Little Brats

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Mr Nobody

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Re: Little Brats
« Reply #45 on: May 19, 2009, 06:42:32 PM »
Mrs N says it isn't any of the above, it is simply that the children are spoiled, and if they don't get a seat they complain a lot. They are taught in primary school they should give up their seats for adults, etc. But they don't.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

Re: Little Brats
« Reply #46 on: June 02, 2009, 03:21:20 AM »
Yes.

But don't overlook the benefits of that high level of investment.  That much grownup face time (parents plus grandparents) aids a child's development in a huge way.
I would have to disagree, that much face time retards socialization, the constant doting spoils them, the one child rule puts unresonable pressure on them.  Most are familiar with the typical behaviour of a one child family.  Just amplify to get the feel of a Chinese person.  Of course these are generalizations.  Personally I am disgusted with the whole concept of the way Chinese children are raised, and taught.  Parents just stand by and let their children run wild.  There is no disipline, no quiet time, no removal of privileges or any responsibility beyond learning.  And then there is the constant complaining about the one thing you have to do, study.

Let's not forget because so many children here are doted over by granny and grandpa, most of their formative years they are being taught by people who don't have much education.  So you skip a generation, knowledge the parent has doesn't seem to be passed on directly they are reared by the grandparents. Hell so many don't even see mom or dad as they may have to work in another city.  The whole thing is highly predictable in my opinion.  Children are expert manipulators starting at 2 or 3 they start to test parents and others about how far they can go. In the west they may get away with it with Granny, maybe not, but the parents seem to be in charge of the rearing. 

I think it really messes up the boys more, talk about tied to their mothers apron strings.  We call it a Momma's Boy.  Someone else mentioned hand feeding middle school boys and girls.  I don't recall who brought up the arrested development issue but it is so easy to see why college students act like Jr. High School students.  There is only one thing that matters, test scores.  They have not had to think for themselves so they don't do it very well.  Ah, duh.  Better stop now before I percolate and blow a fuse. llllllllll

Re: Little Brats
« Reply #47 on: June 03, 2009, 01:25:31 AM »
I've never taught a classroom of kids in Canada, so I can't compare.  In my classes I've seen the gamut: well-behaved, spoiled, self-assured, timid, non-linear, robots, etc.

Kids here do a lot of classes after school, but then so do kids back home.

The big difference I notice is that Chinese generally set out for university without ever having had a job.  That strikes me as a gigantic disadvantage.
And there is no liar like the indignant man... -Nietszche

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. -William James

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Stil

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Re: Little Brats
« Reply #48 on: June 03, 2009, 03:55:11 AM »

The big difference I notice is that Chinese generally set out for university without ever having had a job.  That strikes me as a gigantic disadvantage.


Agreed

Re: Little Brats
« Reply #49 on: June 05, 2009, 05:19:29 AM »
Absolutely. I did a class on part-time jobs. None of my 120 students had ever had one. Not a paper-route or anything....jebus, that just struck me as wrong.
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

"It's all oojah cum spiffy". Bertie Wooster.
"The stars are God's daisy chain" Madeleine Bassett.

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Seth

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Re: Little Brats
« Reply #50 on: June 11, 2009, 11:36:34 AM »
I worked at two different elementary schools, teaching primarily 1st and 2nd grade.  One being a rinky dink private school in Luoyang, the other being the more prestigious Hua Mei school in Hangzhou.  The Hua Mei kids came from much more wealthy families, many from high rollers in Shanghai as well as a lot of kids of foreign dignitaries (who could speak neither Chinese nor English, they just sat there in class and did nothing).  Many could speak Spanish, Italian, or English as fluently as Chinese.  Anyway, the Hua Mei kids were HORRIBLY behaved.  There were two classes in particular where it was constant screaming, fighting, running around, ripping up materials, etc.  You'd have to see it to believe it.  The Chinese teachers seemed as exasperated as I was, but nothing could be done about it.  Or would be, I should say.  My Luoyang kids were angels compared to the Hangzhou kids. 

One thing that disturbed me most about my students at Hua Mei was that since they had little personal supervision at these boarding schools, and little to no discipline, they tended to be touchy-feely is very inappropriate ways.  Not just the finger-up-the-teacher's-butt routine, but grabbing, pulling down their pants and showing each other their goods, grinding their crotches on you, etc.  There was nobody around to tell them not to do these things, basically, so they saw nothing wrong with it.  How this would affect them as adults is hard to say, but it seems pretty dysfuctional to me. 

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Schnerby

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Re: Little Brats
« Reply #51 on: June 11, 2009, 06:04:36 PM »
That does seem like something that will cause difficulties as they grow up.

So, some of the kids were foreign, and some Chinese. All little brats. You're a brave man to teach them.  aoaoaoaoao

Re: Little Brats
« Reply #52 on: June 11, 2009, 11:33:21 PM »
One thing that disturbed me most about my students at Hua Mei was that since they had little personal supervision at these boarding schools, and little to no discipline, they tended to be touchy-feely is very inappropriate ways.  Not just the finger-up-the-teacher's-butt routine, but grabbing, pulling down their pants and showing each other their goods, grinding their crotches on you, etc.  There was nobody around to tell them not to do these things, basically, so they saw nothing wrong with it.  How this would affect them as adults is hard to say, but it seems pretty dysfuctional to me. 

I think the boarding school thing is another problem here in China. It isn't uncommon at all for wealthy parents to send their kids to boarding school starting in primary school or earlier. That's just too early, kids need their parents. I'm sure there are a whole host of issues with kids who are shipped off as soon as they're weaned as if they're some kind of burden.

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Ruth

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Re: Little Brats
« Reply #53 on: June 12, 2009, 02:33:54 AM »
I taught 4 classes of primaries once a week last fall semester - 3 classes of grade 1 and one class of grade 2.  It was a private school and its first year in operation.  Discipline was so horrible that I was 'too busy' to continue after spring festival.  Wasn't just my teaching style; the Chinese teachers had problems, too.  Basically, we weren't allowed to discipline - even stand kids at the back of the room - in case it 'upset' the little darlings and they complained to their parents.  WTF  aoaoaoaoao  One of the teachers took time to explain to me how the system worked.  If the children are upset, they will ask their parents if they can change schools.  If we don't have students, we won't have jobs.  Yeah, well, it was a job I didn't need.  Too bad for the kids who were well behaved and actually wanted to learn. 

One of the grade 1 classes was behaviorally far worse than the others.  About half way through the semester I learned that the kids in that particular class all boarded at the school.  Here were these 6 and 7 year old kids living together and running riot over all adults assigned to care for them.  I was torn between wanting to warm their little bums  cbcbcbcbcb and give them the love they were so desperately missing.  akakakakak  Kids that age need parents - or at least grandparents - on a daily basis.  Just my humble opinion (and my first major was Child Develoment, so I sorta know what I'm talking about)  bgbgbgbgbg
If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.

Re: Little Brats
« Reply #54 on: August 04, 2009, 06:38:39 PM »
I have at least two new classes a year start with 5 or 6 year old students.  I think in the beginning they are a little afraid of me.  I have my partner translate a few basic ideas to them and then it is all English and structure and repeated behaviors.  Children accept it and when I open my door to enter there is always a happy hello. Occasionally, there is a child who will not follow the program.  Often it is the other children who jump on them, or tell them in Chinese what to do or hurry up.  This is often the best way to reinforce the learning behaviors as Chinese students are pretty used to conforming.  Now, at the break it is a little more chaotic, but that's okay.  Hey, they are kids!  I don't have problems with the kids following my methods, sometimes it is the parents who don't get it.  If I can keep them for a month or so the parents start to witness the progress and except my methods which are probably quite different than the Chinese English classes.

Since I am the boss, I can insist on these methods and anyone who doesn't like it or understand, well they are free to go and find another teacher.  This has worked well for me but I had to pound it into my assistants heads at first.  So most of my students are well behaved during the class and do well.  I still have a little problem, as stated in the breaks because the parents don't seem to control their kids much.  I can live with that although it has resulted in three broken windows, horseplay.  I don't think I would survive in a situation where students are in charge.  I see this occasionally in some of the behavior, where the parents are being controlled by the child's whims and desires. Yes, some are spoiled but I have to say most of my Chinese students, my private ones are very likable and good kids, even though many of them are doted on by the parents.  There does also seem to be a difference that is based on the education level of the parents.  I would say about half of my students are children of teachers.