Archive for the ‘TEFL heroes- Sandy McManus’ Category

Hi Bruce, welcome back to TEFLtastic. It’s a shame we never get anyone from TEFL International contributing to TEFL.net when it isn’t connected to teacher training. Let me know if any of your trainers are interested in writing book reviews or articles for us.

I am certain that can be arranged!

For Part Three, I’d like to do an update on what has changed in TEFL International and in the TEFL world more generally since your last comment in Interview Part Two on 28 July this year. I haven’t been following all the various stories very closely, so apologies if you have to repeat some things you’ve said many times elsewhere but I guess most people reading are in the same situation as me. I’ll ask for your comments on things I’ve heard, and then give you a chance to mention other things. 

OK

There are some reports of trouble with the immigration police connected to a TEFL International course in China- any information or comments?

I heard it all second hand but this is what I know.  In April 2008 the visa laws in China changed leading up to the Olympics.  Some people got caught in the cracks, the Course Administrator really failed (failed might be too strong of a term as it was a difficult if not impossible situation) and the police closed down the school.

I was unhappy with the way the CA handled things and I relieved him of his duties.  I immediately resolved the situation and we began offering legal courses the following month.

I have publicly posted on several websites about this situation and asked that if anyone feels they were cheated in some way that they should contact me directly or contact the BBB.

Can’t you just contact the course participants directly through their contact details and offer everyone a refund or whatever?

The accusation was not about one specific course.  (more…)

Candidate number one

Involves me, and Paul Lowe’s threats to sue me for never mentioning him on my blog (!?) or something, still can’t quite work it out. “Bizarro!” as TESall.com put it. I thought, what the hell if I’m going down might as well go down with a fight and show some people power and so started an I Am Spartacus campaign to tell everyone in TEFL what had happened. Messes the story up a bit that it was all bluster and he never did sue me, and that every blog he wrote to saying I shouldn’t be allowed to comment on there because I was guilty of a “hate campaign” (along with UsingEnglish.com, whose apparent crime was publishing my grammar game worksheets) just ignored him. So, not sure this one wins, although it did all take a break after online rumours (still unconfirmed) of a suicide attempt…

Candidate number two

-involves Bruce Veldhuisen’s TEFL International and their one time guarantee of academic standards IATQUO. Or not, as some kind of feud goes on to this day with them each accusing the other of being unprofessional and worse, which kind of makes you wonder about the judgement of the other side for choosing to ever doing business with them, doesn’t it? It’s got the usual recipe of anonymous blogs set up by people who slag others off for doing just that and bringing people’s family into it, but still not sure it quite takes the championship.

Candidate number three

This is more like it. TEFL Watch turns into an anti-TEFL International slag fest, with needless to say Brucey’s side not keeping out of it. Then, in a twist worthy of Dallas (or at least Neighbours), an ex-forum moderator becomes the accuser in chief of the management of the site because he suddenly decides that Bruce V and his crew and being treated unfairly, eventually driving the owner of TEFL Watch to give the whole thing up and start writing about healthy grilling with George Foreman. Nice and juicy, that one, and haven’t even mentioned the allegations of having to flee the country for their personal safety. Could still be the greatest TEFL soap opera of all time, but let’s see how the last candidate plays out-

Candidate number four

Can the anonymous blogger throwing accusations about Sandy MacManus uncover Sandy’s real identity and so stop him being an anonymous blogger throwing accusations about? And how does threatening to make him lose his job in the Middle East help with that? Or has Sandy already uncovered “Michael Flynn“? And what script writer is being paid for melodramatic twists like death threats? And why would Paul Lowe, the chief suspect, go from repeatedly claiming to the police that he has never commented on any blog let alone started one of his own to suddenly tell the police where that blog with the death threat and many of his bizarre comments is?

Votes for one of the four or other candidates below please:

Sandy MacManus, who turned 72 on Friday and will be confirmed this week as the oldest first-time TEFL World President nominee in history, has shot himself in the foot while attempting to inject some youth and a feminine touch into his flagging presidential campaign by choosing some 23 year old random posh bird, a self-confessed “jolly hockey-sticks, like my Mum” with a degree in Women’s Studies from Exeter University as his running mate. A source as close to Sandy as anyone could bear to get said that in private he gave his reason as “I’ve been out of the country too long and don’t know how to deal with those scary English women anymore, so I didn’t know how to say no.”

This is a historic day, however, as for the first time it is certain that there will be a female or a carrot top in the TEFL Presidential Office (”the White Room”)* next year
TEFL World Presidents through history: 

W D Minor
Wilfrid Owen
Rex Harrison
Dick Van Dyke- for his amazing ability with accents
Sean Connery- ditto
Mario Rinvolucri’s beard (he was in a delicate time in therapy at the time, and not talking to the rest of his face)
Sandy MacManus (disputed/ retired)
*Actually, the second cubicle from the left in the 3rd floor toilets  

As is my role as the navelgazer of TEFL, having had to take a close look at the battleground that is the teflnet recently has made me wonder whether something deeper is going on. Do I hear “class war” as an explanation? I’m never one to rule that out, but my theory is that, as is often the case with these arguments that go on forever, we are actually talking two different languages.

As me and Sandy have been doing more than our fair share of trying to see the TEFL capitalists’ point of view recently, let’s see if I can’t try and explain our particular (and peculiar) culture and viewpoint to them:

 - If you are a successful businessman who heads a large company, for many people that is enough to make you the enemy. and there is nothing you can do to change their minds. For example, how many people have admitted they were wrong about Bill Gates’s evil empire just because he has turned into Mother Theresa? That’s right- none! It could be due to a philosophy of class war or other political reasons, it could be bitterness, but it’s usually a version of the tall poppy syndrome. I personally think that the tall poppy syndrome is healthy, and while it suggests an abandonment of logic it’s no worse than the ‘rich and successful = good’ culture of the rest of the world (more…)

Sandy MacManus is back to his offensive best on his new blog The TEFL Tradesman, with a battle of the mystery foul mouthed attackers with a grudge.

And TEFL Watch forums have been reborn as TEFL School Reviews, where everyone can have a go at being Sandy.

I feel a bit left out just carrying on with the same name in the same place…

In case you are wondering, reunleashing Sandy upon the TEFL world is not 4 Proposals to Reform TEFL Part Two, which will be coming soonish.

I mean, really- how many students come to class saying “My priorities are English spelling and practising the alphabet over and over and over”?? You might be thinking that hangman is okay if it isn’t abused, but that’s what most TEFL teachers say about crack cocaine, and they aren’t right about that either. As I will be taking over as TEFL President of the World when Sandy of TEFLtrade finally finishes his long goodbye in a couple of days, my first act will be to ban Hangman in all classes under all circumstances. Any arguments will result in that teacher being sent to teach English in North Korea, as was really advertised a few months ago.

Rant “inspired” by this interview on englishteacherx.

I would be grateful if you could help me and TEFLers everywhere by sparing ten minutes to read this and do one of the actions suggested below

Some background: 2 weeks ago a certain Paul Lowe of Windsor Schools/Windsor TEFL came out of nowhere and into my life by threatening to sue me and the owner of the site my blog,TEFLtastic, is on. Obviously boosted by the success this effortless method had in shutting down Sandy McManus’s TEFLtrade blog and Wally Windsor’s site, he didn’t even think it was worth spending a few minutes checking what TEFLtastic had to say about him before firing off a threatening email. I can say that with full confidence because before I reprinted his email mentioning legal action there was not one reference to Paul Lowe or Windsor Schools on my blog.

So, why should you care? (more…)

Thanks to all the people who have supported me in my fight (and the losing fights of Sandy McManus at TEFLtrade and Wally Windsor) against the vague threats and other bullying tactics of Mr Paul Lowe of Windsor Schools/ Windsor TEFL. The best way to tackle this man until he learns some basic manners seems to be to make sure that threatening legal action for no reason is the surest way to ensure that all the top Google searches for “Paul Lowe” and “Windsor Schools/Windsor TEFL” continue to be from victims of his unpleasant manner and worse. It will also make sure that the voices that are heard are those of his teachers, trainees and students rather than himself.

To achieve that I humbly ask anyone who has a blog- TEFL related or otherwise, even just your Facebook page, a specially started blog,or MSN profile- to give Paul Lowe and his school a mention. If you don’t have time to write an entry explaining your feelings about this person, copying and pasting this message will do the job just fine. Just pasting this into an email and sending it to everyone you know in TEFL would also be a great help.

If you know as little about his business as I do, a few words about him threatening to sue before there was any mention of him on TEFLtastic blog should suffice, and quoting his own words should show his personality better than our comments ever could (see Letter from a Reader post below for some prime examples). When he offers a full apology for his threats etc I will be more than happy to let him have his say on TEFLtastic.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer

Alex