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I understand what you meant Killian about group activities. I am very successful at it, but it didn't happen over 1 class. I think I have some ideas to straighten out the little buggers.

Killian,

I teach at Schools #50 and #52 (12-15 years old, 27 classes a week, and 30 to 47 students per class) in the City Center. I live in Jinzhou and it is a bit of a distance to go to work but all I have is time and I am home everyday before my wife gets home from her work, so I don't mind.

This is my second term teaching at the same schools. And I have enjoyed it tremendously. I have a few tricks in my bag that are successful and would be willing to discuss them with you. But my main reason for replying is to give you my thoughts on teaching big groups.

For what it is worth here it is: I approach each lesson/activity/game with the criteria that each student will get the chance to speak and/or write in English and that I will personally talk face to face with each one of them. Sounds like a large task and sometimes it is but I have managed to pull it off most of the time.

Yes, many times I only get to speak to a student once in class, but also remember that may be the only time that they get a chance to interact with a Foreigner, so I think it is important that they get that chance.

Last term I used the book only three times and have not used it at all this term except to get the Module's Vocabulary Words for the activity that I was conducting. Don't be so concerned with the book, they know it by memorization and I approach my goal of teaching them by going beyond the book to make them think and try to be creative. Many times the sentences / phrases / answers they give are straight from the book, but I view that as good review for them as well. But more times than not they surprise me with something that they have given much thought to. Many of them can be creative if you give them the chance to be.

So send me a PM with your phone number if you want to talk about lessons and I'll call you.

Jim of Jim and Britton

Wow, I appreciate the great ideas.

Did you say you teach at #52 school in Liu Jia Qiao? I used to go there. Is Mrs. Zhang still the English Department head there I wonder, young Chinese woman, very friendly.

Yes she is still there and a very nice person, we have become really good friends. I enjoy #52 school and the teachers there, they have really treated me kindly and always are open to my teaching styles even when they don't exactly match the traditional Chinese ways or follow the book.

They don't have discipline there and they don't expect much from the foreigner except to put up with the riffraff, often on their own.

Mrs. Zhang is a sweet woman. She always welcomed me and treated me with kindness. I really appreciated her alot. If I have time, I would go visit there and say hello, I used to live around the block from the school.