So, not too long ago I was
asked by a fellow teacher, if I could remember the worst teaching assignment I’d
ever had.
Well yes, I can.
It was about 1 year ago now and I was asked to go and teach in a factory outside of the city. Originally, I was told it was a straight forward business English class just out of town. Obviously, one important lesson you learn in teaching is that you should NEVER believe your DOS... In reality, it turned out to be a nightmare about 1.5 hours drive away. So, firstly, It was shit because I had to get up at a deathly early hour for a driver to take me to the factory, then teach three hours continuously (without a break) and then be taken home. Financially, it didn't really work for me because I'd be out of the city for most of the day for only three hours teaching, so that's the first minus.
Inevitably, I'd miss my breakfast...so second minus.
The three hours were for three groups all of different levels and obviously the school had managed to get the groupings incorrect with intermediate students in the elementary class (who were quite rightly a little disgruntled) and intermediates in the advanced class (who were quite rightly, completely lost).
Generally, the students were actually ok, apart from one person who kept making a fuss because they wanted to study 'Engineering' English whilst the rest of the group were happy with the business course. What I couldn't understand was the fact that said student insisted on raising this issue with me every lesson; despite the fact all colleagues were completely not interested in 'Engineering' English. There was also one student who insisted that I prep her for CAE exam. This might not have been to bad, after all she was an advanced level English speaker, but she had willingly elected to put herself in the intermediate group because 'that's were all her friends were'....WTF?! you want me to prepare you for CAE exam in an intemediate level Business English exam? oh, ok, I'll stay behind afterwards because I'm nice a personally coach you for no extra dollar.... I think not....
However, what made the whole situation stink was the fact that the company was far too political. The company had just been taken over and the students were forced to attend English classes, which obviously didn't lend itself towards a great class atmosphere. But by 'political' I mean that many of the students had put themselves into little 'cliques'. Fuck knows why these grown adults decided to act like playground school kids I will never know, but the situation in class was a nightmare. People would openly argue with each other one day or if I was lucky, the next class, people would just make snide comments to each other.
Some students would just change groups each week (despite my protests) just to escape their enemies or bickering colleagues. I just couldn’t teach a normal class. It was impossible to plan anything because people would change their expectations one wee to the next, alongside changing their frigging group. I ran out the contract by copying various communicative activities from Business Result which I could pretty much get to work in any shitty class.
All of the above made me absolutely hate these classes, I ended up feeling like shit afterwards and would go and cheer myself up with a big greasy kebab....and maybe a beer.
Any other teaching nightmares to share my dear readers?
Well yes, I can.
It was about 1 year ago now and I was asked to go and teach in a factory outside of the city. Originally, I was told it was a straight forward business English class just out of town. Obviously, one important lesson you learn in teaching is that you should NEVER believe your DOS... In reality, it turned out to be a nightmare about 1.5 hours drive away. So, firstly, It was shit because I had to get up at a deathly early hour for a driver to take me to the factory, then teach three hours continuously (without a break) and then be taken home. Financially, it didn't really work for me because I'd be out of the city for most of the day for only three hours teaching, so that's the first minus.
Inevitably, I'd miss my breakfast...so second minus.
The three hours were for three groups all of different levels and obviously the school had managed to get the groupings incorrect with intermediate students in the elementary class (who were quite rightly a little disgruntled) and intermediates in the advanced class (who were quite rightly, completely lost).
Generally, the students were actually ok, apart from one person who kept making a fuss because they wanted to study 'Engineering' English whilst the rest of the group were happy with the business course. What I couldn't understand was the fact that said student insisted on raising this issue with me every lesson; despite the fact all colleagues were completely not interested in 'Engineering' English. There was also one student who insisted that I prep her for CAE exam. This might not have been to bad, after all she was an advanced level English speaker, but she had willingly elected to put herself in the intermediate group because 'that's were all her friends were'....WTF?! you want me to prepare you for CAE exam in an intemediate level Business English exam? oh, ok, I'll stay behind afterwards because I'm nice a personally coach you for no extra dollar.... I think not....
However, what made the whole situation stink was the fact that the company was far too political. The company had just been taken over and the students were forced to attend English classes, which obviously didn't lend itself towards a great class atmosphere. But by 'political' I mean that many of the students had put themselves into little 'cliques'. Fuck knows why these grown adults decided to act like playground school kids I will never know, but the situation in class was a nightmare. People would openly argue with each other one day or if I was lucky, the next class, people would just make snide comments to each other.
Some students would just change groups each week (despite my protests) just to escape their enemies or bickering colleagues. I just couldn’t teach a normal class. It was impossible to plan anything because people would change their expectations one wee to the next, alongside changing their frigging group. I ran out the contract by copying various communicative activities from Business Result which I could pretty much get to work in any shitty class.
All of the above made me absolutely hate these classes, I ended up feeling like shit afterwards and would go and cheer myself up with a big greasy kebab....and maybe a beer.
Any other teaching nightmares to share my dear readers?
Sometimes I kinda feel like EVERY class is the worst class. . . any class involving 12-13 year olds is usually pretty unbearable, they're too old to be intimidated by you and too young to care.
ReplyDeleteI hear you dude, it can feel that way sometimes. This year I'm pretty lucky, all of my classes seem to be good ones although I have noticed that I'm not earning as much as last year...maybe there is a bullshit premium in english teaching!
ReplyDeleteI had a class last week with the director of an insurance company...he wanted to talk about reinsurance companies i.e. the companies that insure insurance companies....he was really into it....me not so, thank fuck I was only filling in...
ReplyDeleteOn the plus side they had free coffee in reception.