I think the title says it all. Yesterday, I didn't go back to the difficult job that I've been complaining about for two weeks. I stewed over it all week and all weekend and finally made my decision late Sunday night. I sent out my email on Monday morning announcing my resignation.
Yesterday when the time came around for me to be "in class" (if we can even call it that), I didn't even feel a hint of regret. There would have only been two reasons to continue: 1) Really, really hard up for cash, or 2) Desperate to work on classroom management.
I will admit that I have reached a level in my life where I can "pick & choose" the kind of people that I want to work with, but also the kinds of jobs where I can teach in my way. This job was neither one or the other, which is why my resignation included two key points:
1) I firmly believe in pedagogy -- giving students texts and asking them to memorize vocabulary is not, in any way, shape, or form, a good exercise in pedagogy for language learning. They can read texts at home until they are blue in the face. They shouldn't use class time for reading, translating, and memorization without context or student-perceived of value (finding their own meaning, understanding and importance for what is being instructed). If I can't teach them in my way, in a way that encourages them experiment and assimilate the language, then all (in my opinion), is lost. We are both wasting our time.
2) I am not a babysitter, nor am I the police. Oh good god, I am so far from my babysitting and policing years that it is not even funny. I now enjoy the luxury of teaching real adults -- people who have personal motivation and investment in what I am teaching. People who respect my work. People who listen. People who try. I do not need to go back to the teenager who hates me just because he hates English. To all of that, I say a big, resounding "bye bye"!
Onward and upward.
So what will I do instead? You know I get bored easily -- I've already got other projects.
I will work with some new adult clients AND I will go back to real university. I will teach students who have received a B1 on their BULATS exam and as a reward are put in a "fun class". That's even what the administration has been calling it. When meeting the head of the languages department, he asked me if I thought I would be able to produce a TV show with them and I replied fervently that nothing would make me happier. I'm full of ideas, of creativity, of energy... it should be a positive experience unlike the soul-sucking 3 hours of class I subjected myself to.
I feel bad for the students who wanted to be there and wanted to work, but at the same time those are the kinds of learners who will go out and do the work on their own. Having me there shouting at their classmates won't help them at all.
I'm looking forward to talking about my creative endeavors with my new students and my new professionals at the beginning of January. Here's to hoping 2013 will be another positive year of teaching.
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Difficult Class: My (failed) Plan, la suite
I made it through nearly six slides of the presentation I prepared. It started off well until I got to the group speaking bits. They would turn and talk to each other, but when it came time to share what was said, no such luck and for a variety of different reasons.
1) "No".
Why? I asked. Why wouldn't you want to answer an easy question where the answers are written on the board just behind me? A number of replies: This is stupid and it's too easy (so then why aren't you doing it?) I don't feel like it. Yeah, I know how to conjugate that verb, but I can't think of anything. (please remember that the verb in question was "to be" and they had a minute to think about it before I started calling on people).
2) "I hate English". Well that's not an answer to my question either. Why? "Because I don't understand".
The students had decided before they had ever even seen my presentation that it was too difficult just because it was in English. My point was that even if everything was only in English, they could still understand because after studying English since 6th grade, they should all have a pretty good understanding of the present simple. They do, they are just painfully argumentative and uninterested in listening to me. Sigh.
3) "You insult me and I don't like you". Well tough shit, Girl-Who-Has-Never-Been-On-Time. I am the teacher. An answer to the question "why don't you have an example?" after having been given the time to come up with one is not as seen above. Don't blame me for your lack of will to participate.
After sending out my third offender, I myself decided it was time to leave. I found the director, told him I was through, and that was that. Done.
We had a "heart-to-heart" with the class where everybody aired their grievances.
A number of students (not the trouble-makers, of course) came to apologize to me.
Others came to make their point. "We want this". And I said, "Yes, but if you don't give me XYZ, how can you expect me to think you are capable of doing ABC?" to which they replied, "Okay so we have some soul-searching to do." To which I replied, "Yes, you do. I can't do this alone."
It's true. The teacher plays a role and the student plays a role. If one person in the equation decides to stop playing their role, then the lesson won't work. A teacher cannot do a student's job and vice versa. It takes two to do the "Learning Tango".
I'm more or less convinced to keep going with them. I figure we have already come so far and failed so hard that it can't possibly get much worse or more exhausting. There's just a few problems that remain:
The director wants me to "teach the test" just to "get through this"... meaning, do texts, translate them, look at the vocabulary and call it a day. I told him that was against my teaching principles. I told him there was no pedagogy or practical application of that exercise and that I'd rather give it a go my way. He told me to take the easy route and just do texts.
I reckon if I continue, I'll try to do a mix. How can we do texts but no speaking exercises? How can we learn vocabulary without learning how to use it?
So we'll see where this goes. For the moment, I have no inspiration, motivation or desire to carry on with these kids but just like last time, maybe a stroke of something will hit me and we can find a way to work together (and maybe it will be less of a fail). I don't know. I'm trying to rebuild the foundation of a building that is in ruin. I've done it before, but I was a different person... not entirely sure I can do it again.
Ever dealt with a really difficult class?
Was it cultural or just situational?
What did you do to meet the challenge?
1) "No".
Why? I asked. Why wouldn't you want to answer an easy question where the answers are written on the board just behind me? A number of replies: This is stupid and it's too easy (so then why aren't you doing it?) I don't feel like it. Yeah, I know how to conjugate that verb, but I can't think of anything. (please remember that the verb in question was "to be" and they had a minute to think about it before I started calling on people).
2) "I hate English". Well that's not an answer to my question either. Why? "Because I don't understand".
The students had decided before they had ever even seen my presentation that it was too difficult just because it was in English. My point was that even if everything was only in English, they could still understand because after studying English since 6th grade, they should all have a pretty good understanding of the present simple. They do, they are just painfully argumentative and uninterested in listening to me. Sigh.
3) "You insult me and I don't like you". Well tough shit, Girl-Who-Has-Never-Been-On-Time. I am the teacher. An answer to the question "why don't you have an example?" after having been given the time to come up with one is not as seen above. Don't blame me for your lack of will to participate.
After sending out my third offender, I myself decided it was time to leave. I found the director, told him I was through, and that was that. Done.
We had a "heart-to-heart" with the class where everybody aired their grievances.
A number of students (not the trouble-makers, of course) came to apologize to me.
Others came to make their point. "We want this". And I said, "Yes, but if you don't give me XYZ, how can you expect me to think you are capable of doing ABC?" to which they replied, "Okay so we have some soul-searching to do." To which I replied, "Yes, you do. I can't do this alone."
It's true. The teacher plays a role and the student plays a role. If one person in the equation decides to stop playing their role, then the lesson won't work. A teacher cannot do a student's job and vice versa. It takes two to do the "Learning Tango".
I'm more or less convinced to keep going with them. I figure we have already come so far and failed so hard that it can't possibly get much worse or more exhausting. There's just a few problems that remain:
The director wants me to "teach the test" just to "get through this"... meaning, do texts, translate them, look at the vocabulary and call it a day. I told him that was against my teaching principles. I told him there was no pedagogy or practical application of that exercise and that I'd rather give it a go my way. He told me to take the easy route and just do texts.
I reckon if I continue, I'll try to do a mix. How can we do texts but no speaking exercises? How can we learn vocabulary without learning how to use it?
So we'll see where this goes. For the moment, I have no inspiration, motivation or desire to carry on with these kids but just like last time, maybe a stroke of something will hit me and we can find a way to work together (and maybe it will be less of a fail). I don't know. I'm trying to rebuild the foundation of a building that is in ruin. I've done it before, but I was a different person... not entirely sure I can do it again.
Ever dealt with a really difficult class?
Was it cultural or just situational?
What did you do to meet the challenge?
Monday, December 3, 2012
A difficult class: classroom management
This year I've had a young lady from England living with me (henceforth known as "Padawan") who is learning how to be an elementary school teacher. She is working with kids from 1st to 5th grade in two primary schools in predominately Muslim neighborhood of immigrants. She often has discipline issues ranging from kids not listening to kids talking back to kids stabbing each other with scissors. Every time she comes to me with a problem, I feel like I have an answer.
"Separate the trouble-maker from the rest of the class."
"Put your safety and the children's safety first! Kid stabbing with scissors = out, no question."
"A cool "Simon Says"-style behavior game to get them back on track." (this one REALLY works with little kids, too.)
"Be encoraging. Make them love English. If they love it, they'll listen." (so true.)
She's been trying different things and gaining confidence in stride. The more confidence you have as a teacher, the better you can handle situations that don't go your way in the classroom. I can see that it's getting better because she comes home looking a little bit happier every day and seems more and more comfortable with the discipline and classroom management aspects of the classroom. She's really adapting well and I'm very proud of her.
With all of that in mind today, I went off to meet my newest class. Back in May I decided to stop teaching students but six months later here I am, face to face with young adults again. Ironically enough my new students are the same age as my two host daughters and their friends, and the girls and I get along fabulously. I figured it would be a good experience. Here's the background:
Students are in a two year business school, working and going to school at the same time. This means that if for whatever reason they are thrown out of school, they also lose their job and vice-versa.
These particular students are in the second year and are considered a "slightly difficult" class. When a director is trying to sell you a class and he calls them slightly difficult, you can read between the lines that the class is actually very difficult. However, I've had difficult classes before and managed them successfully, so that isn't impossible for me.
In the past what I did to win over my "difficult" classes was take the time to listen to the kids, because they just wanted to talk. I asked them what they wanted to learn, and that's what I taught. I made interactive exercises, brought in topics of interest for discussion, and forged relationships with them. I still get updates from kids in that class and it was four years ago. After the first lesson, I saw that as a challenge for my own personal development and I attacked. In the end, I won.
This time around, I thought for sure that these kids would be different exactly because they are already in the working world and have different priorities. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't the case at all. In the first five minutes of class, I had already lost them. They were completely gone. They wouldn't listen to a word I said.
Class continued with constant chatter -- and not just whispers, all out chatter and shouting across the room to friends. There were insults made at other classmates and at me, and more "je n'arrive pas"s and "je ne veux pas" and "je n'ai pas envie" than I have ever heard before (basically "I can't do it" and "I don't want to do it). I would explain an exercise and before I knew it there were kids talking again. When the exercise wasn't done correctly and I tried to ask why, the reply I got was, "well I didn't understand." OF COURSE you didn't understand. YOU WEREN'T LISTENING.
Rule #1 to learning languages: You have to listen.
Rule #2 to learning languages: Don't laugh at each other.
Rule #3 to learning languages: You have to try. You have to make an effort.
These kids had broken all rules within the first 30 seconds. There was simply no going back. I carried on, trying my best to keep everybody on task and working but they were just too far gone into their pit of "I don't understand", laughing at each other and making jokes about me.
I ended class ten minutes early as soon as the exercise was finished. There was no way we could work constructively. At the end of class, they thanked me, I put on my coat and took my bag and basically ran for the door.
To say I'm not proud is an understatement, but I was on the verge of tears like I've never been before. I immediately called the director and informed him of all the problems surrounding this group of students. He was "unaware" that the situation had gotten so bad but insured me that house would be cleaned if I wanted to stay. I'm all for second chances and facing challenges, but wow -- in the space of an hour and a half, I lost all -- not a portion or a part -- but all of my motivation. It was just... horrible.
So here I sit, knowing that he's going to call me tomorrow expecting an answer. What do I say? What should I do? The teacher in me -- the one that teaches for everybody, for the kids that want to learn -- say that I have to go back. But the expert in me says it's not worth my time or my energy.
For now, I'm just going to think about it and then I'll see tomorrow and next Monday.
Right when you think you have all the answers... you get a reminder that you still have so much to learn. As teachers, we just never stop learning. So there ya go.
"Separate the trouble-maker from the rest of the class."
"Put your safety and the children's safety first! Kid stabbing with scissors = out, no question."
"A cool "Simon Says"-style behavior game to get them back on track." (this one REALLY works with little kids, too.)
"Be encoraging. Make them love English. If they love it, they'll listen." (so true.)
She's been trying different things and gaining confidence in stride. The more confidence you have as a teacher, the better you can handle situations that don't go your way in the classroom. I can see that it's getting better because she comes home looking a little bit happier every day and seems more and more comfortable with the discipline and classroom management aspects of the classroom. She's really adapting well and I'm very proud of her.
With all of that in mind today, I went off to meet my newest class. Back in May I decided to stop teaching students but six months later here I am, face to face with young adults again. Ironically enough my new students are the same age as my two host daughters and their friends, and the girls and I get along fabulously. I figured it would be a good experience. Here's the background:
Students are in a two year business school, working and going to school at the same time. This means that if for whatever reason they are thrown out of school, they also lose their job and vice-versa.
These particular students are in the second year and are considered a "slightly difficult" class. When a director is trying to sell you a class and he calls them slightly difficult, you can read between the lines that the class is actually very difficult. However, I've had difficult classes before and managed them successfully, so that isn't impossible for me.
In the past what I did to win over my "difficult" classes was take the time to listen to the kids, because they just wanted to talk. I asked them what they wanted to learn, and that's what I taught. I made interactive exercises, brought in topics of interest for discussion, and forged relationships with them. I still get updates from kids in that class and it was four years ago. After the first lesson, I saw that as a challenge for my own personal development and I attacked. In the end, I won.
This time around, I thought for sure that these kids would be different exactly because they are already in the working world and have different priorities. Unfortunately for me, that wasn't the case at all. In the first five minutes of class, I had already lost them. They were completely gone. They wouldn't listen to a word I said.
Class continued with constant chatter -- and not just whispers, all out chatter and shouting across the room to friends. There were insults made at other classmates and at me, and more "je n'arrive pas"s and "je ne veux pas" and "je n'ai pas envie" than I have ever heard before (basically "I can't do it" and "I don't want to do it). I would explain an exercise and before I knew it there were kids talking again. When the exercise wasn't done correctly and I tried to ask why, the reply I got was, "well I didn't understand." OF COURSE you didn't understand. YOU WEREN'T LISTENING.
Rule #1 to learning languages: You have to listen.
Rule #2 to learning languages: Don't laugh at each other.
Rule #3 to learning languages: You have to try. You have to make an effort.
These kids had broken all rules within the first 30 seconds. There was simply no going back. I carried on, trying my best to keep everybody on task and working but they were just too far gone into their pit of "I don't understand", laughing at each other and making jokes about me.
I ended class ten minutes early as soon as the exercise was finished. There was no way we could work constructively. At the end of class, they thanked me, I put on my coat and took my bag and basically ran for the door.
To say I'm not proud is an understatement, but I was on the verge of tears like I've never been before. I immediately called the director and informed him of all the problems surrounding this group of students. He was "unaware" that the situation had gotten so bad but insured me that house would be cleaned if I wanted to stay. I'm all for second chances and facing challenges, but wow -- in the space of an hour and a half, I lost all -- not a portion or a part -- but all of my motivation. It was just... horrible.
So here I sit, knowing that he's going to call me tomorrow expecting an answer. What do I say? What should I do? The teacher in me -- the one that teaches for everybody, for the kids that want to learn -- say that I have to go back. But the expert in me says it's not worth my time or my energy.
For now, I'm just going to think about it and then I'll see tomorrow and next Monday.
Right when you think you have all the answers... you get a reminder that you still have so much to learn. As teachers, we just never stop learning. So there ya go.
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