Job Discussion Forums

[fieldsofbarley]

Hi all,

I�ve recently started teaching a group of adults at A1 level. This is a group of 15 people and the lessons take place in a room with a very strange layout (seating arrangements are a bit awkward).

To my surprise, they don�t have a board. Not a whiteboard, not a blackboard, not even a flipchart. And they have said very clearly that they do not intend to get one, because (according to them) expert teachers should be able to teach without a board. Just to clarify, this is an in-company class, not some under-funded village school, and the company happens to be...well, the Government. So I�m not going to buy a flipchart and carry it around the city just because they�re cheapskates.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How can I get around this?

Suggestions are welcome.

[spiral78]

Wow. They are cheapskates.

Sounds like your only feasible option is lots and lots of regular sheets of paper.

Perhaps the first words and phrases you should teach your beginners should include


NEED


CHALK (OR) WHITE BOARD

AND

CHALK (OR) BOARD MARKERS

[GuestBob]

[fieldsofbarley]

Lol Spiral.

Yesterday I was presenting vocabulary (emotions, moods etc) and I gave them lots of body language to elicit a word: "Imagine I come to class, and there�s no board (frown). I am very...."

They said "angry". I�d have said F*CKING PISSED OFF.

[spiral78]

Direct them to their (whoever arranged for the class)!!

Well, or, more accurately, target them at (whoever).

It's just silly!!

Use L1 to recruit their assistance if necessary.

[Sashadroogie]

Tell the clowns in charge that even a fool teacher, never mind an expert one, knows that visuals are not a luxury option at beginner level.

[johnslat]

Dear fieldsofbarley,

When I teach ESL to adults in the public schools at night, sometimes the white/blackboards are covered with stuff the regular teacher doesn't want erased.
So, I bought my own portable whiteboard; here's one possibility:

http://www.whiteyboard.com/order-now-whiteboard.html

and here's another:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LPYCTU/ref=asc_df_B004LPYCTU1610573?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=nextagus0061301-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B004LPYCTU

Regards,
John

[fieldsofbarley]

Johnslat, thank you.

I knew about this option, but the point here is do I really want to spend MY own money buying a board that they should provide? In other words, do I want to fund the Government? The answer to both is negative. I have worked for screwed up schools before and I felt bad for them, so I bought stuff like markers, paper etc. This case is different, because we�re not talking about lack of resources. I don�t want to give shitty unprofessional classes, but I�m not willing to fork out even a fiver to buy the Government a board.

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Johnslat

Two points. First, I'm not sure any teacher, either you or fieldsofbarley, should be buying basic classroom equipment. What's next? Should we mop the floors too? Secondly, surely it is a little rich that another teacher will claim permanent rights on a board in a classroom that he knows is being shared with a fellow teacher? The basic ettiquette that I know is that boards are always wiped clean for the next teacher.

The only board I'd buy would be the one in my own classroom with my own paying students.

I wouldn't stand for this. People have rioted for less.

S

[johnslat]

Dear fieldsofbarley and Sasha,

As ESL teachers for the college, we are "guests" in the public schools, and, as such, we are very much constrained in how we can "alter" the "home room teachers' classrooms.

While I agree that it's quite rude and inconsiderate of those teachers not to take our needs into account, there's nothing that can be done about that,
So, my choices were as follows: buy my own whiteboard (although I wasn't at all keen about spending my own money to do so) or 2. teaching my classes without being able to use a "general visual aid."

The inconvenience of doing the latter was more irritating than spending my money for a whiteboard.

Regards,
John

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Johnslat

Sorry. This is not good enough. Not your actions, but the lack of action on the part of your administrators. If classes are being held in a classroom, then use of the blackboard should be available to the teacher, and not considered 'altering' the room. At the very least, your admin could have footed the bill for the compromise solution. A wasteful solution at that - doubling up on resources already present in the classroom.

S

[Sashadroogie]

I may have to call for a board revolution!

[johnslat]

Dear Sasha,

My administration at the college is in the position of "begging" the public schools to be allowed to use their classrooms. They are, believe me, in no position to make ANY demands.

The principals of those schools can (and have refused, in the past) simply refuse to let us use the classrooms - and there would be no repercussions.

I never asked for compensation; our ESL program is already way underfunded with more cutbacks looming.

Regards,
John

[Sashadroogie]

Dear Johnslat

Dear oh dear. This gets worse. Can't you get one the 'make English America's national language' crowd to help out? Maybe Arnie?

[fieldsofbarley]

Dear Johnslat,

I see your point. The reason I posted in the first place is that I want to avoid the hassle of teaching without this kind of visual support. However, I do not think I�m a "guest" when I do my job. They pay me for this, so I shouldn�t be grateful if they give me a classroom or a board to carry my job in.

I think giving in here would mean setting a precedent, and next thing you know is that they ask teachers to buy everyone�s books or some crazy shite. I�m not an unreasonable person, as I said before, in the past I paid for materials myself out of a feeling of "charity" (and even in god-forsaken Cambodia they had boards!).

But we�re talking about the country�s presidential house here! Should I be charitable with them??