Turino
- 2008-12-07
Silverboy wrote: "Gingermeggs, I have come across people like you in China before, grovelling weasels"
"You can't teach me anything Gingermeggs, I wasn't born yesterday"
Gingermegs responded: Maybe we could teach you some manners, but probably not. Maybe we could teach you to read properly, but probably not.
We are discussing "confrontational", and differences in culture, not inciting rebellion!
My evaluation: Silverboy is not a grovelling weasel, of which there are too many amongst the FT's teaching in China i m o. If more of 'us' were prepared to voice our grievances to our Chinese bosses timeously and firmly, they would probably respect at least some of our justified grievances rather than ignore them all until all the bad things have accumulated to such a point that the end result is a shouting match. Hardly a rebellion!
The basic difference between Chinese employees and Western ones is that the former will always respect their bosses,even bad ones,whereas Westerners with bacbone working for bad bosses will make trouble until the problems are resolved, or he (or she) has to be fired.
I go with Silverboy's point of view - I wasn't born yesterday either!
Gingermeggs
- 2008-12-07
From Silverboy...
"Nobody should obey their Chinese employers orders if that enployer is incompetent, and unwilling to change".
Your average Chinese employer does not regard himself as incompetent, and if he is making money, why would he be willing to change?
A Foreign teacher is expendable. There's always another one round the corner. Go with the flow, and teach your classes the best way you can. Smile and nod when the Boss or Dos tells you to change. You can't win by arguing, you have to be more subtle. Your own culture means very little, if anything, in Chinese Schools, so don't make a big issue of it. Sneak things in very quietly.
"Gingermeggs, I have come across people like you in China before, grovelling weasels"
"You can't teach me anything Gingermeggs, I wasn't born yesterday"
Maybe we could teach you some manners, but probably not. Maybe we could teach you to read properly, but probably not.
We are discussing "confrontational", and differences in culture, not inciting rebellion!
Slverboy
- 2008-12-07
It makes a HUGE diffrence what type of school you work at. If you are working at a training centre then confrontation is almost inevitable. If you are told how you should teach by a DOS ( or god forbid, a TA!) then you are at at crap school.
I like my job because I can use Western teaching methods and strategies that I know are suitable to the needs of particular classes. The Chinese, in general practice a generic style of teaching, there is no variation, a lack of creativity, the "one size fits all" aproach.
Nobody should obey their Chinese employers orders if that enployer is incompetent, and unwilling to change. FT's should be allowed to teach without constant interference from som stupid goon ( or goons ) who know nothing.
Gingermeggs, I have come across people like you in China before, grovelling weasels, "yes men", who just do what they are told. And of course, if you are a yes man in China you will get promoted quicker and more easily. Then you become an overrated "DOS" ( what a laugh that position is ) You will then instruct new teachers about your crap training centre teaching methods.
You can't teach me anything Gingermeggs, I wasn't born yesterday. I advise all new teachers to only work at large universities in major cities: eg Wuhan, Shanghai, Beijing.
Ignore posters like Gingermeggs, they will lead you down the wrong path every time.
been here
- 2008-12-07
"Confrontational" is, to me at least, quite a relative term. Here in China if you dare question an obviously boneheaded decision your superior has made or criticize them in any way the word can be applied to you. Chinese are wonderful people but are very often timid to the point of cowardly when dealing with anyone whose "status" is considered higher than theirs. When I first got here, in 2001, I was absolutely appalled at how badly my Chinese boss treated his workers, who were all earning around 800 yuan a month or so despite being university graduates. Most were recruited from other cities and put up with whatever crap was handed to them. The "People's Republic" has tons of labor laws but the enforcement is spotty to nonexistent. Bosses are king (or sometimes, but not often, queen). You mess with them at your own peril. Chinese can get fired at any time for any reason, or no reason at all, and they usually have no legal recourse. When you speak with your English-speaking Chinese colleagues privately you think you might have an ally or two against the boss but you usually don't. Be very aware of this. There's no need to be paranoid about it but keep in mind that job security means much more to them than to you. Pick your battles with care and try very hard not to confront a superior when underlings are present. That causes him/her to "lose face," which for many Chinese is the ultimate humiliation. (I was "asked" to surrender a position because I questioned an English Department Chair's competence in a roomful of people. Privately they all would have agreed with me. About 2 weeks later another FT was removed for doing very nearly the same thing, completely independently of me. We had never even spoken together. You'd think logically that if not just one, but two, FT's questioned her competence that would be enough to at least consider the possibility that we were right. Not here.)
If you are in a big city you need to be a tad more careful. You can, and will, be replaced. If you are in a provincial city without a lot of foreigners you are much more free to speak your mind because it's not easy, and often impossible, to replace you. You'll learn, in time, what's OK to say and do and what isn't. "Ears open, mouth shut" is a good policy to pursue for a while.
Gingermeggs
- 2008-12-06
"Before anyone could answer your questions, we would need to know two things."
Silverboy might, but others don't need t know.
It doesn't matter what type of School you teach at, or what kind of Boss you have.
Only 5 weeks, and you are considered "confrontational"? Then maybe you are. This is a bad thing in a new situation. Take a few months to rock back and observe closely. Keep remembering you are in China, not Australia. Things are done differently in both places. Get to know your place.
Your teaching style will be different to the locals. That's OK, but if they disapprove, you will have to change.....subtly! Accept the suggestions, and rework them to suit your style. Don't always assume you are right. You may well be, but this is China! They are always right...even when they are wrong. Try looking at what they see. This is the hard bit. I'm always amazed at the things they don't see.
Select the bits you enjoy, and enjoy them. Suffer the things you don't enjoy, because nothing you will do, will change them.
Have fun!