Comments on: H1N1 as a reason for cancelling classes

By: Chris B

Chris B — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:51:34 +0000

Hi Alex!
Glad to see your site is still going strong and you haven’t been shut down by lawyers from disreputable London TEFL schools :-)
Just a quick note on H1N1, our university in HCMC was shut down for a week due to an ‘uncontrollable outbreak’ of swine flu, for that read sniffle and to bed for 3 days and you’ll be fine for christs sake. However, not too peturbed, it turned out a delightful mid-semester break, lovely weather, and I look quite good in a mask….
Whats your news? take it off line and drop me a mail
cheers
CB

By: Anne Hodgson

Anne Hodgson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:26:35 +0000

What?! They can cancel and get a full refund? Outrageous! Is abuse widespread? I mean, does anyone actually do the last lesson then, and if so, why on earth would they?

Apart from that, a good sulk is sometimes unavoidable, unfortunately. I had one yesterday myself. We are on a stage all the time, and the audience is everywhere, including inside our heads and online and when we’re not even there (and we’re always not somewhere we should be with a heavy work load, so nerves do frazzle. I’m not into professional therapy myself. I go round collecting hugs from friends. A glass of Jack Daniels did the trick last night, but that’s not my normal recipe.

By: Andy Mallory

Andy Mallory — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:11:08 +0000

Tricky one. The situation is constantly changing and one more fragment of bad news or someone in their circle catching H1N1 could tip the scales and have them cancelling their classes.

One thing (dahling) is not to take any of it personally. All (good) teachers are at least a bit sensitive and I am more sensitive than most – it seems. So it’s hard not to get upset when students don’t want to come to class any more.

But – it almost certainly has little or nothing to do with you.

Students are funny things. I have given up trying to understand them! How did that song ‘Rawhide’ go again??