"That maybe ok in China, but teaching that way in Russia or the Gulf may get you fired, only saying. Besides, do Chinese students even NEED any encouragement to sleep,lol. I agree the fiddling with mobiles is annoying but seems it is endemic in China, they can't even switch the phones off on planes FFS"

Yep, i have had a few run -ins about mobiles. Some cheeky monkeys think they can fool me by pretending to be asleep because they know i don't mind that, whilst really sending texts under the desk-initially my response is to confiscate offending machine. No flies on me after ten years in China.

My first couple of weeks at a new school are always grim until I get my way-as much as twenty students get ejected from my classes in the first fortnight. I did get the sack once when enough disgruntled Chinese teachers sided with the students but I was unwilling to change my approach. That situation will most likely revisit at some stage; although, as a whole i have probably made life easier for myself.

Mind you, I have had a good few students say to me "thank God, It's become possible to actually learn something in your class, now it's not all silly games and unruly elements holding sway" (in their words of course)

Needless to say my attitude eliminates me straight away from even getting a job with some crappy places like York and Yuming-Don't fink I'll lose any sleep on that account.