Should Us Teachers Enjoy The Lesson Or Be Bored?

[Simon6973]

I am a Tefler here in TL and I have to admit that in 80% of lessons I am bored rigid and just willing the clock to move on . This is mainly because I find the students a little dull and basic - is this my problem or theirs?

Should I be enjoying myself - well not really as it is a job but I used to love doing Tefl until I came here - ie: with Spanish and Italian kids - here it's just not the same (as expected).

How can we make the students more fun?

[Ijustwannateach]

It's both of your problems. If you're bored, the class will surely pick up on that and be bored as well; but there are some groups of students that just don't work well together or with particular teachers. If you find this happening with ALL your classes, it's probably your problem.

Try thinking about what YOU like (in a subject-appropriate manner) and apply it to the lesson. Or remember what you liked to do at your students' age and incorporate it. Games are always good.

If you can't find any way to put a spark in the lesson for you or your students, you may just not be cut out for teaching- some people just aren't, it's not a moral failing.

"Steven"

[suse]

Most Thai students are lazy and boring,with no interest in learning English.Just go in teach them and bugger off home don't take it to heart, and just think about your salary.:-)

[kenkannif]

As my Mum always said....boring is as boring does (i.e. boring people get bored easily).

How can you be bored? You're living in wicked wonderful and crazy Thailand mate. Every day should be an adventure and to an extent new....if not why stay here?

I don't personally enjoy working (and never really have) but I'm not bored per se.

Edited November 9, 2005 by kenkannif

[suse]

How can you feel energetic when faced with the same old dull students,some classes are good some bad. So boring = boring old wives tale.The students need to get their brains into gear for studying,this is a big problem in this country,but I'm not going into that one,it's too bloody long.Ok it's a wicked country, : wish I had the time to see it some more.What's the magic bullet? the magic lesson? it's like looking for the holy grail! Well Ken you say you ain't bored,can I have some of what your on,maybe you could bottle it and sell it,you'll make a fortune!

[Plus]

Why not change the school? There must be some people out there you'd enjoy teaching. Just go and find them. Do they pay you enough to suffer boredom?

[Spit the Dog]

For me it is satisfying when I have taught a good lesson and my students have learned something and had fun in the process. I do occaisonallly get bad lessons were eveybody gets bored and it feels like nobody is willing to participate. In my opinion, when I get these bad days, it is really my perogative to make improvements for future lessons with that class.

What I do get bored with is having to complete pointless paperwork and the general lack of organization we have to put up with in the Thai teaching industry.

Edited November 9, 2005 by Spit the Dog

[mr-chris]

Malaysia is much the same. The students are either plain stupid or just don't want to learn.

The boredom factor, however, is largely dependant on the teacher.

Is he or she "ANY" good or not?

Can he or she provide the learners with simulating subject matter that they, the learners want to engage in? This is where we find out if he or she that claims to be a teacher, is a teacher or just a money grabbing farrang with nothing on his or her mind but Thai girls and beer!

I could have asked this question a thousand times but instead, I got off my butt, joined in with the learners and "FOUND" my own route into their hopes and dreams for the future. I learned how to teach them, they taught me how.

Wishing you luck.

[suse]

A lot of people will tolerate boredom just to stay in Thailand for the lifestyle etc,as Ken pointed out Thailand has a lot of good points,cheap food, drink, rent, weather, shopping,the list is endless.One problem which can cause boredom is if you work for a sweatshop and are overworked,this can quickly pee you off!When I feel fed up I just picture England in my mind, and along comes Mr smile again. As for working for another school,well it'll be the same situation again,I myself accept this,it's the same whatever job you do!, but there's nowt wrong with having a good old moan about the students every now and again,as we all like to do

[Ijustwannateach]

I'm beginning to smell a four-letter word beginning with S, ending in G, and winding up in a ban. Could just be something I ate, though.

[suse]

No mate I ain't smeg! whoever he might be?

[Ijustwannateach]

No mate I ain't smeg! whoever he might be?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Funny, I didn't *say* Smeg....

[mr-chris]

No mate I ain't smeg! whoever he might be?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Funny, I didn't *say* Smeg....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Was it as good for you as it was for us guessing?

[Ijustwannateach]

Hope so!

[Rhys]

AWH... Having fun should be important but balanced when teaching. YEAH.. YEAH.. YEAH.. The Thai students do have the dare to teach me look.. or the Deer look of WHAT THE Xuck... Since you are putting in the time might as well have some fun. Makes the day go by faster.. aye mate..

So do tell.. how do you handle the class when they absolutely don't understand your instructions..

[suse]

Sit and weep mate I do agree with the fun method, however in my humble opinion it should be a balance between education and fun,if you use to many props eg. games the kids will come to demand that all the time. If the class doesn't understand the lesson, which I've already prepaired before hand,then it's pictorial explanations + mime +thai, both verball and written.If that doesn't work then it's time to hit the chang

[mr-chris]

So do tell.. how do you handle the class when they absolutely don't understand your instructions..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Use tools they do understand. What's the main fad out there? I'm in Malaysia right now (coming this month to BKK), the fads here are sms, mms, wap and mobile games. I use all of these and more to grab them right where it 'interests'! I refuse to learn to speak Mandarin or Malay, so they must communicate with me in English to learn more.

My best result was a kid with no intention of learning a word. He wanted to be a programmer so I taught him, in English. He just finished school with the school's best ever result in English and a 50% degree level understanding of programming.

It only took 2 years.

Grab them by the short and curlies, their interests. Get to know your learners.

[suse]

Yeah David beckham and Man u are very popular here, especially with the lads.The girls like Tata young(Thai pop singer) and other artists and t.v stars.The biggest turn off is the books we have to teach from,speaking for myself! The kids hate em.

[Ladphrao]

Blaming the students for your boredom and bad classes is not productive. I'm sure every teacher in Thailand goes through these spells when one gets frustrated with Thai students, but if it becomes permanent, get out of teaching or go somewhere else. Life is too short to be miserable or for the rest of us to listen to the complaints of those who are.

You are paid to teach your students, you do not get to choose the characteristics of your students. Find what works best for them.

I don't think Thai kids are fundamentally different from kids from other countries; the difference is more of degree than kind. I remember in school the glazed over looks of the students and my utter boredom when I had a teacher reading grammar rules out of a book or some such thing. I also remember playing cards in the back of my Spanish class, since at that age I thought I would never actually want to speak Spanish in my life (Yeah I didn't know everything when I was 14 and I didn't listen to those who were older and knew better).

Thai kids might get bored a little quicker than farang kids, but I have never heard of a teacher in farangland get criticized by students for being entertaining, but I sure remember the boring teachers getting slammed.

Lighten up, it is only teaching; if little Somchai didn't master the use of the present perfect continuous today, life will go on. He might learn it in the future and he might not. Boy, I can name dozens of things I was taught as a child that I never mastered, but I am still going strong and living a somewhat productive life thirty or more years later. So will your students.

Do your best, have fun, and enjoy living in Thailand and working with young people. If you want to be bored, why not go to work on an assembly line in a remote location? A week of that will probably have you ready to come back to teach in Thailand, it ain't all bad, really!

[Bluffer]

How many times are you teaching the same lesson? What level are you teaching? How big are the classes?

As others have said. If all your lessons are boring and you find them boring and your students boring then it is your problem.

Do more planning or start doing planning - whichever applies. Put some thought into it. If the lesson allows get the kids involved and make fun of them ( in the context of the lesson ) Act a little goofy to get points across- hide under a desk, stand on a chair, and so on for prepositions of place.

If you still dont want to do it, get another job or go home. You are not doing yourself or the kids any favours.

Edited November 10, 2005 by Bluffer

[Bluffer]

I'm beginning to smell a four-letter word beginning with S, ending in G, and winding up in a ban.  Could just be something I ate, though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Funny, that. A newbie knowing Dunkin Donut.

I thought you were talking about the OP originally!

[PeaceBlondie]

I hate boredom, and don't do it. If the lesson in the text or the workbook is boring, I change it or skip it. Many texts are good for toilet tissue, anyway.

I fall asleep easily in class, unless I'm teaching.

[Ice Maiden]

I tried out some teaching for a month and they were the worst behaved Thai children you'd ever seen and they also had no intrest in learning anything at all complaining the lesson was boring. They'd already had six teachers but they couldn't cope with them.

I came along and the first lesson went terrible but I realised if I wanted them to learn it had to be intresting. I decided on a few educational games and the winner would get some sweets, that motivated them to work.

For a week the children would have to work hard so at the end of the week they'd win the test I'd set for them. If the children were lazy that week and made no effort I'd sit and eat the sweets in front of them, sounds nasty but I only had to do it once and they soon stopped being lazy!

And like Bluffer suggested about being goofy I acted that way to get my points across to them, the only way of expressing myself was to stand on my desk, that kind of thing! I must of been the most crazy teacher they'd ever seen. I made them stand up and shout their answers out and I got them to interact with the lesson in everyway possible, I didn't want them sat on chairs reading books.

Once I had a student that was being really lazy so I gave that student the chance to be the "teacher" for the lesson, I sat in the class and I was the most lazy student I could be and I acted like I didn't know a word of English, that was fun and it got him to wake up and see what it was like he soon made more effort.

I did a lot of roleplay in my lessons too, giving the students groups to go into and characters to be. Doing all that kind of stuff worked for me.

Just think of some ideas for your lessons if they are boring make them better! Sometimes you have to start thinking like a student again

Edited November 10, 2005 by Ice Maiden

[Simon6973]

Do more planning or start doing planning - whichever applies.  Put some thought into it.  If the lesson allows get the kids involved and make fun of them ( in the context of the lesson )  Act a little goofy to get points across- hide under a desk, stand on a chair, and so on for prepositions of place.

If you still dont want to do it, get another job or go home.  You are not doing yourself or the kids any favours.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

are you off your rocker or something?

Firstly I never said I was teaching kids - they are mainly adults.

Now if you think I'm going to make a fool of myself standing on chairs, barking like a dog etc.. then you are mistaken. Pay me 1000B an hour and then perhaps, yes.

I'm not here to do anyone any favours - just trying to earn some cash as we all are and hopefully teach some knoweledge to those who want it.

[jrincon17]

I am a Tefler here in TL and I have to admit that in 80% of lessons I am bored rigid and just willing the clock to move on . This is mainly because I find the students a little dull and basic - is this my problem or theirs?

  Should I be enjoying myself - well not really as it is a job but I used to love doing Tefl until I came here - ie: with Spanish and Italian kids - here it's just not the same (as expected).

  How can we make the students more fun?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Its always more fun in a song or a game , they students will enjoy it and seeing them smile should make you enjoy it more . What ages are they ?

[jrincon17]

Malaysia is much the same. The students are either plain stupid or just don't want to learn.

The boredom factor, however, is largely dependant on the teacher.

Is he or she "ANY" good or not?

Can he or she provide the learners with simulating subject matter that they, the learners want to engage in? This is where we find out if he or she that claims to be a teacher, is a teacher or just a money grabbing farrang with nothing on his or her mind but Thai girls and beer!

I could have asked this question a thousand times but instead, I got off my butt, joined in with the learners and "FOUND" my own route into their hopes and dreams for the future. I learned how to teach them, they taught me how.

Wishing you luck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stupid is stupid does

[Simon6973]

JRincon:

why don't you read my last post - it was immediately before your one if you don't know where to look.

Adults - that would be 18 and over.

Do you seriously expect me to sing?

Edited November 10, 2005 by Simon6973

[jrincon17]

JRincon:

why don't you read my last post - it was immediately before your one if you don't know where to look.

Adults - that would be 18 and over.

Do you seriously expect me to sing?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i answered your first post , just a bad habbit of mine . By your temper it seems you are just here to earn cash so you can stay in thailand . There is no hope for you or your students . Do the adults pay for this class if they do then they want to learn

[Simon6973]

By your temper it seems you are just here to earn cash so you can stay in thailand .

There is no hope for you or your students .

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you some kind of prophet or something?

No hope for me - what , so you mean being a Tefl teacher in TL is the path to glory.

Of course I teach to earn cash - why else?

Is there something wrong with that?

[Simon6973]

and yes of course the adults pay for the lessons and I do make an effort with them.

I am still bored rigid 80% of the time though because so few of them can hold a conversation after 10 yrs of school study.

who's fualt is that - well theirs if you ask me.

It's not my fualt they're lazy ######wits is it now.