Think globally, act locally...... - Teachers discussion

Reading what Robin and especially what Rheno have to say, makes me think of that modern proverb, above.
For Rheno, I guess if you want to make a difference, could you at home? Could you be a school teacher for native American kids? I worked with one guy that was also 25% Cherokee, 25% French, and 50% African descent. He was never really interested in teaching in the SW US. He had a lot to offer, too.
As far as capitalism goes, its not the money thats the problem, its the abuse of it, and the social factors and behaviors--greed, lust, etc.--that go with it.
Without money being properly spent, not much changes in places that have what we consider to be sub-standard living conditions. It takes money to hire the teacher to teach the students to be functional in the business world, to gain the capital needed to elevate the standard of living of their homes. Good examples of that are China of the last two generations, North Korea now, RO Mongolia recently, the Phillipines, Nasser's Nationalist Egypt, most of Africa.
Civic, state and the fed govs just seem to be behemouths, and nothing can stop them in their paths. But a lot of us go work for them anyway, just to try to do whatever we can from within. Teachers, social workers, nurses, etc., work for the man because we think we can brings changes--or something good--and not to the system, but to the people we work for. Like Robin said, if have have an attitude that we work for the student, client, patient, recipient of our services, and not for the administration, we feel alot better about it.
Sweat shops are a tough thing, philsophically, to handle. On the one hand, its a messed up way to treat humans. On the other hand, its an option. For so many of these kids, its not prostitution. And it is money for the family. Of course, a lot of that money is squandered by their loser dads on booze and prostitution! But thats a thread in another forum.
What most of us dont realise, or fail to remember at most critical times, is that we're all embassadors and representatives of our countries and of other ways of doing things, whether we want to be or not. The people around us--students, neighbors, friends, people at the bus stop, where ever--get so much more from us as examples than what we offer in the classroom. We need to be careful what we give them and what we leave behind when we leave.

I was wrong about my real role, ultimately - Teachers discussion

Ultimately, I was wrong about my 'real' role here.

I decided to do this because I hate capitalism and how it destroys everything in its path, including people. These days, at least in the USA, business is more important than people. Maybe this is just another 'stage' the US economy is going through. After all, other periods of US history have been marked by the capialist class bending over the workers. But in this particular stage, I don't read about it in the history books. I'm living it. This, coupled with the fact that I'm 25% honery Cherokee indian and I saw my parents economically raped while I was growing up, has made me abhore the idea of private ownership of capital.

I also 'walk the walk', or 'put my money where my mouth is', when faced with any problem. To solve the 'capitalist' problem, I decided I would go overseas and teach English in a third world country that often gets the shit end of the stick from US masters. One such country is Thailand. If I came to Thailand and got some of its young people off the ground with enough English, they may be able to give these leeches the middle finger salute and keep themselves out of the sweatshops of Nike, Gap, whatever.

But, my students don't seem to see the world like I do. The incredible power of being able to say 'NO' to soul-less, exploitative masters who see people as mere labor resources goes unappreciated here.

I guess I'll have to find another way to help put out the raging fire of this latest capitalist wave.
I sure wish the old Soviet Union, or something like it, would return.

Kind of like comparing apples to oranges. - Teachers discussion

Oh and I wasn't referring to your post in particular with "your", I was referring to this forum in general. I kind of like it. It's a little over the top.

I may be here another year...... - Teachers discussion

I may be here another year....or even longer.
This is because, as I said in my post, I'm waiting on my fiance's special visa to come through. That may take forfuckingever here in Thailand. May take a year.

TESOL has great potential. My cert program, although too expensive for the type of students you will see in TESOL, was a bright beacon. If a few "adjustments" are made, the entire industry can realize that protential.

You can check out some of my other posts at www.tesall.com I'm sure you'll like 'em.

I'll look for you on the plane.

I'm with you. - Teachers discussion

I might be sitting next to you on the plane.
I've been visiting this board for the last three weeks or so, and recall reading your messages several times, although right now I don't recall exactly if I always agreed or disagreed, but I do know I've always enjoyed and appreciated what you had to say.
You're right about all the BS from so many different directions, even from folks that we thought we could always trust and rely on. Something happens to us, somehow we fall into some trap. We're paying close attention to all the games we're aware of, and along comes a new one we didn't see coming, from somebody we've trusted.
Too many excuses, too much microscopic inspection of us, being let down far too often with even the simplest of things by so many people.
So often, as many of the posters have pointed out, teachers are hired, lured by promises of great apts, food, fun, etc., and they get burned. Understandably, people get ticked off. Other times the people advertising their jobs are actually being honest: to them the apts they have available, the pay, all the circumstances with the job they are offering are great! It might look like a poohole to us, but its quite nice compared to the poohole they live in. The 4 or 5 or 6000Y we get each month is better than what MA or PHD holders get in Chinese unis. And if we have a job in a learning center, it can go up to 9.
Maybe we should think of it as hazard pay, for putting up with all the BS thats doled out.
Sorry, a bit divergent there.
What you said about people telling you you dont know what you're talking about, but never coming near a classroom themselves rings truest and loudest. But unfortunately, we'll all find that at home too.
Hang in there, man. I personally will go back and reread what you've posted the last few months.
What is that modern proverb? "This too shall pass."

I'm out. You can have it all.

Let's see. China is a 'poohole' place for teachers, and teaching there is a 'poohole' profession.

I KNOW what Thailand is like--teachers are forced to babysit, entertain, and pass cheating illiterates to keep smiles on their faces and the tuition money pouring in. English be damned. Teaching be damned.

In South Korea I find mainly unruly brats who have been dumped on me an hour a day to get them out of their parents' hair. I didn't get into TESOL to read Curious George or Dr. Seuss to a bunch of bored Koreans.

In all three places, I'm expected to play several non-teaching roles that show me this TESOL business is indeed all about business and has very little to do with education. I'm a patsy, a scapegoat, a billboard, a clown, and a janitor all rolled up into one. A teacher I'm not. The one role I WANTED to play in Asia I can't play, simply because TESOL is really a racket and I'm forced to play these other roles.

So.....I'm out.

As soon as my contract is up and my fiance gets her US fiance visa, I'm on a plane outta here.
I'm sick of this bullshit. I'm sick of my roles. I'm sick of all the website trolls telling me I don't know what I'm talking about while they themselves don't come near a classroom. I'm sick of all the weasels who try to sucker people into this TESOL baloney with glowing descriptions of it being a "great job". I'm sick of hearing, and reading, all the bullshit arguments the interested types use to lure young, naive types into this, such as 'your money will go farther in xxxx'. I'm sick of my puny bank balance after scrounging, saving, and living like a hermit for two years as I pay the same prices for shit I'd have paid back at a Wal-Mart in the US.

And on top of it all, I'm only making a group of third world laborers more "functional" in the sweatshops.

No thank you.

Yeap, you guys can have it. F*** it all, I say.

Two options - Teachers discussion

I'm sure whatever I may write here will be taken as too general and sweeping by some, and too specific and finger pointing by others. But thats where we live in life, those general areas that define decency, and when we stray from there, fingers point at us.
Japan is a racist society? Is that news?
As a black guy, what do you do about that? Do you not teach there? Or do you take whatever job that may be offered to you, and convince them there's no point in being racist? Is there another option? Write articles for publication about the problem?
Organise demonstrations? Petition organistions that support racism in Japan?
Asia is such a tough place for any non-white to teach, or to work, or to live, or to socialize, in any field. Will it ever get better? Probably not any time soon, would be my guess, considering world history.
If anybody ever finds a place to live--other than the arctic regions--that doesn't have roaches, rats, racism, violence, disease, deception, dishonesty, war, let the rest of us know.

What are you replying to? - Teachers discussion

Which of my posts are you replying to? I've read what you wrote several times, and it doesn't seem related to this thread. I reread what I wrote, and what Hemingway wrote, and again what you wrote (which was Hemingway's assignment to me) and I'm just not tracking. All this talk of sharks and parole and whatever else I'm missing.

Here's the point! - Teachers discussion

Oh come on Frank, get with the program!

Some clarifications are in order concerning the inaccuracies of Frank Andrews's response to my review of Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College.

These inaccuracies stem from a great need, it seems, on his part to generalize and make broad sweeping statements about China, demographically, historically, and environmentally , as well as his great need to be ever-vigilant against any negative points expressed by any foreign teacher on this review board, of which my posting is only a very small part and indeed, if Frank Andrews only requirement to putting up with the program in China is a smoke free 2 hour block of time at Starbucks in Suzhou every Sunday afternoon and it brings him satisfaction, fulfillment, and continues his intriguing interest, then far be it for me to infringe upon his experience.

I think, however, its particularly noteworthy of Mr. Andrews posting, whether intentional or not, that he never really addressed the salient points of why I thought Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College wasnt suitable for foreign teachers, and instead he preferred to address the
common and universal aspects, though varied , as he failed to note, and by Mr Andrews focusing on these details, he made some erroneous assumptions.

Mr. Andrews, allow me to clarify in the hopes that you will read it all, and therefore be put at ease because admittedly I will not waste my time or effort responding to you again because I am sure intelligent readers and experienced educators can distinguished what is fact and what is merely a sense of immature outrage on your part, which tends to be your modus operandi to any negative reviews here on this board and I do believe your living a year in Suzhou is a point worth noting but I have bigger points to note, Mr Andrews :

1. Mr. Andrews, Huaibei is NOT a large city in Eastern China; rather, it is a small city, and it certainly is a filthy one at thatvisually and otherwise, and my detailed posting presented that.

In larger cities, as you noted, hygiene and poor sanitation tend to be reduced in certain areas of those large cities, particularly those sections where substantial amounts of foreigners frequent. Suzhou does have it share of pollution but in comparison to Huaibei, it isnt even remotely close.

Huaibei is heavily reliant on coal for power and heat, and is not located in an Special Economic Zone, and has very, very few foreigners and no foreign companies

On the other hand, Suzhou has many well-known international companies and employs many Chinese. Since Suzhou has a substantial foreign population, the behavior of its Chinese citizens isnt even close to those whom reside in Huaibei. Most residents of Suzhou are quite comfortable with foreigners, and those whom aren't, do not demonstrate the obnoxiousness of those Huaibei residents.

2. Mr. Andrews then notes that prejudicial behaviors in China is the same all over.

Yes and no.

The degrees which my wife, an Anhui native, and I experienced in Huaibei were significantly greater, incredibly overt and brazen, and uncivilized than in his city of Suzhou.

3. The historical relevance of the Cultural Revolution cannot be disputed, but there are other factors to consider, lack of education, exposure to differences, a woefully propagandized culture.

I think you make an incredibly naive mistake to think you can paint the whole country with the same brush, and particularly the city of your residence, Suzhou.

How do I know all of this about Suzhou?

Well, Suzhou was the very city my wife and I went to live and work after leaving Huaibei!!!!!!!

Ironic isn't it, Mr. Andrews? Too much of a coincidence, uh?

I mean really you can't be serious? Are you? Maybe you were looking for some fresh bait on your trolling maneuvers through the channel of negative school reviews, and my review happened to grease your hook, but I bet you never thought I went to Suzhou!

Read on (er, I mean if your attention span at this point hasn't gotten disrupted by your strong sense of rushing to judgement):

We found the city of Suzhou significantly better and much different, its residents certainly more civilized, and certainly more open-minded as opposed to what we experienced in Huaibei. Though I will certainly agree with Mr. Andrewss description of encountering some Chinese whom if one is scratching the surface just a bit and the tell-tale signs of a turtle-slow emergence are obvious," are there, but this tends to be true, not necessarily with the Chinese residents of Suzhou, but with those Chinese from other towns and cities in the remoter provinces of China whom work and live in Suzhou.

Mr. Andrews, make no mistake, Huaibei doesnt have an substantial expat crowd like you see there in Suzhou, nor does it have a Southern Cross, or a Pulp Fiction, or a Harrys Bar, or a Papa Johns, or a Carrefour, or or Au Chuan, or many public and private English training centers.

If my review caused any frustration or slight to your views of why foreign teachers should be in China and what role they should play in the Chinese scheme of things, or worse, made it less intriguing for you, it wasnt my purpose to do so.

My posting reflects what happened at Huaibei Coal Industry Teachers College, it reflected what to expect living in the city of Huaibei, and it reflected what happened when the assault of September 8th 2005 took place.

We left to go to a much better and much different city, which is the same city where you, Mr Andrews reside.

Anyway, I want future prospective ESL teachers to make an informed decision, and if that one foreigner, disregards my posting as merely going against your agenda of presenting China in such relativistic comparisons, then enjoy that Starbucks coffee while daily perusing, criticizing, judging and responding to foreign teachers school reviews on the ESL Teachers Board, but the later, seems to be your program.

I suggest that next time that you get your facts straight because if you don't, during your negative school review trolling maneuvers, you might hook a shark who is a lot wiser about the waters than you seem to be, and Mr. Andrews a self-righteous, condescending rhetorical tone doesn't make you right.

Consideration of other experiences rather than whole-scale condemnation of the poster and his or her posting is a beginning. Also, it wouldn't hurt to read a posting closer rather than rushing to a reaction and posting

As many Chinese students say, "THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU!"

So what? - Teachers discussion

The fact that the "average English teacher overseas" can't understand such a construct has absolutely nothing to do with skill and absolutely everything to do with experience. Considering the fact that no knowledge of foreign culture is instinctive, everything must be learned. Even how to eat must be learned.

We all start out in life at the same level of knowledge and experience. Are you proposing that some teachers are predisposed to be good teachers and others (of presumably lesser intelligence) are by nature relegated to try in asia..and hells, with no hope of parole? That's like claiming someone is inferior because he speaks one language instead of another.