Are students too an*l-retentive sometimes?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sun Sep 28, 2008 3:37 am

http://forums.eslcafe.com/teacher/viewt ... 9267#39267

I suppose that, to answer my own question, in a word, Yes, they are.

Stephen Jones · Post by **Stephen Jones** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:34 pm

I had a colleague who had a whole class of anally-retentive students. Five minutes into the lesson 90% of them would say they wanted to go to the toilet and never come back.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Sun Oct 05, 2008 9:24 pm

That sounds more like a case of "mass expulsion"!

Macavity · Post by **Macavity** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:49 am

Some of my students certainly seem to have suffered very badly over potty training in their childhood. However, I'm not sure that this is all that is to blame for their excessive fussiness and intolerance of anything which is even slightly ambiguous. I am involved in a teacher-training programme and also very often have school teachers assigned to my "open courses"; and I can only say that some of these people are amongst the worst bunch of "know-it-alls" that I have ever encountered. Little wonder that many of my students arrive at my door with a degree of psychological baggage that needs to be unpacked as we go.

lolwhites · Post by **lolwhites** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:21 am

I agree with Macavity. I once attended a residential course in Spain for Spanish teachers from all over Europe, and was surprised that so many teachers still clung to, and taught as gospel, grammar "rules" that made quantum theory look simple. No wonder my English classes in the UK were full of students who needed to unlearn all kinds of rubbish.

How many of us haven't rolled our eyes on hearing the words "but my teacher said..."?

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:22 am

That thread has really "hotted up" - flame-retardant underpants may soon be needed! Comments there on the wild gooseberry-bushfire raging um there would be welcome.