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Techniques and methods in Language Teaching > Is it necessary to discuss about the different attitudes of worldwide students towards their teachers?
Is it necessary to discuss about the different attitudes of worldwide students towards their teachers?
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orchiddl
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Is it necessary to discuss about the different attitudes of worldwide students towards their teachers?
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I hear that students in Europe and
America consider teachers as their friends. They don�t respect them,
such as making their bow, greeting in a respectful manners like Asian
ones. Is it right? Is there any difference from any country, especially the teachers who teach foreign or second languages?
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22 Dec 2008
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miameto
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dear orchiddl, for my country I can say that most of the students still respect us :) however, every generation comes with new habits, new attitudes, etc... so, old habits and values at schools may die easily... when its compared with past, students are more free in their actions... too much freedom at school is dangerous... we must be more careful I think...
as you pointed out, our students consider us as their friends... cos we aproach them friendly. do not misunderstand me...that doesnt mean that you are not friendly... the main difference here is cultural differences
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22 Dec 2008
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libertybelle
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My students don�t consider me as a "friend!, but we are informal.
They call me by my first name, which is most common in many European countries.
They also know they can come to me with problems and I�ll listen and help, if I can.
I think bowing is out of date and also a superficial show of respect, but not real respect.
Real respect is shown by their enthusiasm and participation in class.
It�s the smile they get from me when I compliment them on their good work.
Respect is the homework they hand in, where I can see they have used a lot of time
and are proud of what they have accomplished.
I do expect a civilized tone and no swearing or garbage language in my class.
I�ve spoken with kids who had to bow and stand up when the teaching came in the door
and were thinking " what a total  their teacher was.
So what was the point of showing respect when there was no respect at all?
That�s my 2 cents worth!
L
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22 Dec 2008
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alien boy
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Remember, too, that people of different cultures communicate in very different ways!
I am Australian and we are notoriously casual - most people will use their given names even amongst business associates. The situation is usually very formal if family names (e.g. Mr Harris, Mrs Smith, etc) are used or might be used by very polite children or by students to their teachers.
I am now in Japan & found it strange that all the children stand & bow at the start & end of a class. In Australia, the children would stay seated in their desks & that is normal for us & doesn�t show a lack of respect.
I think it�s very important for students (especially high school students) to know that you are their teacher & a figure of authority. This should not interfere in your developing a good relationship with them. We are there to guide, set boundaries (which should be pushed by the students) and to encourage them.
But always remember, it is almost impossible to judge differences in cultural behaviours and say that one is better than another.. they�re just different and equally valid in their own contexts!
Good discussion point though! |
22 Dec 2008
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Anaisvi
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Hi Orchiddl!
In my humble opinion, I�m afraid you are right in a certain way. Although we can�t generalize, the attitude and behaviour some students are showing towards their teachers in my country, Spain, are becoming a bit worrying. I work as a teacher for a private center and I�ve got a wide variety of students. As a teacher, I always try to make my students feel comfortable during my lessons.We create a very familiar environment. I mean they feel confident enough to tell me their problems or the the things they�re worried about, and I always try to help them with my advice.
It�s true that most of them are respectful, however, there�s a growing tendency towards "rebellious" behaviour with some groups of students, above all teenagers. We all know, they are going through a difficult phase in their lives, but they have to be aware of the limits between what is an acceptable behaviour and what�s not. That�s to say we aren�t their peers; we are their teachers. We are here to help them with their learning process, but sometimes we are forced to teach them even manners, which I think it�s the task of the parents and not a teacher�s one.
The violent atmosphere which surrounds certain students can affect any teacher, not only foreign or second language teachers. However,maybe these conflictive students tend to show more lack of respect with the teachers who teach subjects that they consider less important.
The violence around them not only affects teachers. It also affects other students and the life of the centre in general.
Summing up, the problem of the lack of respect of students towards teachers is a very controversial topic. It�s very complex since there are many factors involved such as the social, eduactional or familiar ones. |
22 Dec 2008
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crisholm
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I do not think the subject of respect is in itself worth discussing. I do think respect grows out of trust, and even though I have a very informal relationship with my students, I feel they do respect me for what I am trying to do with them, for the ways I seek to help them, and so on. They call me by my first name though I sometimes jokingly call them by their last one, to get them accustomed to it. What is fundamental, I feel, is trust, knowing that you are there to help them and that you will not fail them, even if they do fail in their marks.
Of course, this process is a build-up and sometimes you need to establish clear barriers - you should not be too �chummy�; even if you understand their problems, they should do what they are supposed to do; you are their teacher and not their buddy, that should be clear. And it usually is. And they are nice and grateful.
(By the way, this is the only way I feel it works - mutual trust.)
In a way, I feel respect grows out of the teacher him/herself: if you respect your students for what they are trying to do, you earn your respect as the teacher who�s helping them. I also had to stand up, sing songs and march to music when I was a kid, but I remember my teachers distinctly according to the enthusiasm they showed for their work and the attention they paid to individual students. I did not care for formal respect as a child and I did have very bad teachers who never got beyond that point. However, I did enjoy many teachers who made us think and cared about the way we learnt, and made us think about it. Long life to Lenguas Vivas in Buenos Aires, by the way, since we�re speaking about these matters! |
22 Dec 2008
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MissMelissa12
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orchiddl, You might be right, in some cultures students are more distant and more respectful to their teachers as people in general from that culture are . �But I don�t think the fact that some cultures are more opened- I want to call it like that- means that they are less respectful. My students dont stand up when I enter into the class. actually I am already in the classroom when they arrive, but they do give me a kiss, ALL OF THEM give me a hello and goodbye kiss which I love. They call me Miss Melissa :) and I really like that tittle. I am very young and some students are a lot older than me they are about 27 -� 28 and they still call me Miss Melissa . I have �two students that call me MELISSA... I rather they call me Miss Melissa but I dont tell them �to do it. It is just a little different because in my class, the rest of the class sometimes smile when he calles me so. But I only smile and try to act natural. He is very respectful towards me though. About students attitude...sometimes you are going to find SPOILED students and with such bad manners and behavior learnt from home. Sometimes even parents support them!!� I do consider RESPECT is the MOST IMPORTANT tool I use in my teaching job. And it starts from me, THE TEACHER. Thanks for bringing up that topic. Melissa . |
22 Dec 2008
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Hannie
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This is a really good topic!
I feel that here in Portugal the sense of respect towards teachers and elder people is going away. I remember that when I was a student, I would not treat the teachers the way some kids do nowadays. They tend to forget that they are at school and manners are something they really don�t care about!
Of course I�m being too global on this subject. There are students whose parents educate them well at home and they take that education with them to the classroom. But unfortunatly there are many others who are able to enter the classroom fighting with a mate, shouting bad words or even playing with balls or whatever they bring from break time.
I tend to be very strict with them now because acting nice doesn�t make any effect on them. I know I must teach through love and that�s what I try to do every lesson. But when I come across a situation like those I�ve described above, then I am strict and authoritary. I write messages to their parents and talk to their main teacher.
Most of this disrespect that we see in our schools nowadays is because of the problems teachers are facing. Teachers are going through a tough periode. The government keeps acting against us instead of being on our side. This way, society is seeing us like the people who don�t work, the people who have an easy life and get lot�s of money.. That�s the idea the whole society has got about us nowadays so, when adults don�t respect us, when the goverment doesn�t respect us.. how can we expect the students to respect us?? This is just like a snow ball that never stops growing..
(I�m sorry If there�re some mistakes on my text but I�m almost falling asleep on my keyboard  ) |
22 Dec 2008
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orchiddl
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Generally, I agree with two of you, miameto and libertybelle.
The first, "real respect is shown by their enthusiasm and participation in class." In my country, they don�t call their teachers by their first name or last name. They always use the word "Teacher" for any circumstances and they are free to show their own ideas in class. When they show a little bow, I feel it�s natural and don�t think it�s a superficial show of respect, or false respect. So, I support that miameto is right when mentioning that "the main difference here is cultural differences." Perhaps traditional customs play an important part in forming etiquette.
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22 Dec 2008
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alien boy
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My students here get very confused if you tell them that we will practice Australian customs in the English classroom - so please don�t bow, the senior classes can call me �Bryce� & the other classes �Mr Harris�. To accustom them to Australian culture I use their given name, not their family name, and this also surprises them!
So I think cultural paradigms are the single biggest factor in what an individual (teacher or student) considers to be appropriate etiquette.
B-)
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22 Dec 2008
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Vickiii
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Wow - fascinating topic, it is great to see different perspectives.
In New Zealand children call their teachers by Mr, Miss or Mrs and their surname. It is to show respect for elders.
It surprised me in Chile that children called teachers by their first name and younger kids kiss the teacher when saying hello and goodbye - as do many older students - if they want to.
Both systems have their merits and suit the countries culture.
Chileno�s always tell me how they know NZ is very informal, which we are, but we still have strict protocols of behaviour within that �informality� and a lot of tolerance for foreigners who get it wrong.
I think tolerance is the biggest key here. If a culture wants to �bow� to show respect to their teachers this is fine - I think it is intolerant to call it �outdated� just because it is different from your own culture.
Each culture develops rules and behaviours, we should all be tolerant of others cultures, and understand their are differences.
I have learnt a lot about how different cultures can be - also I have seen some of the short comings in my own culture, as well as the huge advantages of it.
Tolerance is the biggest factor that we should all have as teachers. We should question behaviours, understand them, but not denounce them for being �different�
Cheers
Vicki
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22 Dec 2008
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