(1) Discussion: World teachers' Day
(2) Role plays: You are making a movie similar to Stories from Romania and are interviewing your partner who will be the protagonist (lead player) in your movie. You may use some of the questions in Activity 6 of the Stories from Romania worksheet, but you can also use your own questions.
Replies
Yes, it sounds as if your history teacher was a wonderful person, Tan Jingping. I think teachers should be like that, strict, but fair; and of course, they must have much patience (not all teachers have ... I know that!). But I don't think students should be allowed to give presents to teachers; I think that is unethical and places unfair pressure on a teacher when it gets to allocating exam scores to students. Yes, maybe some students don't do it for that reason, but I can assure you, some do (and they are even encouraged by their parents to do that). But I agree also that it is good to show gratitude to a teacher afterwards.
I agree Tian Jing, that students should be grateful to teachers for their work to help students get good results; but personally I don't support teachers day as I feel it places too much importance on the teachers. Yes, it is an important job, and we all know that; but students are more important! And without students, teachers would become redundant!
Thank you for your contribution, Tina. I am glad to hear about your teacher. She sounds like a wonderful person; the world needs more teachers like her who also teaches about life skills and good morals. Like her, teachers should be caring for their students and the students should be a teacher's first priority. Teachers should be selfless. I am glad to read you want to be a teacher so that you can have a good influence on your students. I think teaching is the greatest job of all (after raising children by the parents). But of course, because today's parents are too busy making money and with their own personal lives, teachers even have to take the role of life educators (like your teacher) and teach students more than just academic subjects. So, pursue your dream of becoming a teacher one day, and don't give up. And if you can do it, study further so that you can get at a university as it is so much more fulfilling as being a school teacher (well, that's what I think; maybe it is different for females?). :)
Wow Maxine, you have already commented on Thursday's lesson! About your three friends, to be honest, I think they've lost interest in English. I am very disappointed. Regarding the teachers, I agree with your mom that teachers shouldn't expect presents from their students (but I also know that many Chinese teachers do). I am glad that here the foreign teachers are not part of teachers day as I would not accept presents from students if we were included. But I really don't care as we don't have teachers days in my country and I am glad for that as I don't agree that teachers should be placed on a pedestal. They are there to teach and should just do their jobs! Btw, I also had a similar situation with a teacher in High school. He was my Accounting teacher and also my rugby coach (a sport). I was crazy about him and I excelled in Accounting and started to love Accounting very much because of him. He was also a good role model. After school I never saw him again (I finished school at the end of 1973); but you won't believe it, last year at my school reunion I saw him after 40 years! He (and me!) got much older, but still looked the same as my old teacher 40 years earlier! We had a very good chat one evening and talked much about the "old days"! Oh, and you are correct about teachers being strict as they (mostly) desire their students to improve and pass well! Thank you for a good comment. ;-)