With my long duration of teaching English online, I have met various kinds of people. People I have learnt a lot of lessons. The most important thing I have developed is patience. I am terribly impatient in real life but when it comes to teaching online, my patience is up to the nth level. I really can't imagine where am I getting those.
Speaking to foreign people everyday means encountering different scenarios. Such scenarios would include insolent students. Those who never realize to use polite words in talking to their teacher although I correct them everyday. I think it is already in their genes to be rude. Well, I just ignore them because I know if I'm going to give them the time of day, I would be more than impolite.
Another scenario would be a student being so kind who you think can't even hurt a fly. In this case, I needed to search for the most polite words I can say or talk the most interesting topic you could ever imagine. Talk about being flexible!
Recently, I have stumbled with this know-it-all student. He likes talking about his personal life, lifting his own chair with his so called "achievements" in life. I am a kind of teacher who wouldn't butt-in in the middle of somebody's story telling. However, I do when he starts talking about other teacher's way of teaching. Discriminating teachers by saying they don't know anything about politics, geography and so on would make my blood boil! I am also a Filipino and whatever discriminatory words you would tell my fellowmen would hurt me even more. It is not our fault why we are living in a third world country, why we aren't fully informed or why we don't have means to access such information. We do not have public libraries just like they do in Japan or South Korea. We have access to those useful textbooks when we go to state universities. Sad to say, not all ESL teachers had the chance to lay their hands on those incredible textbooks just like I have done. ESL teachers are unique in many ways and I feel sorry if some teachers can't grasp geography as he is trying to say. Besides, we are ENGLISH TEACHERS for God's sake!
He told me, "In Japan, we study the map of Europe". For REAL? I doubt it! Who would memorize the map of Europe unless you do a lot of reading and or travel to that certain place? I have known some famous place and even the not so famous ones by reading novels but I would admit I don't know much about them.
My point is, if you are not satisfied with the lesson you are getting from Filipino online English teachers, why the hell you are taking these classes? Go ahead and take English native speakers' classes and see if they memorize the map of Europe!
I maybe very kind towards my lesson but I am no heart of stone! I always say, "If you don't respect us as your teachers, at least respect us as HUMANS!
So, how much knowledge would you like your ESL teacher be? A walking Encyclopedia?
Note: This is also published in bubblews.com with the same and only one username.
Note: This is also published in bubblews.com with the same and only one username.