Job Discussion Forums

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

(This one's for you, Scot47 Wink

)

I like teaching. I like meeting people from other nationalities, learning about other cultures (even if it is that I end up not liking them!), speaking to people, helping people communicate, never getting hassle from work colleagues, laughing in the class, being able to boss people around day-in day-out, enjoying the undying admiration and respect of my students (ahem..), being able to travel around the world with my job, learning about the English language, even logging on here and listening to you people complain.

My job rocks - it's the best one I've ever had.

So there!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Fine. Just wait until you are my age ! You will have different feelings !

johnslat · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 2:14 pm Post subject: Maybe not

Dear scot47.

" Fine. Just wait until you are my age ! You will have different feelings ! "

Ah, not necessarily. I pretty much agree with what leeroy posted, and I'm even older than you, you whippersnapper.
Regards,
John

Wolf · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 1245 Location: Middle Earth

I have to agree with the OP as well. I found a job that a) I love and b) I seem to be getting better at as time goes on, and c) pays at least most of the bills. Not many people can claim that. The chance to experience life inside another culture (or other cultures), while not always blissiful, is denfinately a benefit.

scot47, imagine what you would be like today had you remained in your "homeland" and had never worked in that "abroad" place.

Wanbro · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 19 Location: Hong Kong

Hear hear! Good to hear from some like-minded souls!

But perhaps this begs the question: why do people get fed up with EFL? Is it the money (or lack of it)? And when does this really begin to hit home? Is it the nomadic nature of the job?

Being relatively new to this game, I'm all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - but would love to hear some insights from those at t'other end of the scale!

But yes, OP - I can't think of another job where I get paid for laughing nearly half the time I'm at work!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I don't mind the job. I don't mind the students. It's my COLLEAGUES who drive me crazy !

dduck · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 422 Location: In the middle

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

dduck, Are you trying to confuse us? your avatar has changed. Are you donaldduck or daffyduck

dduck · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 422 Location: In the middle

Dmb, please try to stay awake in class. What must the others think! Wink

Iain

dreadnought · Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 82 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

J-Pop · Joined: 07 Oct 2003 Posts: 215 Location: USA

I like & agree with (almost all) the comments in this thread.

Another benefit I personally have enjoyed:
Meeting other people, fellow "Native Speakers," from other countries. More than ever, I appreciate the unique character of each of the "English-speaking" cultures I've met.

Yet, despite the uniqueness, there is a lot we intuitively share in common.
It seems there is (usually) a shared perspective with like-minded folks, those who have deliberately chosen to leave their home country, to live & work abroad.

Also, it has surprised me how many of these native English-speakers come from cultures (countries) where another language is (or, at one time, was) spoken.

As far as my students, I can't remember one that I didn't like. Of course, some I liked more than others. Yet, I usually could relate in some way to all of them-- even those who hated English class (and/or school) & didn't want to be there. I remember feeling the same way at times. It seems that our "modern" educational systems bear a lot of similarities with other (not so nice) "institutions" Exclamation

[It is significant, I think, that the beginnings of "modern" industrial society (in most countries) was coincidental with the development of other institutions: prisons, the professional military, factories--and mental hospitals.]

(Not sure if this next note fits, but . . .) When in Japan, I was really surprised at how many clearly depressed students I encountered. I talked about this with several (Japanese) teachers & the people at the City School Board. It seems there is (or was) little or counseling or psychological services available for these students.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 7:18 pm Post subject:

ohman · Joined: 09 Sep 2003 Posts: 239 Location: B' Um Fouk, Egypt

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

yaramaz · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2003 8:11 pm Post subject:

I can understand the burnout factor, because I often find my job exhausting... but maybe it is because I teach the (in)famously loony turkish kids. I often wonder why I'm here, why I even bother trying, especially after a day like today (happy Ramazan!) when no one listened, no one even tried to work, and I had to struggle to keep order. However, my dour, wanna-go-back-to-Canada-and-get-a-cubicle-job mood faded with my evening adult class.... if I coulf teach like that all the time, I'd be a chirpy, happy little thing. I think the kids are rough because they rarely meet you even half way here. Some of the 15-16 year old boys are aggressive and quite nasty. The younger ones can be so mindless and lazy and hyper. The girls are usually better but o god, will they ever shut up and pay attention...?
Shocked