My biggest teaching flaw: I'm not British

I had my first evaluation last week by my principal at the 'normal' school. He sat in on two of my classes this morning. I think he chose those two classes because the third class that morning is a nightmare of a class. Bad English level amongst the students and bad attitudes to match. Both of the classes he attended went rather well and there was no surprise that his review of my teaching was quite positive. I know I can teach (and teach pretty well), I don't need him to tell me that.

After giving me the positive news during the review, the principal went on to nitpick on a few details of my lesson. The theme of the class was modes of transportation in HK. Of course, we have the MTR which is the subway of Hong Kong. But wait: subway, in Hong Kong refers to an underground path that is used to cross the major roads. "In British English, we don't call the MTR a subway." Well excuse me sir! I was really tempted to say 'if you want British English taught you should have hired a British teacher, eh?!' I bit my tongue and let that one pass.

He proceeded to say my use of 'pants' was incorrect, trousers is the term I should use. I was seething at this point. He was making these petty remarks in front of the other English teachers. Maybe it was the 'Chinese' in me but this loss of face was a bit over the top. He stepped on too many of my toes. I had to retaliate.

A bit later on he said, "On the textbook, there is a few..." My time had come: "don't you mean: in the textbook, there are a few", I asked in my best non-sarcastic sounding yet sarcastic enough tone. Everyone's eyes lit up and the principal stuttered to say 'yes, you're right...uhh...sorry'. He backed off all criticisms of my grammar so I think he got my point. Dear HK principals, don't mess with your foreign English teacher's grammar and teaching style unless you really really know what you're talking about.

Keep in mind that my principal is a former computers and Chinese literature teacher. The principal, in my opinion, speaks rather shitty English in the first place with grammar errors throughout. Thankfully, I am only assigned at his school for this academic year (the school will be closing due to lack of enrolment) and I'll be posted to the boy's school full time next year. Maybe Mr. Principal will be busted down to teaching computers/Chinese lit again...or perhaps he could get a new position as an British English teacher.:)

When I first started working at the two schools, I'd never have thought that I'd prefer the behavioural problem boy's school over the 'regular' school. But that is very much the case. The boy's school has a great staff that are one big happy family. The boys, while very rowdy, respect me and even like to hang out with me during recess/lunch time. It pains me not to be able to converse with them in Cantonese but I do get my point across. It's funny, I sometimes speak Mandarin to them for the hell of it and that blows their minds. A Chinese looking guy who speaks English like a white person and speaks some Mandarin. I recently found out a whole segment of the student population thought I had come from mainland China to teach them English! Of course, very few of them can speak Mandarin but I get a kick out of talking to this one 8 year old who used to attend a Mandarin-only school and his English is clearly one of the best in the school. So in front of his classmates (outside of class, of course) I'll have conversations with him in half Mandarin and half English. The other kids are always amazed. It serves as a good (if only temporary) motivator for the others to study hard in their English and Mandarin classes.

On the other hand, the kids at the regular school are mostly indifferent towards me. One boy even swore at me, which would never have been tolerated at the boy's school. I wasn't happy with how the principal dealt with the matter, either. I have a good rapport with the staff and most students but on the whole it's a rather boring school. Otherwise, I can't complain too much other than the idiotic principal.

That's the deal with the whole NET scheme. Your job duties, job satisfaction and life in HK as a whole all depend on the school(s) you are assigned to and the principal as your boss. He/She could be a prick or he/she could be very friendly and accomodating. While neither of my principals are pricks the boy's school one is nicer, and by the simple fact that I rarely see him that makes things easier. He's the principal of both the primary school and secondary school so he's too busy to worry about me The times I have gone to him for guidance he has been very friendly and helpful. He's a new principle (he got promoted the same time I got hired) so I guess he hasn't grown into an egomaniac, yet. For all the teacher's sake I hope he grows into his role without one. I may stay at the school for awhile.:)