Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #15 on: September 11, 2008, 05:41:41 PM »
Abuse me, baby. agagagagag
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

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we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #16 on: September 11, 2008, 05:42:45 PM »
Anyday!  afafafafaf afafafafaf

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decurso

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #17 on: September 11, 2008, 07:19:43 PM »
 Hey Senor, you base the grades on a single evaluation? Is that your school's decision of yours? Most of the FT's here do that as well and I think it is a real bad call. I base 75 per cent of the grade on three oral tasks and 25 per cent on attendance and participation. Gets the students much more motivated as far as participation goes and saves a lot of headaches at the end of the term.

 Aside from that, I'm going to go against the majority and suggest that you talk to her and try and find out what's up. If you care that is, and since you took the trouble to post I assume you do. Believe me I've had my fair share of lost causes (Scarlett...only time I took genuine pleasure in failing someone) I couldn't be bothered to waste my time on. But it sounds like this girl may have something else going on that maybe an intervention could help with.

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Riz

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #18 on: September 11, 2008, 10:15:04 PM »
Ignore her. Concentrate on the ones who show interest. I always get such students in every class. They would read irrelevant books and use cell phones. Many would bring lap-top to watch a movie and eat sunflower seeds in the class. I am sure that they know what they do in the class. They try to piss a foreigner off and report to the head-teacher that he/she is a bad teacher and shouts at them.They sleep in the back seats as if they've been smoking weed all night.We've discussed this topic in a different thread in the past.
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #19 on: September 11, 2008, 11:29:35 PM »
I actually agree - if you aren't ready to listen about someone's problems or involve yourself in someone's life, it is best to let it be. Sometimes Chinese students would rather open up to a foreign teacher because they know that the teacher will understand them and console them as lots of Chinese teachers simply tell them to fall out of depression and start studying harder. Making someone talk about personal life brings about responsibility.
If she had a problem with you personally, you'd know about it last year. Though if you are really concerned, you can still inquire with other teachers whether she is the same in other classes, without of course saying anything bad about the student besides her lack of interest in class.

Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #20 on: September 21, 2008, 08:54:30 PM »
My two cents worth: you should also make up your mind as to what you want your role to be. Personally, I don't get involved in the personal life of my students. Cold, callous and impersonal, yes sir, I guess but a teacher is not a shepherd, just a teacher. IMO, I'm here to ensure that my students, as many of them as possible, leave my clas with a greater knowledge of English than they had before, not to hold their hand. That is what family, friends and the clergy is for. Certainly, I duff my hat to you if you feel involved enough and have the surplus energy to get into what problems/issues weigh so heavily on the poor girl, you're a better humanitarian than I. Err..that sentence was wrong a bit. Of course, I don't mean involved as in "involved" with the student, please don't think I am inferring that.
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." Oscar Wilde.

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Riz

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #21 on: September 22, 2008, 06:10:40 AM »
Involvement is beneficial only if limits education and learning. Helping some students who's really interested to know is a thing of joy for a teacher. I don't think it's possible every teacher to help a student who's having bf-gf break-up issues, lack of parental love, or simply he/she has chosen a wrong major(English) and lack interest in that now. Interest and motivation is the key to learn anything. I know a lot of my students have never bought or read China daily( one of the few newspapers in China), or listened to BBC radio with interest and discuss it in the class as group. I have been meeting the students who" forget" to bring books, pens and notebooks. I have also been in the situation that they start leaving the class 5 min before the bell rings while I am still explaining some homework etc.
Man!.....Teaching and learning , to me, is like loving. I mean an urge, strong motivation toward learning, participating, completing homework, asking questions in the class, showing up hands and all that.Manytimes you ask them " Do you understand what I am sayin'? The answer is nill or one weak " Yes". Every class has 50-60 students on average. All of us have few problems and sometimes serious problems. You know that classroom is not the right place to talk about personal issue. Close friends or family members help better or in rare cases teachers.

I'd again say Ignore that disinterested!
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #22 on: September 23, 2008, 06:20:11 AM »
SBW - what did you do??

Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #23 on: October 01, 2008, 06:08:21 AM »
When this first happened to me, what happened surprised me. I got the student (aged 14) to stand and tell me why he was asleep. His response was to bawl. I was reprimanded by my company.

WTF!

I came to teach, not baby sit. I was told to leave the kids who want to sleep alone. Unless they are disruptive or using a cell phone, completely ignore them.

Not my choice, but that's mandated by the company and the school.
For you to insult me, first I must value your opinion

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Riz

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #24 on: October 02, 2008, 07:47:55 PM »
Lazy, lethargic, fatigued and unmotivated lot! I wrote a letter to my FAO which I am gonna paste here. It talks about the ordeal we foreigners are going through.

Hunan College of International Business and Economics-International Department.

In order to make significant progress with the students at the level they are currently demonstrating, major adjustments must be made.
1- The students' attitude does not demonstrate a commitment to the program. This must change.
2- There is need for goal setting exercise, and a commitment to the goal.
3- We must focus on functionality in English and leave the formalities of IELTS particularities for next term.
4- Since they refuse to work independently, (on an exam we call it cheating) we will form working pairs in each class for the duration of the term.( to be re-evaluated next term). The two work constantly together and receive the same grades except for the final exam.
Specifically, we need a firm program that will provide a solid framework for study. The students need a regular routine and discipline. Strictly enforced!

Most lessons we should begin with a few lines of dictation. The objective of this exercise are;
a. Learn to listen, especially for small differences.
b. Learn to spell unknown words.
c. May be they will learn some life lessons from the material presented.

If we all get into a regular western university study routine, we may be able to improve the English level.



Nolefan  Edit: Blue was hurting my eyes
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 12:21:15 AM by Riz »
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #25 on: October 02, 2008, 08:30:13 PM »
Blue is REALLY hard on the eyes - please change the colour!!

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Riz

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #26 on: October 02, 2008, 08:35:03 PM »
I realized that after I had posted . I apologize! I be careful in future.
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #27 on: October 02, 2008, 09:16:52 PM »
Riz

You can go back and change the colour.  Just click on modify the post  agagagagag agagagagag
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

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Riz

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Re: Disinterested college student, engage or ignore?
« Reply #28 on: October 03, 2008, 12:19:53 AM »
Thanks Nolefan !
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.