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Higher Expectations
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Plan B



Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:19 pm    Post subject: Higher Expectations Reply with quote
I am used to being considered favourably in all respects of teaching. Up until I took up a new job in Shenzhen, I had always received good - usually excellent evaluations - both on paper, and directly from the students.

I am now at a business consultancy which charges a higher than market price for lessons - around 700 / hour. All of a sudden, I am struggling. Human Resource managers and students are comparing me with previous teachers - usually more experienced in company teaching, but not necessarily more adept generally. The feedback is generally negative. I am doing pretty much the same as I always have - in fact, I have put out all the stops to ensure my lesson preparation is faultless. I usually even have a powerpoint presentation. My one successful class is with a company which has not had a consistant training course in the past.

Typical comments are such as "He would be okay in a school, but he doesn't have as much knowledge about Chinese learning habits as XXX, and he is younger and less-experienced than XXX." - I am over 30, I have been in China 3 years, teaching for over 4 years, and throughout, even in my less experienced days, I never received such dismissive remarks.

I am aware that I must evaluate where I am going wrong, but I also know from past experience that it is difficult to follow a previous, well-respected teacher.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you deal with the challenge of winning over these people?
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ilaria



Joined: 26 Jan 2007
Posts: 88
Location: Sicily
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Plan B, poor you, negative feedback feels horrible.

You sound well-qualified and experienced. I'm wondering what kind of rapport you have with your students. Are you trying too hard to impress them and creating lessons that are perfect on paper, but don't go quite so well in class because you're not relaxed and you're not letting your personality shine through?

Also, what exactly do your students want from you? (Unfortunately, what the students want may be quite different from what the people who are actually paying for the course want. This is a common problem with on-site business classes.)
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Plan B



Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
ilaria wrote:
Unfortunately, what the students want may be quite different from what the people who are actually paying for the course want. This is a common problem with on-site business classes.


Well, yes, by far the most negative comments are from the H.R. staff. The students are not as content as they have been, but at least the majority are reasonably happy.

One of the most bizarre aspects for me to overcome is the fact that I am, almost all cases, older than the H.R staff who are accusing me of lacking experience. I am 32, and the H.R. tend to be women in their 20's.
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kev7161



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 5880
Location: Suzhou, China
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Typical comments are such as "He would be okay in a school, but he doesn't have as much knowledge about Chinese learning habits as XXX, and he is younger and less-experienced than XXX."


These comments sound like vague generalizations to me. I would ask them for more constructive criticism and not comparisons to former teachers. Here are a couple to get you started:

1. Upon observing and evaluating the most recent lesson what successes did you notice? What parts of the lessons need improvement?

2. Should lessons be more teacher-centered or student-centered?

3. Does the content of the lessons reflect upon the needs of the students? If not, what areas should future lessons concentrate on?

Now, they may try blowing you off by saying something to the effect that you are the teacher, you should already know such things, but if you get an answer like that, then it's fairly obvious they don't know the first thing about teaching (they are HR after all) and you need to keep plugging along the best you know how. You may also try giving your groups an anonymous survey to fill out so you can get a feel of how they rate your lessons and you as a teacher and what you can do to address their needs. Remember to leave the room when they fill out the survey so they feel they can be more honest.
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Plan B



Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
[quote="kev7161"]
Quote:

1. Upon observing and evaluating the most recent lesson what successes did you notice? What parts of the lessons need improvement?

2. Should lessons be more teacher-centered or student-centered?

3. Does the content of the lessons reflect upon the needs of the students? If not, what areas should future lessons concentrate on?


Good advice Kev. All 3 questions I have asked myself.

No. 2 seems to be particulary pertinent. Business English demands a much more authoritarian approach, and although students always ask for maximum opportunities to speak, they seem to respond to a much more lecture like approach - asking students to speak about their responsibilities, leaving classes as a two-way channel may be the root of the problem. On the one hand, initiating student-oriented communication activities - while producing an active classroom, also seems to create doubt in their minds as to whether the teacher is on top of the subject matter of the lesson.

One aspect I have never been accused of, in any evaluation or feedback, is having a boring class. It's a catch-22 though. I go in the other direction, and students complain about not having enough chances to communicate.

How can I balance this idea of being the knowledgeable resource without lecturing for the majority of the class?

EDITED TO ADD : The H.R. staff are much more impressed by the lecture style approach. I have been present during demos where the students didn't have much to say, and essentially didn't understand most of the content. However, the content was so impressively presented that everyone present was in a sense of awe at the supposed knowledge of the teacher.

EDITED FURTHER : This however, does not excuse the fact that I am not particularly talented in impressing people of my knowledge and expertise in a presentation style format.
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vikdk



Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
How can I balance this idea of being the knowledgeable resource without lecturing for the majority of the class?

By asserting your expert status - and explaining to them about how you are going to make this balance and why you teach in your particular way.
Quote:
EDITED TO ADD : The H.R. staff are much more impressed by the lecture style approach. I have been present during demos where the students didn't have much to say, and essentially didn't understand most of the content. However, the content was so impressively presented that everyone present was in a sense of awe at the supposed knowledge of the teacher.

After all it does look as if they're trying to market an expert - so why not use that to your advantage - and make sure they (students and staff) perceive your teaching plan as an expert plan.
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Plan B



Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 266
Location: Shenzhen
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
vikdk wrote:

After all it does look as if they're trying to market an expert - so why not use that to your advantage - and make sure they (students and staff) perceive your teaching plan as an expert plan.


Good advice. I will take it on board. I think that if I manage to adapt to this environment, given what I have already learnt through adult education, I should be able to deal with virtually any issue in the future.

It can only be good to be put to the test sometimes. Without crititism, it is hard to evolve further.
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vikdk



Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 1676
PostPosted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
In the Chinese work environment it can sometimes be difficult to dress up in our expert clothes - after all in this money making education market its so often the fee-paying student who is allowed to be right - and indeed portrayed as the experts regarding their own educations. But sometimes it can pay to stick to your guns - and if you work in a place where education is taken seriously - tell, and indeed convince your students and employers, over what they should want and in what manner they should get it. Being able to bring this little number off is one of the marks of a teaching expert.
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mondrian