Even at the University level students still see FT lessons as play time and expect them to be a free credit
Whoaa - them's fighting words around here. The FTs' work that I have seen - between here and my previous uni - was hard and solid. We failed students when required. Backed up by the Deans and admin. One FT was even advised NOT to accept a day trip from the wealthy friends of a students parents because it might LOOK as if they were trying to get him a pass.
Here, I fail students if they don't do the work, and when students are caught cheating in my exams I merely give the name to the office and they give them a zero. They do get chances to make up exams - but they spend the holidays sweating it out and having to explain to their families, who have given them hard-earned money (most of my students aren't wealthy).
Mimi - keep at it, concentrate on the kids who are happy to learn. The others will either bore themselves silly and join in, or you were never going to win them anyway.
I show a movie maybe once a semester - when I am giving oral exams and I want the other students to be occupied with something that is still helping their English. Other classes to get movies - Film Appreciation classes - then EVERY movie has a work sheet with it and they have exams on techniques etc etc. Might be fun (The class was small enough to run it out of my apartment, with nibblies and drinks)- but the aim is still hard work.
The biggest 'previous FT' problem I have had here was unfriendliness. The FT before me was universally disliked (teachers, admin, students - he even refused to go to the Christmas party) and the one who worked with me last year was similar - refused to go to his own good-bye party! Took a long time for the other teachers to talk to me, took ages before the admin people would sit and chat with me or share jokes etc. It didn't take so long for the students to figure I was more fun!