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askiptochina · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing

Today I did my first elementary school summer class. Parents sure like to sit in class. Middle schoolers and high schoolers come on their own, so I was surprised a bit. I used to teach Korean students, and the parents would look at a video feed instead of actually sitting in class. One adult sitting in the classroom seemed like a father but didn't talk to one kid specifically to indicate he was their father. He kept nodding his head up and down while I was teaching as if confirming what I was saying was correct to the other parents. It was a bit strange and had a strobe like effect. I had to look away from him so I could concentrate on the lesson and kids. Luckily, he changed seats and helped one girl to speak up, but the girl really didn't need much help, just confidence in speaking.

Then we took a break and he came up to me. He asked me a bunch of beginner questions: "Where are you from?", "How long in China?", etc...

After that, a 10 second pause, and then he said, "I heard on news that teachers in America change test scores to get funding. Is that true? Why do they do that?"

He already answered his question, but he wanted me to give him an answer. Maybe this is news of the day for Chinese people, but it caught me off guard. I wasn't sure why he asked me that.

The feeling I got was that he wanted to feel superior, but maybe that's not correct. Does anyone have similar experiences to this? I got a lot of it in Korea, but this is the first in China. I am not saying it's abnormal to inflate your country's status or attack others, but I just don't get it so much from Chinese people.

rogerwilco · Joined: 10 Jun 2010 Posts: 1549

My guess is that he was either a concerned parent, or, he was asked by the school, or someone else to check up on you.

It has happened to me about once a year in China. Someone will appear, start asking me questions about politics, religion, and myself, and then disappear as soon as I have given all the "correct" answers.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

sometimes people are just curious. There isn't always some hidden agenda for questions being asked. I don't always like being peppered with questions either but when it does happen I just politely answer them and move on. If I feel the person isn't genuine and has some other motive for asking me a bunch of questions, I'll answer a few and then turn it around and start asking them questions.

GuestBob · Joined: 18 Jun 2011 Posts: 270

Maybe he wanted to see how amenable you are to bribery.

Standby for incoming "gifts".

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

Grades for bribes?
Hardly unknown in China - witness the strong pressure on parents to send kids to their teacher's off-campus paid lessons.
My guess he is an inspector from the local education board or similar. As such he would have a good line in Chinese oneupmanship.
He would be operating on two fronts. On one hand he would be an ex teacher interested in encouraging students. On the other he would be required to run a political line in there somewhere.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

randyj · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:32 pm Post subject:

Several years ago an extremely polite elderly retired teacher sometimes attended our classes. He had started studying English in missionary schools before the Anti-Japanese War. We didn't know exactly what to make of him. Eventually we decided he was just bored.

Lobster · Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 2:41 pm Post subject:

He was probably curious because this was a major news headline. It concerns teachers and principals of cash-strapped US schools fudging the marks of standardized tests so that they can receive funding. Sounds like an interesting dialogue in the making, with segues into the role of standardized tests like the the gao kao and the resulting pressure on all stakeholders and the differences between state-supported and user-paid school systems.

Given that this is an elementary school, the gifts won't be coming. Due to the absence of politically-loaded content, it's highly unlikely that he was a political operative. Early during my tenure in China, I did receive a round of questioning from the secret state police. The officer clearly identified himself, and the line of questioning was direct and referred to things like Taiwan independence and military capacity. It was quite interesting, to say the least. At least he bought the drinks in the hotel lounge.

RED

askiptochina · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 488 Location: Beijing

Today half the students showed up, no parents except him. No head bobbing this time. Instead, he recorded the class at times on a camera. Maybe they all don't want to pay, so some will go to another school, and then later they will compare notes.

Insubordination · Joined: 07 Nov 2007 Posts: 394 Location: Sydney

I wouldn't turn up either if an interfering parent was actually recording the class. What a madhouse! I hope you're not too stressed over it. I would have asked him to stop filming.

GuestBob · Joined: 18 Jun 2011 Posts: 270

seamallowance · Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:51 am Post subject:

That question smells of seeing something on the news, something about how teachers in the USA have to teach to the test now and how it has shaken up how teaching is done in many places. Relax.

As far as half the students showing up, well, that is a serious issue. Make sure that the students are having fun and the parents can hear then utter new words in English. They should always have a printed worksheet that they can show off to their parents as well.