Hi everyone, it's Miss champagne. Sorry for the break up, but I am completing my dissertation and I just wrote two new books and five new workbooks this month. So, saying that I am a bit overwhelmed is actually an understatement! What prompted me to write this blog post is that during the Christmas/New Year's holiday, I attended an intensive Boot Camp that I always teach at each year. I had an incident that really made me question being a `black` teacher in Japan. The reason being is that I have never had this experience, that I will explain in a bit, happen to me before.
To make a long story short, let me explain the setup of the Boot Camp. There were two classes that myself and another teacher, from Britain, thought together. We would have a rotation, so we would teach the classes every other class. During one of the classes, the students students thought I had made a mistake on a word, which I did not. After I taught that class, the other teacher taught the class, who was a white British male teacher (who also had a lot less education than I do).
Then the students went on and on and really pressured him to expose that I made a mistake in class. He told me that he informed them that I had `indeed` made the mistake, which I did not. So being the qualitative researcher, scholar, PhD candidate that I am, I decided to research the mistake that they thought that I had made. You are probably asking what (they thought) the mistake was. The mistake is that I asked them, `What did you use to do…?` with no -D on the end of the word. They said a -D should be at the end of the word use.
So, during the night looked it up on the Internet I found an article. The article said you can use `use`with no -D and you can also use with a -D to talk about the past tense. The article said that the Cambridge Dictionary allows both (use and used), therefore I looked the word `use` in the Cambridge Online Dictionary and (low and behold) I knew I was right. Therefore, I also went to Amazon.co.jp and I looked up the book printed book version. I printed the article, the online Cambridge Dictionary version, and the printed Cambridge Dictionary that the students could buy.
The next morning, I went back into that class and I told them that I would be lecturing them for about 10 minutes about classroom manners and behavior, and that I had three points to address. Now this is something that I should not have to do because the students were from ages 40 to 60. First, I presented them with the documents that I had printed. Then I told them since they wanted to go behind my back to the other teacher and question my teaching capabilities that I would show them my teaching qualifications. So, I wrote on the board, in Japanese, that I had a bachelor's degree from the USA, a master's degree from the UK, and that I had been completing my PhD in education since 2011 and I am going to graduate this year (2019) with my doctorate in education.
Second, I also informed them that I have been teaching for 11 years and one month in Japan (at that time), and that I also teach in Rwanda, Ghana, and the USA. I have lived abroad in four countries and studied abroad in four countries. I also speak three languages. Then, I also presented them with the printed versions of my books that I self-published last year. I told them I only had four of the 20 books that I have written with me at the bootcamp.
Third, on the board I wrote `What is respect?` The students told me respect is appreciating someone and being kind to someone. I agreed with them. Then I told them, `I understand that everyone is older than me; however, I am your teacher. I'm the native English speaker. I'm have more education than everyone in this classroom and I also have more education in the British teacher who only has a BA. So, if you want to respect me you, so if you want respect for me you have to give it to me as well. So, if from this moment if you respect me, then I will also respect you. Do you have any questions.` They had none.
From that point on, I had no more problems in the class and the other teacher informed me that they were actually behaving a bit better for him, as well. So, what I took away from this incident is that your students can question your capabilities if you are team teaching with a `white` teacher. And to be honest, it happens. However, when I have more experience and I am almost a doctor and the other teacher, who just happens to be white British, has only a four year degree then I take offense to that. Teachers make mistakes in class, it happens. Nonetheless, I did not make the mistake that they accused me of making in class. So, instead of them talking to me they wanted to ask someone (and of course they have the right to do so, but I was not wrong) who is obviously less educated than I am. I do not feel the need to be boastful or to say the things that I have accomplished in life because I am an excellent teacher. However, I discovered that in Japan you must always be ready for your students to test your teaching capabilities and teaching qualities.
Questions:
So guys have you ever had a student challenge you about a mistake that you may or may not have made? If so, what did you do?
Also, have you ever had a `white` coworker agree with the students behind your back also a mistake that you may have or may not have made? If so, what did you do?
Radio show:
I will discuss more about this topic on BLACK BOSS Radio on BeLive TV/Facebook Live!!! Thursday, February 14th 9.30AM Japan time/Wednesday February 13th at 7.30PM EST/Wednesday December 13th at 6.30PM CST.
Topics: Being 1-Step Ahead of your Native English Students
https://facebook.com/champagne.oden/videos/10161341506755285/
#1stepaheadofnativeenglishstudents #englishstudentsjapan #competitiveenglishteacherJapan
Upcoming Events:
Webinars
I will host a New and Free Webinar on February 15th, 2018 at 7.00PM JST:
April 2019 Job Cycle in Japan for English Teachers Webinar
Are you looking for an English Job in Japan? Are you looking for a new English Job in Japan? Do you know the best time to apply for jobs in Japan?
Click this link to learn more about and register: https://mailchi.mp/d7f67354b501/april-2019-english-jobs
#april2019englishjobs #newEnglishjobJapan #getteachingjobinJapan
To make a long story short, let me explain the setup of the Boot Camp. There were two classes that myself and another teacher, from Britain, thought together. We would have a rotation, so we would teach the classes every other class. During one of the classes, the students students thought I had made a mistake on a word, which I did not. After I taught that class, the other teacher taught the class, who was a white British male teacher (who also had a lot less education than I do).
Then the students went on and on and really pressured him to expose that I made a mistake in class. He told me that he informed them that I had `indeed` made the mistake, which I did not. So being the qualitative researcher, scholar, PhD candidate that I am, I decided to research the mistake that they thought that I had made. You are probably asking what (they thought) the mistake was. The mistake is that I asked them, `What did you use to do…?` with no -D on the end of the word. They said a -D should be at the end of the word use.
So, during the night looked it up on the Internet I found an article. The article said you can use `use`with no -D and you can also use with a -D to talk about the past tense. The article said that the Cambridge Dictionary allows both (use and used), therefore I looked the word `use` in the Cambridge Online Dictionary and (low and behold) I knew I was right. Therefore, I also went to Amazon.co.jp and I looked up the book printed book version. I printed the article, the online Cambridge Dictionary version, and the printed Cambridge Dictionary that the students could buy.
The next morning, I went back into that class and I told them that I would be lecturing them for about 10 minutes about classroom manners and behavior, and that I had three points to address. Now this is something that I should not have to do because the students were from ages 40 to 60. First, I presented them with the documents that I had printed. Then I told them since they wanted to go behind my back to the other teacher and question my teaching capabilities that I would show them my teaching qualifications. So, I wrote on the board, in Japanese, that I had a bachelor's degree from the USA, a master's degree from the UK, and that I had been completing my PhD in education since 2011 and I am going to graduate this year (2019) with my doctorate in education.
Second, I also informed them that I have been teaching for 11 years and one month in Japan (at that time), and that I also teach in Rwanda, Ghana, and the USA. I have lived abroad in four countries and studied abroad in four countries. I also speak three languages. Then, I also presented them with the printed versions of my books that I self-published last year. I told them I only had four of the 20 books that I have written with me at the bootcamp.
Third, on the board I wrote `What is respect?` The students told me respect is appreciating someone and being kind to someone. I agreed with them. Then I told them, `I understand that everyone is older than me; however, I am your teacher. I'm the native English speaker. I'm have more education than everyone in this classroom and I also have more education in the British teacher who only has a BA. So, if you want to respect me you, so if you want respect for me you have to give it to me as well. So, if from this moment if you respect me, then I will also respect you. Do you have any questions.` They had none.
From that point on, I had no more problems in the class and the other teacher informed me that they were actually behaving a bit better for him, as well. So, what I took away from this incident is that your students can question your capabilities if you are team teaching with a `white` teacher. And to be honest, it happens. However, when I have more experience and I am almost a doctor and the other teacher, who just happens to be white British, has only a four year degree then I take offense to that. Teachers make mistakes in class, it happens. Nonetheless, I did not make the mistake that they accused me of making in class. So, instead of them talking to me they wanted to ask someone (and of course they have the right to do so, but I was not wrong) who is obviously less educated than I am. I do not feel the need to be boastful or to say the things that I have accomplished in life because I am an excellent teacher. However, I discovered that in Japan you must always be ready for your students to test your teaching capabilities and teaching qualities.
Questions:
So guys have you ever had a student challenge you about a mistake that you may or may not have made? If so, what did you do?
Also, have you ever had a `white` coworker agree with the students behind your back also a mistake that you may have or may not have made? If so, what did you do?
Radio show:
I will discuss more about this topic on BLACK BOSS Radio on BeLive TV/Facebook Live!!! Thursday, February 14th 9.30AM Japan time/Wednesday February 13th at 7.30PM EST/Wednesday December 13th at 6.30PM CST.
Topics: Being 1-Step Ahead of your Native English Students
https://facebook.com/champagne.oden/videos/10161341506755285/
#1stepaheadofnativeenglishstudents #englishstudentsjapan #competitiveenglishteacherJapan
Upcoming Events:
Webinars
I will host a New and Free Webinar on February 15th, 2018 at 7.00PM JST:
April 2019 Job Cycle in Japan for English Teachers Webinar
Are you looking for an English Job in Japan? Are you looking for a new English Job in Japan? Do you know the best time to apply for jobs in Japan?
Click this link to learn more about and register: https://mailchi.mp/d7f67354b501/april-2019-english-jobs
#april2019englishjobs #newEnglishjobJapan #getteachingjobinJapan