Today we received our teaching schedules. Holy crap, mine is the suck.
I have business English 2 at 8am on Monday. It is a class of 60+ so they said I can instead split it into two classes. I will do that. The second Business English 2 class meets at 2:30pm on Tuesday.
After Business English 2 on Mondays I have some class they couldn't translate. I think it's a secretary class. This class has no book. It also comes with no pre-set curriculum. Fine. We're learning American culture and they can suck on it. This class meets again on Wednesday at 8am, it is not a class I am able to split.
On Tuesday at 10am I have Business English 3, yet another 60+ students class which I can split. The second Business English class 3 meets on Thursday at 8am.
Business English 1 is my other 60+ student class. It can be split with them either coming to the 8am class or the 10am class.
Uhhh......
Is anyone else confused by the ridiculous scheduling?
AND (!) the schedule will be changing after the first week. So once my kids think they have their stuff down... wham bam thank you ma'am, we're changing it up again.
BAH!
So... I have no media options in my classroom. We're straight up old schoolin' it here with a chalkboard and chalk. No computer, no cd or tape player, not even an overhead projector or tv.
And to make matters worse, here are some excerpts from the Business English book they expect me to use:
Mr. White: Hello, glad to see you in your company.
Mr. Wang: So am I.
.....
Mr. White: I'm afraid that tightly woven materials generally become shiny with wear rather tightly.
Mr. Wang: This material is different from others in this respect.
Mr. White: What do you mean?
Mr. Wang: Because the luster will laboriously and yet delicately woven in to the fabric.
....
Importer: Thank you. I am pleased to tell you that the 40,000 dozen t-shirts have arrived in good condition and are selling well.
Exporter: Good.
Importer: We would like to make a repeat order for 50,000 dozen.
DOZEN?!?!?! DOZEN?!?!?!?! Am I missing something here?!?!?!?
Also, can I mention the fact that my Business English students are already studying this book with two other Chinese teachers? So, really, it's old news here for them. I'm throwing this damn book out the window.
Apparently my students (I'm teaching sophomores) have to take a CET exam in December. CET stands for Cambridge English Test, but let me tell you, this test was not produced by Cambridge. A majority of students fail it. I've decided instead of us re-hashing their awful book, this exam is what we're preparing this semester. I have a copy of it from 2003, so that's what we'll have to use. The exam is also ridiculous in the same way the book is, but I would rather we concentrate on this than stupid dialogues they will never use. We'll save the book for next semester and conquer it then.
Right, so I have some lesson planning to get at.
Tomorrow, rug shopping and perhaps meeting the other foreigners at English corner/ bar time.
Nathan recieved his papers, finally! He's off to get his visa today. I get to see him next week! Hooray!
Oh, did I mention they want to add a debate class to my schedule later on? It's the best speakers in the school who participate in the competitions and the like. Ehhh... I'm not sure I'll let myself get badgered into that one. Leave it for the Canadian. (He gets the freshman, which means he doesn't have to start school for another two weeks due to them having military training.)
P.S. There is no copy machine.
Bed.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Why?! Why?! Why?!
Posted by
Jiexi
at
9:41 PM
Labels: China, Jiujiang, lesson planning
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10 comments:
Sounds like an interesting challenge. Love the examples from the book. No wonder they have difficulty passing the exam. I am sure you will be creative even though there is a lack of resources. Love Mom
So how many hours are you actually teaching per day? How long are the classes?
Last year when I taught in Zhuji, I taught 6 hour-long classes a day. Which would have been okay, except they only ever gave me my schedule for the next day THE DAY BEFORE. (My schedule changed every day.) Which meant I had to plan lessons every day, also...taking pretty much another 5 hours. So not fun.
It sucks that they don't have any media stuff in the room, 'cause it'll make life difficult if you're teaching American culture. ("Okay, class, now...imagine some pop music.") The book sounds about par, though. I taught a class of college students while in Hefei, and passage I had them read was called "Choosing to be Alone". It contained a completely random line that read "Solitude Will End Thursday." Um...kay, wtf. These books are absurd. I like your 40,000 dozen, though, that's quite amusing.
Hopefully after the first few weeks they'll give you a solid schedule...
Welcome to the big wide world of business outside America! Sadly not everyone has up to date teaching aids but we know that you are up for the challenge and your handwriting on a blackboard is not too bad is it? It's what they used to call being at the "chalkface" over here. Incidentally do they have a hand swung bell to announce the beginning and end of class? And maybe corporal punishment with a swishing cane? Takes me back a bit... "Wake up at the back there Woollard" as a board eraser whistles past and leaves a parting in your hair.
Don't knock dozens though, it always was a good system - just like pounds, shilling and pence - you can divide 12 by many more factors than 10 and still get an even number. And don't forget that 12 dozen make a gross! How do you buy your eggs at HEB? In dozens and half dozens of course - and your doughnuts....
We have some old carbon paper somewhere over here but by the 60th copy it's going to be very faint unless you press really, really hard with your pencil. Technology? Who needs it?
Love
G & G
xxxx
Your Mom is on the phone, instructing me on how to put my comments in. Will be back with you later. Love, Nana
I cant say that I envy you trying to get your schedule straightened out but I know you can do it. You will be a great teacher! You will come away from there with some really good experience. Beats working at McDonalds.
I like your apartment. One whoosh of a broom and you are finished cleaning. Who needs to cook? If the smoke gets to you, roll up a towel and put it across the bottom of the door. If that isn't good enough, wet the towel.
You are missing some great weather. It is almost sweater weather but just for today and tomorrow, then the heat comes back.
Will get back at you later. Love you bunches, Nana
Welcome to the world of the Academe. Good luck and Godspeed...
Much Love,
my
GIRL!! You ahve stepped into a time warp. No copy machine?? anywhere?? wow. I understand the chalk and chalkboard thing...that's pretty normal. But wow. Anyway, tell me more stories about this city...when you have time between business english one and secretary? class. Stay sane. The people are worth it.
love, gabi
50,000 dozen...that makes me laugh!
man, that book totally sucks...no wonder they have such a hard time passing that test!! I hope your classes go well, and the ridiculousness passes or eases or something. But, you'll have a yummy package of goodies to look foward to soon. I don't know how long it takes to mail something from the US to China, but expect something delicious in your mailbox :-)
Hahaha...if you keep tempting me with job offers, look out 'cause I might just hightail it back to the 中国.
Yay for chucking terrible language books out the window! It's not even that the English is so wrong...it just doesn't make SENSE. It doesn't sound like native English. Which is part of why I find textbooks like that so amusing.
So you're just going to create your own lessons, then? Or look at the book, see what they were trying to teach, and then do it better 'cause you're a native English speaker?
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