NonTocareLeTete wrote:TaiwanVisitor12321 wrote:Everyone that's said anything about teaching adults in here must work in a different place than I do.
They're all dead inside. I've never seen people so soulless as in Taiwan. I really do like teaching, and I do try to improve myself, but these people just have zero passion for English. They can't even say hello, or are so rude that they refuse to. They literally give me money to argue with me about not wanting to learn English.
I'm sympathetic to your situation, so I hate saying this, but your attitude has to change before they'll change anything. They can feel your disdain, and why should they talk to anyone that hates them? .....etc.........see above..............Anyways, in 3 years, I've only had one resistant student who remained resistant. I've got high attendance in my classes and my school is always after me to take on more hours. And I love my students. They add a lot to my life.
Make it easy on them, try to like them, and be patient with yourself.
I'm sure this is true, BUT......sometimes you get a real "FUCK YOU" class, which just will not cooperate, and takes a positive satisfaction in making you look, and feel, bad.
I had one last year, where blade running between "too difficult, they would have to think" and "insultingly easy, they'll anwer wrongly deliberately and laugh in my face" (and they did) was a hiding to nothing.
Of course it wasn't the whole class, but if the SHLF's ("shelfs" or Spiky Haired Little Fuckers) achieve a critical mass, they dominate the "class culture" and suppress the best intentions of the "good" students.
In such a case, I think blaming the little bastards is your best option, otherwise it gets to you, as does investing too much of your soul in fixing the situation. I sighed theatrically a lot (camping it up a bit), and went through the motions conscientiously but without much spark.
As the Final Exam approached, the situation improved, weapon-of-last-resort-stylee, perhaps because I have a reputation for failing people, and that's a drag for students because they have to do it again.
These were first year private university, so "young adult" students. I've never had a "real adult" evening class remotely as bad as this, but if (perhaps like the op) I had, it'd be awkward, since the weapon-of-last-resort isn't really available.
! You are so last century!
. My best classes are limited to a chalkboard combined with my boyish good looks and charm.
