Share your opinion... - Ajarn Forum

fencesitter · 4th May 2008, 17:29

Hi all,

I would like to get some opinions on something that happened today at work. First off, I am teaching in China. We just had our labour day holiday. We had to go back to work today and now have a six day week. No problem. Every Friday at my school we reward good behaviour by showing an English movie last period. We received an email from the associate principal telling everyone that today would be a Friday schedule. Good news for all...no one wants to work a Sunday...so we all assumed the principal was being cool.

The school has about seventy foreign teachers. I work in a small department (six foreign teachers) offering intensive English classes to students new to the school or students who need to improve their skills to function at a normal level in their homeroom English classes.

So, I followed the Friday schedule - (first period: review last week's dialogue - second period: computer class - third period: movie). Last week we only worked Monday to Wednesday, so we were not able to reward the students and show a movie. I use a token money system for rewarding the students. I had promised them last week that on Sunday (today) we would follow the Friday schedule and watch a movie - as long as the students had earned enough money to buy a movie ticket...which they all did. So I went ahead and showed the movie. My team leader (one of the six teachers in my department) came into my class during third period and asked me why I was showing a movie. She said that it is the start of the week and that I should be teaching. I explained that the email from the principal clearly stated that we were on a Friday schedule. I then explained that I want to be consistent with my reward system. I told her that I had taught them first and second period and that I am showing the movie to reward the class for their hard work over the past four days (including first and second today). She seemed quite annoyed about all this and now I feel like I have done something wrong even though other teachers in the department (and school I should add) did the same thing as me and followed the Friday schedule.

I honestly do not know how to talk with my team leader. She was completely out of order. She did check the other teachers and four out of six showed a movie. She also gave them some trouble...so it wasn't only me. I should mention that this woman is nearly seventy years old and used to be a nun (not that there's anything wrong with that).

I would like to get opinions on whether I was wrong to show the movie or if my team leader is the one who is in the wrong. Should I try speaking with her tomorrow morning?

Thanks for any and all opinions.

Fortesque Smythe Brown · 4th May 2008, 17:45

fencesitter.

You've just met up with the oriental mindset. the little empress is not happy, she possibly didn't know what was going on,now you are the bad boy.
.

fencesitter · 4th May 2008, 17:52

^^ No, we all received the email. Everyone knew it was a Friday schedule...that is what troubles me the most...and of course that she would have a go at me for following instructions.

I am still fuming over this...I feel helpless. I want to tell her off...but I have signed a contract for next year...and aside from this woman I get on well with the other people...plus the school is internationally accredited and is a good school to work for...and I am not a newbie to teaching.

Intrepid · 4th May 2008, 18:06

I'm not a teacher but this is the sort of misunderstanding that occurs all the time all over the world.

You are not in the wrong. Anyone would have done the same thing. Would be worthwhile to get clarification of these things in future, if there is any question at all in your mind.

As for the incident, just let it pass, sounds like a one time thing?

DontTaserMeDude · 4th May 2008, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

used to be a nun (not that there's anything wrong with that). I would like to get opinions on whether I was wrong to show the movie or if my team leader is the one who is in the wrong. Should I try speaking with her tomorrow morning?

There's plenty wrong with that. My opinion is that you were not wrong. She might or might not be wrong and you should speak with her tomorrow morning, but first touch base with the other teachers she hassled about this. Please report back.

Whose Wandering? · 4th May 2008, 18:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by DontTaserMeDude

There's plenty wrong with that. My opinion is that you were not wrong. She might or might not be wrong and you should speak with her tomorrow morning, but first touch base with the other teachers she hassled about this. Please report back.

I agree but maybe also check with the other teachers who did not show the movie and ask why. Is this not what everybody does on Friday? 4 out of 6 ain't bad.

Cream · 4th May 2008, 18:54

Just let it pass I'd say, unless she starts again why bring it back up? She was in the wrong and I dare bet she won't be happy with you reminding or telling her that she was in the wrong.

Shit happens, just ignore her.... she's 70 after all, maybe she can't work a computer the read the email? Maybe her age is catching up with her n she forgot about it lol.

Asper · 4th May 2008, 18:54

I'd let it go.

You were right and she was wrong (you're not clairvoyant), but why make even more trouble by trying to get her to admit she was wrong (which she's not going to do)?

Er, snap, Cream.

fencesitter · 4th May 2008, 19:08

Thanks all. I have mixed feelings. I would normally go and chat with the two teachers that didn't show the movie, but one of the two is my team leader and the other is not the kind of person you can easily chat to...

I now have a choice between talking with my team leader or letting it pass. Thing is, if I let it pass then I have missed my chance to properly defend my actions. If I talk to her, she might think I am challenging her authority. I think I will go and chat with the other teachers who showed a movie and try and pursuade them to come with me to clarify. That way I am not the only one. The politics at this school are unlike any I have experienced before. I am not a certified teacher in my home country...the majority are...so I feel lucky to be working at this school in the first place (I do hold a degree in engineering and also a TEFL cert. + five years teaching experience)...but I still need to be careful because I am technically not a real teacher...i.e. BEd.

I wonder if a real leader would come into your class and have a go at you for following the schedule? Don't you guys think that by doing that the leader is only alienating a team member and also making the next five days awkward and uncomfortable? I think she should have asked to speak with me outside the classroom...away from the students and my teaching assistant. Even my TA was shocked...she even thought the team leader was joking at first...as did I.

I guess you live and learn. At the end of the day this is a good learning opportunity.

Thanks for all the replies!

english.ajarn · 4th May 2008, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

I use a token money system for rewarding the students.

first of all, this story is about a perceived autonomy by you- (im assuing that "student generated choices of what to do with their class if they felt like it", didnt work its way into your syllabus...in other words, you didnt plan to enable your students that kind of freedom, or did your syllabus say that students can cash in on the reward system in a perceived "opening" in the syllabus?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

I honestly do not know how to talk with my team leader.

and thats ok. sometimes it not your fault man. but you need to listen to not just what they say, but what they want. you need to interpret this better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

She was completely out of order.

she was not. i too would be a bit ticked if i knew that teachers ceded a full periods lesson simply because the kids were on a different 'days' schedule and that day was friday. you should have taught the next class' lesson. if you mess THAT up, then at worst, they'll get the same lesson twice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

She also gave them some trouble...so it wasn't only me

so she is consistent in getting ticked when she sees her teachers showing movies.

not bad

...rant over. but essentially id say, its a failure of leadership to not account for a 'best practices' on schedule shifts or odd situations. if your colleagues did something not usual as well, it wasnt your fault. so dont sweat it.

professionally, if you had accompanying listening-dictation sheets to give or other kinds of activities to do, then its easier to justify a multimedia dominated lesson like that. my advice is to reflect the students ability to use their 'cash' when talking to you boss, as something that you do oversee, and arent manipulated by.

but for real i applaud the desire to put the effort out there and not only make, but maintain a system like rewards/points....in an EFL environment, that can really keep kids in line and also make more efficient, ones teaching.

what i mean is, directions and that figuring out what in the heck is going on, is a big stage for the language learner. a system that spans classes, as well as having rules and goals- allows students to continue tasks with an already established motivation and/or set of rules. this can make classrooms more efficient, procedurally.

re_fuse · 4th May 2008, 20:09

Your a Knob ^

i1der · 4th May 2008, 20:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

I should mention that this woman is nearly seventy years old and used to be a nun (not that there's anything wrong with that).

can't help it but I do remember Cluezo's signature that goes like this: "It's Ok to kiss a nun, just don't get into the habit"

Anyway, sometime you just have to ignore the people who you're working with and drive on.

keeshou · 4th May 2008, 21:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

not that there's anything wrong with that)

I really love that line. It says so much without committing to anything.

Quote:

Originally Posted by english.ajarn

she was not. i too would be a bit ticked if i knew that teachers ceded a full periods lesson simply because the kids were on a different 'days' schedule and that day was friday.

However since it was Friday that he was replacing and Friday is the day those students watch a movie, the lesson plan for Friday is to watch a movie, so he was following his (at least I think fencesitter is a he) lesson plan.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fencesitter

My team leader

What does this title entail, is she in charge of your lesson planning or syllabus? Does she hold anything over your head, like your raises or job security? If not, don't mention it to anyone in your department and hope she's old enough that she'll simply forget about it.

fencesitter · 4th May 2008, 21:21

English.ajarn: I appreciate your sincere advice. The movie is not meant to be a lesson. It is a free period used to reward good behaviour and good work (regular class participation, helping other students, etc...). It is not supposed to be a period where I give the students handouts and they have to do MORE work. That would defeat the purpose of calling it a reward, wouldn't it? The kids look forward to the movie on Friday. I have found that this motivates and encourages them to keep studying hard and demonstrating the ability to work well in a team setting. The kids I teach are in grade three. The program that I am teaching them is intensive. I teach the same students six periods a day x five days a week. They can barely concentrate long enough to teach them the fundementals (phonics - word attack skills, grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, listening, speaking, and so on). Wouldn't you agree that one period (to show a movie - without any English work involved) out of thirty is perfectly acceptable? I tend to thinkthis is more than reasonable.

The classes on Sunday were supposed to follow our NORMAL FRIDAY SCHEDULE. Meaning, review first, computer class second, movie third. As I mentioned, we had a short week - Monday to Wednesday. Including the Sunday classes that would be four days instead of our normal five day week. Did I mention I was working on a Sunday? So what? Come on man. Who in their right mind would go full speed ahead when faced with a longer than usual week (Sunday to Friday)? What about the reward? You said that my team leader was consistent by asking all the teachers. You also mention that using a reward system is a good thing. So what about the consistency for the reward? I wasn't being lazy. If the school wanted us to teach three full lessons, then why would the foreign principal tell us that we are following a Friday schedule? He knows that we all show a movie to reward our students...well...not all...but the teachers who don't are hated by the students.

Anyway, I think that most people would have done the same thing I did.