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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:15 am Post subject: Saving face |
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Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:19 pm Post subject: |
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Are you a tenured teacher?
Is your level of Japanese speaking very high?
Have you been here (or even at that site) a long time?
If you can't answer yes to these questions, my advice is to distance yourself physically and mentally from this whole thing. You are not going to be included in most decision-making unless you can say yes to some of the above (perhaps to all, and even then I'd doubt it sometimes).
You obviously care about students and parents, but this is not your territory to wonder or worry whether anyone saves face (except perhaps you).
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| We've done our best with this student all year - they don't speak in class, don't do the homework, don't take the report books home and don't even turn up now to half the lessons. |
A student that is a few years younger than his classmates was promoted for some academic reason, and this is the result. I'm not surprised, except at the school's allowing the student to skip classes. That, too, is not your responsibility except to report it. There is probably more than one reason for the student's actions, and I suggest that you let the Japanese staff figure it out and deal with it.
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| the parents have complained that the student is being bullied by other students in the class, and that the school should have known about this (despite the classroom being manned by only a native English speaking teacher who understands precious little Japanese). |
If you can't detect the bullying, language or no language ability, then all the more reason to let it go. I suspect that with such an age difference, yours is not the only class where this happens. |
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cariocas27
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with Glenski on this one.
You really have to be able to understand the language well in order to put everything in place properly. And even then you have to understand your own position within the company and how others view you in order to be sure that your opinon would even be wanted.
If you dont then theres a good chance that you might be misunderstanding a few things or even if you were spot on without decent japanese ability how could you possibly suggest what should be done without appearing like youre stepping out of bounds.
And if you dont have an insider/confidante on the administrative team then you really wont know whats going on.
If you really want to be able to have a better control on things in your classroom I would say try and befriend the administrative staff and/or make a friend with one of them so they can act as your spy... if your workplace dynamic allows for that kind of stuff.
I do have an opinion about the cultural workings and politics in whats going on behind the scenes... pm me if you wanna know more. |
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cariocas27
Joined: 17 Dec 2009
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:51 pm Post subject: |
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Damnit i just wrote a long reply and found out i cant pm because i havent posted more than 5 times....
urgh....  |
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ShioriEigoKyoushi
Joined: 21 Aug 2009
Posts: 364
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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Last edited by ShioriEigoKyoushi on Tue Jun 08, 2010 3:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr_Monkey
Joined: 11 Mar 2009
Posts: 661
Location: Kyuuuuuushuuuuuuu
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Is there any harm in posting your opinion in public? I'd like to know what you think as well. |
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