just rote-learning. Good luck to you!