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rc81
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 85
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 Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:53 am Post subject: Being Observed in a Uni Class |
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I got a phone call telling me that one of my classes is going to be observed soon. This definitely makes me uncomfortable for a few reasons. I have had problems keeping noise levels at a reasonable level in some of my classes and I have the feeling that if the students see me being observed, it is going to cost me some of the authority Ive built up.
Also, I have to admit that Im not exactly the best teacher in the world and I dont feel like getting fired right now. Basically, the way Ive been doing the classes is I split the room up into groups and I walk around to each of them and have them tell me the answers to the questions in the book. I doubt that my bosses are going to be happy with this style because it does leave a lot of time during each class where the rest of the students are not interacting with me and are speaking in chinese to each other.
The only problem is that this is the only way Ive been able to get them to do any work.
Maybe I am just paranoid but I am expecting a bad review. So, I was hoping some other people could share stories of how these types of situations have played out for you. What types of criticism did you receive? Did you get fired or nearly fired? Im always concerned about the worst case scenarios. |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 10:59 am Post subject: |
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The first time I was told I was going to be "observed", I was apprehensive. I decided to just suck it in and do what I do. That's probably the best way to do it; if you put on a special "show" it will come across as phony, even if the observers don't speak English. If you exude confidence, it will come across that you've got a handle on things.
I didn't get any feedback on the observation, but when contract renewal time came up, the college walked it right through; no problems. |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:06 am Post subject: Re: Being Observed in a Uni Class |
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| rc81 wrote: |
| Maybe I am just paranoid but I am expecting a bad review. So, I was hoping some other people could share stories of how these types of situations have played out for you. What types of criticism did you receive? Did you get fired or nearly fired? Im always concerned about the worst case scenarios. |
you sound like some of the students - no confidence. its good to be slightly nervous if you've never experienced this before, but stop being so paranoid.
here's what will happen - one or two people from the department will show up in your class and sit at the back. they'll listen to your class, or part of it. they'll scribble some notes and they may debrief you after the lesson is over. or they may not. you can expect some constructive criticism and some praise. then it's done - it may be the only time you're observed over the entire time you're at that school. i've been observed once in four years now.
i doubt any FT in china has ever been fired over a bad eval in class.
Last edited by The Ever-changing Cleric on Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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rc81
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:10 am Post subject: |
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yeah, but the fact is, im definitely not the best teacher in the world. im not terrible, either, i think, probably just passable.
honestly, im not very interested in lesson planning. i would much rather just do exactly what is in the book and get by with a minimum amount of effort. i know its not the most honorable thing, but thats the reality. i do look at this like a job. i wonder how much of a problem that is going to create. im lazy. i dont want to get fired and have to move.  |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| rc81 wrote: |
yeah, but the fact is, im definitely not the best teacher in the world. im not terrible, either, i think, probably just passable.
honestly, im not very interested in lesson planning. i would much rather just do exactly what is in the book and get by with a minimum amount of effort. i know its not the most honorable thing, but thats the reality. i do look at this like a job. i wonder how much of a problem that is going to create. im lazy. i dont want to get fired and have to move. |
if you dont want to get fired, then put out a bit more than the minimum effort. at least for that one class where you're being observed. once the eval is done you can go back to normal. |
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donb2222
Joined: 06 Feb 2009
Posts: 134
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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I enjoy having my classes observed.
The students are on their very best behavior, and the classes go very smoothly.
For the oral English classes I just hand out a sheet with a few topics and then ask easy questions with each student one by one. That is all the school seems to want is to see the kids speaking English.
OP, don't worry, I am willing to bet that the students will be on their best behavior, |
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dharma86
Joined: 05 May 2009
Posts: 187
Location: Southside baby!
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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Acknowledge the constructive criticism and then apply it to your future classes. If you don't do that afterwards... then you'd have reason to worry.
What they suggest should be your new minimal  |
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Jayray
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
Posts: 373
Location: Back East
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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How long have you taught at the school?
Is this your first public university job? |
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ttorriel
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Posts: 193
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 1:53 pm Post subject: |
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| The original post sums it up - that you think the bosses aren't going to like your teaching style, etc. That's the whole point of being observed - to make sure you're remotely qualified to even be doing the job you were hired to do. What make you think that you shouldn't be held accountable in your duties? |
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Silent Shadow
Joined: 18 Oct 2007
Posts: 380
Location: A stones throw past the back of beyond
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| donb2222 wrote: |
I enjoy having my classes observed.
The students are on their very best behavior, and the classes go very smoothly.
For the oral English classes I just hand out a sheet with a few topics and then ask easy questions with each student one by one. That is all the school seems to want is to see the kids speaking English.
OP, don't worry, I am willing to bet that the students will be on their best behavior, |
I also found that my best classes were my observed classes. That's not to say that my classes were not normally good, because they generally were. However when ever a leader was observing in my classroom the class was perfect, because I had the undivided attention of every student for ninety minutes. It seems that the students thought that they, too, were being observed. |
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MisterButtkins
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Posts: 1221
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 am Post subject: |
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| rc81 wrote: |
yeah, but the fact is, im definitely not the best teacher in the world. im not terrible, either, i think, probably just passable.
honestly, im not very interested in lesson planning. i would much rather just do exactly what is in the book and get by with a minimum amount of effort. i know its not the most honorable thing, but thats the reality. i do look at this like a job. i wonder how much of a problem that is going to create. im lazy. i dont want to get fired and have to move. |
Heh, I'm kind of in the same boat of mainly using the book and not lesson planning a lot, but I've managed to get all my classes to behave fairly well without much deviation from what's in the book. Some days I put more effort in, but on a bad day, I will usually just pull the textbook out and have one of the students read one of the (usually stupid or ridiculous) stories in the textbook. Then I listen to their pronounciation and correct them on a few words, writing the offending words on the board and making the whole class read them several times. Then I explain any new words they don't know. Sometimes, this by itself can kill 20 minutes.
After this I make the kids write dialog on some topic related to whatever chapter in the book. Then, I pick maybe 1/3 students at random to read the dialog to the whole class. If you really need to kill time, of course, you can call all of them to read. If anyone talks too much while the other kids are reading, they get the boot. You have to make the kids write it, because if you don't, half of them will just sit there talking in Chinese and then act confused or embarrassed when you call on them to speak in front of the class. Usually I like to make the dialog more interesting than what's in the book. For example, today the theme of the chapter was 'going to see the doctor', and the book wanted them to write a dialog about a patient going to see the doctor. I thought this was too boring, so I made the dialog be about "One student is sick and goes to see the doctor. The doctor thinks it is very serious and must tell them that they will probably die." It's less boring and it gets the bad students to pay more attention.
Anyway, some of the students have actually told me that they think my classes are very helpful and interesting, so I don't feel as bad about not lesson planning well. |
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theincredibleegg
Joined: 01 Jul 2008
Posts: 224
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| rc81 wrote: |
yeah, but the fact is, im definitely not the best teacher in the world. im not terrible, either, i think, probably just passable.
honestly, im not very interested in lesson planning. i would much rather just do exactly what is in the book and get by with a minimum amount of effort. i know its not the most honorable thing, but thats the reality. i do look at this like a job. i wonder how much of a problem that is going to create. im lazy. i dont want to get fired and have to move. |
I'm so glad i don't work for Chinese schools/unis/mills and the FTs that work there. That was one of the reasons why i bailed on Chinese education - Uninspiring colleagues.
You won't get fired or anything. You can be as shit as you want. If you want to devote half of your time in China to shit, then nothing is stopping you. Have a nice shitty year.
Hope you walk out of this with your self-respect intact. |
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rc81
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| theincredibleegg wrote: |
You won't get fired or anything. You can be as shit as you want. If you want to devote half of your time in China to shit, then nothing is stopping you. Have a nice shitty year. |
well-said. ive been powned! |
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The Ever-changing Cleric
Joined: 19 Feb 2009
Posts: 1523
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| theincredibleegg wrote: |
| rc81 wrote: |
yeah, but the fact is, im definitely not the best teacher in the world. im not terrible, either, i think, probably just passable.
honestly, im not very interested in lesson planning. i would much rather just do exactly what is in the book and get by with a minimum amount of effort. i know its not the most honorable thing, but thats the reality. i do look at this like a job. i wonder how much of a problem that is going to create. im lazy. i dont want to get fired and have to move. |
I'm so glad i don't work for Chinese schools/unis/mills and the FTs that work there. That was one of the reasons why i bailed on Chinese education - Uninspiring colleagues.
You won't get fired or anything. You can be as shit as you want. If you want to devote half of your time in China to shit, then nothing is stopping you. Have a nice shitty year.
Hope you walk out of this with your self-respect intact. |
a bit harsh . . . but i understand and agree. If i heard any of the profs where i went to university say out loud they weren't interested in lesson planning, or they just wanted to put out the minimum effort, i'd have been very disappointed.
teaching is one job where what we (teachers) do can influence what other people (students) do in the future. if any among our number can't give the student's their money's worth, then those people don't deserve the paycheque and should consider moving on.
Last edited by The Ever-changing Cleric on Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:06 am; edited 1 time in total |
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rc81
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 9:04 am Post subject: |
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| ttorriel wrote: |
| The original post sums it up - that you think the bosses aren't going to like your teaching style, etc. That's the whole point of being observed - to make sure you're remotely qualified to even be doing the job you were hired to do. What make you think that you shouldn't be held accountable in your duties? |
do you really think i didnt understand this before you wrote it?
if i was in their position, i'd want to observe me too. i completely agree that there are a lot of rejects doing this job. that definitely doesnt mean im going to enjoy it and i wrote the post because i wanted to hear some worst case scenario stories. |
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