Seminars - Good or bad?

A lesson in school is only as good as the last lesson - that's the way I think. There are so many different variables that can make a lesson fall flat on its face - lack of planning, unmotivated students, topic being taught, day of the week and even time of the class amongst others which can all be ingredients in having a bad class. Of course, a well planned class with interesting and the correct resources greatly increase the chances of the class being a success. No resources and a 'teacher' who just talks on and on and on and then you have a classic example of how to make a class spiral down the plughole leaving everybody involved thoroughly bored and totally disillusioned.

That's how I felt yesterday afternoon, and then again this morning when I saw the same 'scratched record' standing at the front of the room. I made an 'escape' along with others yesterday and this morning left before people had even finished signing in. If they are going to have people 'presenting' seminars please, we need interesting people, people who know how to keep a group listening, people who can pass on knowledge in a way that is not going to send you to sleep.

Rant over!

Seminars are good for you when at the end you do get a certificate that will allow you to renew the work permit that you have...

There are some good pointers in the seminar, but they are well hidden and I agree that the speaker can be a bit boring, what he is trying to do is to show us how the students should learn in a class, the way he teach, but he also tell us that we can not do that since we do not have enough time...

First, stay awake and pay attention, then you will learn..
second, don't leave for golf when the only interesting subject is on the agenda...
thirdly, drink loads of alcohol the day before so you feel "happy" all day long...

Snowflake wrote:drink loads of alcohol the day before so you feel "happy" all day long...

Did that the day before and come lunch-time felt like throwing the speaker out of the window!

Finished at approximately 3:40pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin

What the guy was doing was offering a different approach to teaching. Ok, if you feel you already know it all or are not open to accept a different opinion to your own, and go in there with that mind-frame, then it would be a complete waste of time.

I have spoken to a number of people who took something useful from the 3 days.

A lot of it was not relevant to me, but it was interesting to hear what the other teachers in the room were up against.

It may have proved a benefit to me financially too, so it was time well spent in my book.

Interesting that 1 of his topics discussed the bad name we all get branded with from schools because some farangs are seen to turn up minutes before class and clock off hours before everyone else.........

I made an 'escape' along with others yesterday and this morning left before people had even finished signing in.

Damn, I have just finished writing a long post on this subject and ole Ginger beat me to it.

OK, now, a condensed version. The main speaker bored the tits off me ... and a few other people judging too they were disappearing. When I did my TEFL, quite a few years ago I was told that the 'speaker/teacher' or whatever you want to call him/her is there to be a facilitator and encourage his/her students to speak. Now, you can do this in many ways, the main way being interaction. Students I was told should make up around 40% of the oral class. This guy had none of that preferring to talk only about himself or the state of education in Thailand.

Right, before anyone has a go at me - yes I know I disappeared for a while, only because the 'speaker' was super boring (plus I had other work to do) but I know I did not miss that much after talking to others.

The young Aussie guy I thought was excellent, knowledgeable and most of all interesting. Why was he not running the show?

All I can say but I was not there for at least 50% of the seminar and I still get the 'golden' certificate. That'll do me. Goodnight.

Enough said.

All I can say but I was not there for at least 50% of the seminar and I still get the 'golden' certificate. That'll do me. Goodnight.

and to think....... there was a big fuss about how we are not allowed to fail the lazy Thai students that don't wanna do any work or take part in class!

Garry Ginger wrote:

All I can say but I was not there for at least 50% of the seminar and I still get the 'golden' certificate. That'll do me. Goodnight.

and to think....... there was a big fuss about how we are not allowed to fail the lazy Thai students that don't wanna do any work or take part in class!

Indeed, but I hope to high heaven that the farang teachers are more interesting than that guy!

Well I thought it was good. Managed to swipe a load of books, set up a web cam in the girls toilet, and robbed a load of stuff from the ep office while they weren't looking........ result!

It helps if you weigh up the options a little...... sit in a room with some young female thai and filipino teachers and listen to people moan about not wanting to do work, or sit in a room with some yanks talking 5h1t and facing a room full of kids moaning about not wanting to do work.

tough call

Perfect, that's why the the Thais employ foreign teachers!

The Teabagger wrote:Finished at approximately 3:40pm on Wednesday afternoon.

Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin
Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on Come on
Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin Know what I'm sayin

You did forget --> I'll get back to that later I'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that laterI'll get back to that later

I never stayed there long enugh to know if he ever got back to us on that, but I'll see...

Actually snowy, his phrase was "I'll come to that in a moment" or "I'll come to that later"....... just shows how little you listen in class.
Maybe he should have come and give you a slap the same as you say you give your students when they don't listen.

Interesting..... it seems it was the same faces that signed in then fooked off who were the ones that ate the free food then fooked off last night.

Ok, so I did bonk off on Tuesday afternoon... I could not take it any more... Sorry that you did not have the imagination to do that...
(My boss told me to leave... )

Monday I had to leave several times due to classes and sickness, I really did try to join in the boredom...

They party you talk about at Twin Lotus was a sudden invite thing so if other people has made plans before that, tough luck with people leaving early...

I came at 1800 and I stayed till 1940, I told the mayor that I was sick and then I went home... I might have left early but believe me, someone left long before me for far worse reason...


NO edit needed, bonk is in Admins vocab a very good word to use...

Happy new year...

Garry Ginger wrote:Actually snowy, his phrase was "I'll come to that in a moment" or "I'll come to that later"....... just shows how little you listen in class.
Maybe he should have come and give you a slap the same as you say you give your students when they don't listen.

Interesting..... it seems it was the same faces that signed in then fooked off who were the ones that ate the free food then fooked off last night.

Maybe he should try to be more interesting so that we would pay attention... Just to let you know... I did pay attention to him...

I'll put my hand up to that ..... the guy was totally uninteresting and I had other more worthwhile things to do than sit there bored out of my box. It doesn't matter who it is or the occasion, if I don't like it, I'm out of there.

Some seminars are great but yeah i agree admin, once its boring i am gone!!! I remember once when jj and i went to bangkok to a seminar we ended up teaching stuff there when we were supposed to be there to be taught!!! hilarious!
in my new job i have to do 8 per year....yes 8 PER YEAR!!! no choice but to go....i choose very carefully i hate wasting time at seminars! the last one i went to was on cyber bullying it was really interesting and opened my eyes to what has been happening to teens of this generation. Anyhoohoo.....thats my 2c worth gotta take my place back above Hua on the posting board!!