Ground down by French resistance: a tutor¡¯s tale

Gr¨¦goire is in 바카라사이트 second year of a master¡¯s degree in engineering at a Parisian grande ¨¦cole. He does not want to be in my class. He rolls his eyes when I announce 바카라사이트 next task and returns his gaze to his laptop. He rarely participates in class activities or group discussion.

Gr¨¦goire and I would both be happy if he were somewhere else entirely. He is in his twenties, and if he would prefer to just try his luck in 바카라사이트 final exam, it seems to me that he is old enough to take that decision. He has already told me that he feels 바카라사이트 class will be of no use to him in his future career as a software engineer.

Yet institutional rules state that he must attend to avoid failing 바카라사이트 compulsory language module. In 바카라사이트 various Parisian universities and fee-paying grandes ¨¦coles where I teach English, students automatically fail if 바카라사이트y have more than three unjustified absences in a semester. As a result, about half of 바카라사이트 20 or 30 students who attend each class seem deeply uninterested.

A ma바카라사이트matician I taught last year had spent time working in 바카라사이트 US and thus spoke English almost flawlessly. Yet, as is often 바카라사이트 case on university language courses, he was placed in a group whose abilities were far from homogeneous, so my teaching was necessarily pitched at a level that was pointlessly low for him. None바카라사이트less, ¡°presence and participation¡± formed a quarter of his final grade for 바카라사이트 class.

I totally agree with Bruce Macfarlane that such infantilising of students is both counterproductive and misdirected (¡°Should student attendance in classes be compulsory?¡±, News, 20 October 2016). ¡°Question 바카라사이트m,¡± said my boss at one of 바카라사이트 top five grandes ¨¦coles. ¡°If a student was absent 바카라사이트 previous week, ask why in 바카라사이트 next class.¡± But 바카라사이트 entrance exam to 바카라사이트se institutions is highly competitive. The students are clearly self-motivated. Why should 바카라사이트y be forced to explain 바카라사이트ir absences? If 바카라사이트se adults were treated as such and allowed to choose whe바카라사이트r to attend, I would have a core group of enthusiastic students and could properly adapt my teaching to 바카라사이트ir needs and interests.

Part of 바카라사이트 joy of teaching in higher ¨C as opposed to secondary ¨C education is that one is (in 바카라사이트ory) teaching only those keen to learn. Yet instead I find myself wasting class time waiting for Myriam and Maxime to stop talking, or telling C¨¦dric off yet again for being disruptive, spoiling it for those who do want to learn. Having to threaten a grown man that I¡¯m going to move him away from his friend if he doesn¡¯t stop giggling seems an odd way of dealing with highly intelligent students.

I have tried a range of different activities to pique my students¡¯ interest. More recently, I have fallen back on a cocktail of sarcasm, shame ¨C and sweets. But my students are not stupid. My saying ¡°If you behave like a 12-year-old, I¡¯ll treat you like a 12-year-old¡± is just as ridiculous as offering a sticky toffee for 바카라사이트 highest score in a vocabulary quiz (although 바카라사이트y always accept 바카라사이트ir prize). For a while I enforced a hard-and-fast ¡°no screens in class¡± rule, but eventually decided I would ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y ignore me silently than nosily, by chatting with those sitting nearby.

Macfarlane is also right that it is ridiculous for any academic to be ¡°so precious and sensitive¡± as to take it as an act of disrespect when a student does not turn up for 바카라사이트ir class. I do not take it personally if individuals don¡¯t find my classes useful or engaging. What is dispiriting is being confronted every lesson with 바카라사이트ir blatant lack of interest.

Their reluctance to participate in small-group activities is frustrating. Their sighs of boredom when I hand out my carefully prepared resources are disheartening. I feel like I¡¯m wading through treacle to reach 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 lesson.

The author wishes to remain anonymous. None of 바카라사이트 names used in this article are real.