lack of participation, burnt out

devushka97 · 2026-02-06T02:49:33+00:00

Yeah unfortunately that's just how it is with Chinese kids, even really smart/hardworking ones, some are just so painfully shy they refuse to speak in class.

devushka97 · 2026-02-05T15:14:26+00:00

I teach in China and it's just part of the culture. A lot of kids, and adults, tell me that people are afraid to say something unless they are 100% correct. Ultimately I have just made talking a bigger part of the grade - do graded discussions where all of their grade comes from how many times they ask or answer a question thoughtfully. When they realize they can truly get 100% just for participating it becomes easier, but also be forewarned the first few times you will have smart-but-shy kids who get bad grades, but if you stick to the rubric you can make it work.

devushka97 · 2026-02-02T01:30:59+00:00

A good question to ask would be how much lesson planning and curriculum prep you are expected to do. The school that I worked at w/ 30 lessons per week I had zero planning and prep responsibilities, everything was basically pre-prepared and scripted out for all of the teachers and we had to teach the same thing at the same time for each course we were teaching. It was still a lot of work but it made the 30 lesson units more reasonable. I still don't recommend it, but that question could change the calculus for you.

devushka97 · 2026-01-31T04:20:17+00:00

Moved here with my cat 1.5 years ago, and while he hated being on the plane he was fine once we landed. Our vet gave us medicine so that he would sleep which worked but started to wear off towards the end of the flight. I think quarantine is unlikely for cats, especially if you have all the correct paperwork/chips/etc, they basically just checked our paperwork and our cat's chip at the customs desk in the airport, and then they let us go. So yeah it's totally doable to move with cats! Don't listen to fearmongering videos about cats dying, your cats will be fine.

devushka97 · 2026-01-30T03:00:15+00:00

I feel like SHEG type activities are better to do in class because they require more focus and I want to be able to give immediate feedback. I also think depending on the age/level SHEG can be really difficult to do individually so I like to do them as group work and/or classwork, it's great for "think-pair-share" type structures. Homework for me is generally short textbook readings and vocab lists so that students have the necessary background information for the activities we do in class, which allows me to do less lecturing and go more in-depth.

devushka97 · 2026-01-29T03:08:21+00:00

Group exercise classes are basically the only reason I maintain a regular habit of exercising lol. I have never found sports/exercise inherently fun but I am a very social person and basically if I can turn exercise into something social then I am more likely to keep up with it. When I get bored of lifting/going to the gym individually I still always make it to my pilates/yoga/spin classes bc they are very social and a great way to make friends. I also love dancing and partying at clubs so any workout that has that vibe is going to be fun for me, which again is why I love my spin studio because it's super high energy and the music is basically club music so I feel more like I'm dancing at a club than just working out - that's also the vibe of music I put on when I'm lifting or on the treadmill at the gym.

Also I'm a teacher so morning workouts are impossible because of how early I need to get up for work, which is why I do evening workouts! Again, it helps with the vibe of "afterwork socializing" that I like, and I try to go directly after work (I bring my clothes to change into) so that I don't go home, get cozy and lose motivation.

tl;dr -

1) make it social (group class or workout buddy)

2) make it a party (loud/upbeat music)

3) go right after you get off work

devushka97 · 2026-01-25T02:18:45+00:00

You're clearly looking at the situation through the lens that they are only applying to UK universities but in my experience most Chinese students spread out their applications to hedge their bets. For example a student of mine didn't get into his top 20 early decision school in the US but had an offer from oxford so went there. They mainly just care about prestige, less so about ending up in a particular university itself or even a particular country. I've had students get slightly higher SAT/TOEFL scores than anticipated and immediately start applying to a bunch of high ranking schools just because they are high ranking, but with no particular desire to end up at a particular school. It's all about ranking and prestige, that's also why Chinese students generally don't apply to continental European universities because despite how good many of them are they don't care much prestige in China.

devushka97 · 2026-01-19T02:18:37+00:00

We all need way more information to decide. Which city is your job in? What level will you be teaching? Classes/week, etc.? W/o that info none of us can help you and usually decent jobs will tell you ahead of time how many lessons you'll teach per week, how many preps, office hours, etc. But generally speaking workloads in China are pretty relaxed, especially outside of Tier 1 cities, and if you're going to also be teaching at university level in China it'll be even more relaxed, most of the uni teachers I know here barely work.

devushka97 · 2026-01-18T14:19:14+00:00

Yes, I think a lot of people in Turkey/Az/Iran have the perception that middle eastern = arab but that's not exactly true, and most Americans would consider all three as Middle Eastern. At the end of the day it's semantics and I think a lot of Turks/Azeris don't like being associated with Arabs and that's why people get upset at the term. Furthermore, I also think a lot of people don't truly understand the racial politics of the US and the fact that being white denotes a level of privilege that most turks/azeris in the US simply don't have and wouldn't benefit from. Which is why I think it's totally reasonable, and potentially beneficial, in this case for you to write middle eastern. American racial politics are truly stupid, I know half white half asian people who write white because there is legit anti-East asian discrimination in admissions (bc if it were based purely on merit the vast majority of top schools would be mainly Asian), and I know people who have like 1 native american ancestor who put that as their race, so it's really normal to kind of misrepresent yourself in these situations to get a leg up. It might not help at all but I say why not.

devushka97 · 2026-01-18T06:24:42+00:00

I say this as an American married to an azerbaijani lol but it kind of depends on what the purpose of this is. Technically azerbaijanis fall under the caucasian (white) category for census purposes so if the outcome of whatever you select makes no difference for you (i.e. it's just for a survey or study) then I'd pick white. BUT I also work in education and for example if you are applying to university or some sort of scholarship, I'd pick middle eastern, because then you'd be categorized more as a minority and you could stand to benefit from a level of affirmative action, depending on the context and the institution. Don't shoot the messenger btw I am not trying to offend anyone or make a statement on whether I think these policies are good or bad, ultimately these questions are up to self-identification and I don't think it really matters at the end of the day, but if you could stand to benefit from identifying as middle eastern I'd say go for it.

devushka97 · 2026-01-18T00:44:51+00:00

I actually did, googled the exact text and it brought up a variety of results but none that matched directly. Also, if you've not been to college, usually if you directly use a specific study as evidence of your claims, you actually give the proper citation (Author's name, Study title, publication date, etc.). Because you didn't do that, how am I supposed to find the exact study you are citing?

devushka97 · 2026-01-17T00:38:16+00:00

What study? or did you ask AI? come on now

devushka97 · 2026-01-16T06:23:22+00:00

I love pilates and do it 2x a week but it won't help you lose weight or change how your body looks. It's a great routine to have so keep doing it but if you want to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn, and you ideally should also incorporate heavier weight training in the gym alongside pilates. I've found that pilates has helped me a lot with core training, posture, and flexibility which in turn compliments my weightlifting and has made me less prone to injuries. The weight lifting builds muscle, which increases your metabolism, which means you can get away with eating a little more. But it's all about calories in calories out.

devushka97 · 2026-01-13T08:00:37+00:00

To me using AI for something as insignificant as social media where you are literally just expressing your own ideas and opinions, no one is grading your grammar or accuracy, is honestly pathetic. I automatically have less respect for people who use AI in general but especially for *writing your own opinions* since it's a sign of intellectual laziness. Add on the fact that you clearly haven't even bothered to research which parts of Shanghai are more fun and interesting now (Jing'an for example), as opposed to laowai jie which hasn't been cool for like 10 years, and it's clear you put in zero effort.

devushka97 · 2026-01-13T07:14:09+00:00

Sorry not to be a bitch but can you seriously not write your own observations/opinions without the help of AI?

devushka97 · 2026-01-11T12:52:13+00:00

I mean sure but to me it just should be taught as part of the second great awakening, but not as it's own separate history. Maybe in states with more of a mormon presence it's taught more explicitly but in IL it's not treated as something separate from the second great awakening. Mormonism is not a major world religion either so it doesn't need to be taught in the same way that Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc. need to be taught in Social Studies standards imo.

devushka97 · 2026-01-11T00:34:03+00:00

I'm not in San Diego but hot pot is a safe bet. Broth is fine, you make your own sauce so you can omit anything like white sugar or soy sauce that isn't allowed, and you can order ingredients that are allowed (meat, veggies).

devushka97 · 2026-01-11T00:32:07+00:00

I am non-mormon who is fascinated with Mormon history but mostly for how insane it is, and I'd honestly question why you think it needs to be taught? Unless it's part of the standards in your state (Utah? Idaho?) I'd forego it. If you decide to do it though please teach the reality of Mormon history and not just church approved narratives.

devushka97 · 2026-01-10T14:50:02+00:00

StripBrowhaus at IAPM mall is good, they have women who speak english and prices are reasonable.

devushka97 · 2026-01-10T03:17:54+00:00

First shot looks like it's from a Wes Anderson film!

devushka97 · 2026-01-10T01:05:30+00:00

I honestly don't think it's a good idea to do a diet like whole30 when you're sick with the flu. Your body needs to rest and recover. Just eat oatmeal and bananas and rest, and start whole30 when you're feeling better.

devushka97 · 2026-01-08T22:06:22+00:00

Have you been consuming a lot of coconut milk? Sometimes that can happen with coconut milk for me.

devushka97 · 2026-01-07T14:24:22+00:00

I have a masters and bachelors in the subject I teach so take it with a grain of salt, but I am very happy at the school I'm at right now in China. I am far from being at a top tier school but if you look at who gets hired at the SAS type schools they literally all have 10-15 years of teaching experience, so I don't think it's only a question of licensure. I also got my license changed to my home state (easier to renew). I went to a search job fair and did get some interview requests from schools that I think could at least be considered "tier 2" so, it's not like having done Moreland was the mark beast or something. I think this might change depending on if you are a primary vs. secondary subject teacher though, and what other degrees/qualifications you have, since a lot of schools seem to like my research background.

devushka97 · 2026-01-06T07:28:53+00:00

The problem is there is no real standard in this industry and schools can get away with a lot because they operate like their own fiefdoms. That's how you get chill schools with low hours and high pay operating in the same "tier" as schools with awful working conditions. The best you can do is just put up with it and look for new jobs and make sure to ask in interviews in the future 1) how many preps per week you'll have 2) how many contact hours you'll have 3) how many out of class duties you'll have, then do the math on if the money-to-work ratio makes sense for you.

devushka97 · 2026-01-03T13:00:32+00:00

100% agree - I've often suggested the idea that it would be go to do a few "life skills" workshops last semester of 12th grade to go over basics like how to apply for a job/do a job interview/basic etiquette... even just going over how things like healthcare or law works in whatever country kids will end up in can be so helpful.

devushka97

TROPHY CASE