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Beards in Classroom
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Johnmc



Joined: 01 Mar 2003
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 4:46 am    Post subject: Beards in Classroom Reply with quote

Hi,
I would like some feedback on the situation of beards in China. Would it be a great disadvantage, in any way for a Conversational English teacher (in mid fifties) to have a small trimmed (salt�n�pepper) beard? Have other �bearded� teachers out there had any trouble in this regard at the job application stage, interview stage, in the classroom or in any other situation?
Any other hints on classroom etiquette (I assume smart casual dress-no tie is OK). What about the does and don�ts of body language?
Thanks
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eric the king



Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think a beard puts you at any disadvantage in a Chinese classroom. Saying that, I am a strong believer in the maxim 'never trust a man with a beard' and would argue that all beards (even a salt n' pepper -whatever the hell that is) should be outlawed. As for bearded, balding men....
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Tubbo



Joined: 03 Feb 2003
Posts: 6
Location: Haikou, Hainan Province, China

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 1:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What's this I hear! A woman who doesn't like bearded men. Well, lady, get a life. My husband is currently sitting next to me in the computer lab of our Chinese school. He has a number one hair cut and a full, red beard. It's great. The middle school students love it. I don't think that they have ever seen a man with a red beard before. The boys and girls all want to touch his face. They are really interested. He is very popular. No one has ever commented in a negative way about his fantastic, red beard.

Japan, however, is another story. I've been told that in Japanese schools foreigners should be clean shaven. But, I haven't been to Japan. It's just what I've heard.
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arioch36



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 1:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

An older man with a beard fits perfectly with their stereotypes about the western intellect. They will think you are related to Karl Marx, and compliment you by saying you must have been very handsome when you were younger (seriously, this is exactly how they will say it)
Keep the beard (older men only, as in Russia, woman are only allowed to have moustaches).
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 3:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmmm
The beard as an ornament of my face was never an issue, when I had it, that is!

BUt rice is rather sticky, and you can imagine the mirth of Chinese who see you pick grains of rice from your facial underbrush!
Besides, it gets really hot and humid here - your skin will be grateful to you for the extra amount of fresh air...
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Seth



Joined: 05 Feb 2003
Posts: 575
Location: in exile

PostPosted: Thu Mar 06, 2003 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Chinese tend to be a bit hairophobic. I had a short beard when I first got here and I scared small children. Children would also call me old man, which is odd as I'm only 25. I'm not sure why they were so freaked out by it, as there's a sizable muslim population in Luoyang with plenty of bearded muslims.
At first I would get offended as people would point to me and say 'big monkey' (da houzi), although they were actually saying 'beard' (da huzi), the two phrases sound remarkably similar! After a month of people making beard motions with their hands to their face I got rid of it. After eating runny Chinese food with chopsticks and drinking soup from bowls, I was glad not to have yesterday's lunch in my beard. After I got rid of it people I know would say to me how young and 'beautiful' I looked. And as Roger said, Chinese summers are really hot and humid.
It won't hurt your professional life, but may make other aspects a bit uncomfortable. Never hurts to try, though!
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eric the king



Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Posts: 24

PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ah, the beards come out of the closet!
Arioch, my mental picture of you will now have to change. An unhealthy percentage of posters on this forum appear to have at some point been in possession of a beard. What does that say? Anything? Nothing?
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brad_stephenssmith



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
Location: San Diego, Ca.

PostPosted: Fri Mar 07, 2003 7:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

IMO, beards are great. One less thing to deal with every morning Smile. But after years of having a propper lazy-man's beard, I had to go and opt for the "sinister goatee" look instead. Now I still have all the disadvantages of a beard (let's just say there's certain foods that my wife won't let me eat when she's around) AND I have to maintain it or it really starts to look funny. <sigh>
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arioch36



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Totally off the subject, for anyone who doesn't care...I was devestated this week. A student said my classes would be so much more fun if only I wrote my letters on the board prettier.
My darned cert clas (excuse my french) never taught these important things...don't they know that these matters are the tru deteminators of a good teacher.
So Roger, when you stood up in front of the class, scratching your beard to get the last of the rice out...they thought you were thoughtfully stroking your beard in a display of genteel wisdom
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brad_stephenssmith



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
Location: San Diego, Ca.

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

arioch36 wrote:
Totally off the subject, for anyone who doesn't care...I was devestated this week. A student said my classes would be so much more fun if only I wrote my letters on the board prettier.


Hmm.. well, just to take the thread even further off of the original topic, has anybody else had an experience like this? My handwriting is... not generally described as 'pretty', let's say. Arioch, were you being mostly facetious, or is this an bigger contributing factor to students' initial assessments of you than one might think?
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arioch36



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 3589

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wasn't being totally facetious...but
We debated do clothes make the man. I walked into the classroom wearing my desert cammies from the air force. Are people in the world sometimes superficial? Yes?
The statement was real...but I don't let it bother me. I would not say it is a major factor in whether they think you are a good teacher, not in the least.The good students are good regardless if your hand writing is pretty or not. But for some girls, they regard you based on the outward appearance. I played pingpong with some students, and they think I'm a good teacher because of this.
As a teacher, we shouldn't let such little things bother us. Pretty handwriting is harder to read, and often non-standard. My philosophy is simple block print that is neat, standard, and easy to read
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brad_stephenssmith



Joined: 19 Feb 2003
Posts: 7
Location: San Diego, Ca.

PostPosted: Sat Mar 08, 2003 7:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Writerman wrote:
Question Question: when you write on the board do you make a 'y' like it shows here or do you loop it like a 'u' (then adding the bottom stroke)?


Assuming you were asking me: The former.

Writerman wrote:

(I'll explain later)


I'm positively quivering with anticipation. Very Happy
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whitjohn



Joined: 27 Feb 2003
Posts: 124

PostPosted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:18 am    Post subject: Beards Reply with quote

Yesterday, after reading this thread, I emailed my Chinese girlfriend (I'm going back next month) and asked her if I should cut off my beard and color my hair darker.
This morning she said, "If you like you can colour your hair but I prefer the white one! Keep you beard, I like them. But do not let them make me unconfortable when I want to kiss you, haha! "
So...I think I'll keep the beard for awhile and let my grey hair stay that way!
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Albulbul



Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 364

PostPosted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 6:14 am    Post subject: beards Reply with quote

In some parts of the world having a beard is seen as a token of religiosity. This is not only the case in the muslim world where it is commonly considered a "sunna" to be beraded, but also in the Orthodox Christian world where traditionally priests, monks, bishops and the lay religious sported beards.

Personally I dislike having a beard and consdier that gentlemen should shave (unless they are in the Royal Navy).
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The_Prodiigy



Joined: 01 Apr 2006
Posts: 252

PostPosted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One former colleague asked the Principal if she would raise objections to him wearing a beard. She said a moustache was fine.
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