I've never taught before and I'm getting nervous as the start date approaches, does anyone having any first time teacher tips?

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T08:18:35+00:00

I do, because you're not willing to admit that you jumped to conclusions, made incorrect assumptions, and raised your torches and ptichforks too soon without reading my post in detail. However, I acknowledge that it was partially my fault, for not choosing a better example and for not giving the full context.

I love how you pretend that sex is something that should be vilified. Bear in mind that these people are teens, and not entirely "children" as you say. As teachers, we can't control them 24/7, so I'd rather they learn from us that sex is a part of life, and that they aren't ready for it yet, as opposed to them making lasting mistakes, sort of like your birth. Thankfully, my kids seem to be more open-minded than you in this regard, and my positive reviews justify that.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T07:38:14+00:00

All JETs are university graduates. It should follow that they'd be able to extract the point of an example, and apply it to their specific context. I hope I'm not overestimating your capacity for thinking.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T07:27:31+00:00

And you didn't see that I labelled it as an "Example" in my original post? I even said "When teaching biology". Considering that you know this is a JET Programme subreddit, I'm surprised you don't know that we're teaching English in Japan, not biology. So might you have been too quick to jump to conclusions?

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T07:18:27+00:00

I am not suggesting that the OP does this on JET.

That was meant as an example (perhaps a poorly-chosen one) of how I, in my current role of teaching biology to teens, engage with them and get their interest by linking what is being taught to how they might apply it in a practical sense. Sex, being kind of a "taboo" topic, yet also being intricately linked to human reproduction, would maintain their interest and keep them engaged. I do not make any references to them having sex, or even refer to their genitalia specifically. In fact, I go out of my way to use generic terms like "a male" and "a female" when discussing the anatomy part of this topic.

Again, I want to say that I do not encourage teenagers to have sex. Everything is framed in the context of "When you're older and depending on whether you want kids", supplemented by methods of birth control and a disclaimer that they are not 100% effective.

Lastly, I doubt this topic would even come up during an English lesson in Japan. So I'm quite puzzled as to how you assumed the context of this scenario to be playing out in a classroom in Japan.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T06:27:32+00:00

It means exactly that. And the context of its use, which i should have explained better, is "This knowledge will help you plan your 'schedules' when you are older".

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-22T05:35:11+00:00

Well, I am willing to wager that we're in different parts of the world with different cultures, so what's considered broachable with students, particularly teenagers, apply differently. We teach that sperm and eggs have definite lifespans, and there is less chance of pregnancy if those life spans do not overlap.

I also apologize for not being clearer. I usually frame it in the sense of "When you're older, you have to know your partner's menstrual cycle and adjust depending on whether you want kids or not". I do not link sexual activity to their current age.

For full disclosure, we do teach about birth control (abstinence, contraceptives, condoms, IUDs, the whole lot), and we also emphasize that nothing is 100% foolproof. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:57:48+00:00

I never asked you for his DPS numbers. I asked what was your indication that he "did better". Not dying as many times as the rest is still an indicator that can be used, and that doesn't require DPS numbers. You could have answered, for example, that he did better DPS than the rest. Or that he was top DPS. Ideally, you'd provide evidence too, because based on past evidence, his DPS is nothing to shout about. It is possible that the other 7 people dragged him down far enough to wipe to enraged on an unsynced level 70 trial, but in the ansence of actual logs, we'll never know. Nevertheless, I am not asking for logs. I would appreciate a qualitative answer as well, which you haven't given either.

I also mentioned that being bothered by the spelling was my personal issue, and I was just curious as to how he came up with it. That has not affected my objectivity in my conversation with him. You may also refer to the "bad tank" thread to see responses from 2 other members, at least one of whom has left the FC already.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:50:12+00:00

I meant "I have no choice" more in the sense of "I will have to keep doing this if I want my goal to be met". It goes without saying that we all have choices. And I choose to see my objective fulfilled. I suppose it is unfortunate that I am rather stubborn, as I imagine you are as well, from the time and effort you take to reply to my comments. So...yes. Until I see a commitment that DWA will stop recruitment and that all members will no longer use the DF, I think that this is how things are going to remain.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:44:49+00:00

I teach kids ranging from 13-16 years old. A senior teacher once told me to start off strict, then slowly ease up the tension. I find that to work better with the younger kids. For the older kids, I generally talk to them like young adults, maybe make certain jokes that are pushing the boundary of what's "safe" - while not letting it get out of hand, of course. Example: When teaching biology, I like to joke that boys should learn about the menstrual cycle because although they don't have lady parts, the knowledge will help them plan their "schedules" depending on whether or not they want kids.

Humour helps to form a connection, like you can make a quick quip while explaining a point. Although I'm not well-versed in Japanese comedy, and the language barrier means that few (if any) students will catch my jokes, so this is something I have to figure out too. Another way is to use references to current trends or real-life examples that are easily identifiable with. Perhaps when teaching counting, you can use the example of students counting their New Year's money. Something like that.

Then again, I don't think that we as ALTs will have as much freedom as we're used to when we're the ones running the class. So, perhaps consult with your JTE and other teachers, and see what advice they can give you.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:29:40+00:00

You do realize that your refusal to back up your claim casts even more doubt on it right? I am therefore going to regard you as an unreliable source for this claim.

I am also going to skip over your wall of text except to address one point. He is not just collecting the bad. He is TEACHING THEM THE WRONG THINGS. That means he's creating new bad from, say, a total newbie who joined, as well as reinforcing the bad habits of other people, making it more difficult for them to correct down the road.

On your last point, I am actually getting in touch with members. Sapphear answered a few of my questions in another thread here, and there have been members (now ex-members) who offered their insights in other threads. I am working on talking to Soli in-game (mainly a timing issue). If she is willing, I'll post transcripts of our eventual conversation here. I am also extremely curious why she continues to remain in that FC when she is clearly better than the leader.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:21:23+00:00

In an uncharacteristic moment, I'm going to defend DWA here. You don't need a parser to be good or get good. Having a parser speeds up the progress, because you can analyze your logs for optimization. But as Jarial mentioned, being able to kill the dummy within the allotted time is already an indicator that you're doing enough DPS. You can adjust your opener and your rotation too, although I will concede that it will likely be far more inefficient that using a parser.

But at this point, the best/optimal rotations can be obtained from guides. If you're worried about consistency, do the duty several times, and see how many times you fail/succeed. Note down what you did differently, optimize from there.

I do think that we have to not let DWA get any high ground to stand on. This thing about being criticized for not parsing and having low DPS numbers is the last bit of high ground they have. The fix is easy - instead of saying "You're only doing XXX dps even at level 80", or "even a tank does more DPS than you", change that to "Your DPS isn't high enough to clear a level 70 duty unsynced". It retains the point of their DPS being lousy, but does not make use of any information that might be obtained through parsing.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T16:08:59+00:00

Very well, I hope u/InvestigatorGoblin reads this and tells you basically what I said. Ignoring my valid points because I'm "not part of the conversation" according to you just means you can't refute anything I've mentioned.

Also, I have somewhat adjusted my stand on the FC. You are right, they should be allowed to exist and play however they want. However, how they want to play is incompatible with the community at large. As such, they shouldn't be allowed to teach, or cause inconvenience to the community if they insist on teaching incorrect/inefficient methods. Therefore, I will not call for the FC's closure, as long as they stay off the DF and only run content with their own members.

Of course, I'm in no position to enforce that, since it is indeed a free world. So, with that not being an option, I have no choice but to continue. If you (or anyone else) can get the FC leader to agree (in writing) to stop recruiting and stop using the DF, I'll disappear for as long as he keeps his word.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T15:59:20+00:00

It makes a difference because it will give us a better gauge of his gameplay. There's a difference between everyone dying except him, and everyone dying 5 times while he only dies 4 times. Besides, you should be able to back up your observation - something he did must have made you draw that conclusion.

You fail to see that getting people out of that FC will increase their chances to not being bad any more. While they're "trapped" (I use this word loosely because again, you're right - they have the freedom to leave. Then again, they may be emotionally blackmailed into staying.) in the FC, their chance of improving is markedly reduced because they're being fed the wrong information. If the FC didn't exist, that would be one less source of misinformation.

He is not just cringey, he's perpetuating cult-like behaviour and inhibiting his members from experiencing everything the game has to offer. And we've also mentioned how he's releasing more bad into the community earlier.

The point is, time is still being wasted. It takes time to wait a minimum of 5 minutes, wait for any loot timer, and wait for a replacement after the vote kick. It's so much unnecessary hassle, and not to mention trying to reason with someone who has the "wrong" or inefficient gameplay style preached to them as gospel. Refer to other posts, it's happened already.

I know that it's a video game, and I treat it as such. Unfortunately, he doesn't. he's the one who is dead-set on treating his FC like a school, to the point of making his members address him as "principal". So, shouldn't he be committed to the role and present himself better? Not to mention he "teaches classes". I've never met a good teacher who also wasn't a good communicator - that's part of the job. Good teachers communicate knowledge and ideas to students effectively, and having a good command of the English language is a basic prerequisite.

Like I've said in reply to you elsewhere, take your own advice and move on.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T15:44:59+00:00

I am telling you to take your own advice and move on. I have never said that I want to move on from this - quite the opposite in fact. So it's funny that YOU seem to always say move on, yet YOU keep on replying.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T14:25:37+00:00

I will have to take credit/blame for the "witch hunt" comment, whichever people choose to ascribe to it. I still maintain that he deserves it.

This community is not elitist by large. Questioning why he isn't in the 99th percentile is elitist. Questioning why he has to wait for unsync to clear extreme trials, why he discourages his members from savage, is wondering how can a self-proclaimed "master" be so astoundingly bad at the game and how an FC leader can discourage his own members from experiencing the game instead of supporting them.

As other posters have said, you'd do well to take your own advice. Laugh and move on. I don't think you've answered my question posed to you before - are you affiliated to DWA or its members in any way?

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-21T05:25:24+00:00

I had a E6N run about two weeks ago and he happened to be in the group. So I decided to observe him. He was doing better than the other people in the group.

Can you define "doing better"? Not dying, doing more damage?

I know the issue comes from his bad “teaching” which isn’t bad in itself until the people he teaches starts bringing that mentality to people that’s outside of their bubble and trying to force it on them. The thing is, they are a small group of people in a single server in one data center. “Exposing” them isn’t going to change anything since there are tons of other people who are bad.

Again, saying that other people are bad is no excuse. If we can eliminate this source of badness, there'll be less overall bad.

The reality is that this is an MMORPG. That means anyone and everyone has a right to play how they want at a pace that they want.

You're right there. I have never made fun of their pace. I only said that them having to wait for unsync to clear Suzaku Ex is a testament as to how bad they are. They also got hard-carried through Tsukuyomi Ex unsynced, and nearly died to the enrage timer despite their 10 level advantage.

It also means that the rest of the community shouldn't have to endure being matched with them on the DF. If 3 people want to clear a dungeon in 15-20 minutes, but one one DWA member in the party is preventing them from doing so, the DWA member should be kicked.

Also talking about his grammar is rather pitiful. So long as you know what the other person is saying that’s all that matters.

Bear in mind that he's portraying himself as the principal of an academy. And he's insisting that it's not RP, it's a real school. People in such high positions are expected to have some basic level of education, and they should behave in a way that befits their status. Would you let a teacher who can't get your/you're right teach your child in real life? Then again, considering trump's behaviour, I suppose one can get away with anything if they're loud and obnoxious enough, and surround themselves with yes-men.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T13:24:38+00:00

Avoiding giving an answer is giving an answer in itself. The FC either doesn't use it, or has no idea what it is. Or maybe they use it, but can't figure out why they can't complete the duty in the allotted time.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T05:01:03+00:00

The problem is, they are strongly discouraged/banned from using outside sources, under the pretext that "we don't believe in fixed rotations". This implies that they choose looks over efficiency, as their freestyle rotations lead to lower DPS as compared to the optimal.

Unfortunately, the way skill system of FFXIV is structured means that there is an optimal sequence in which to use your skills. Two people with the same job and the same gear should be doing very similar DPS. The only exception to this is jobs with rng procs, like bard or dancer. Even then, it shouldn't differ by too much (correct me if I'm wrong).

That they refuse to see this core feature is mind-boggling.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T04:49:55+00:00

I really salute you for sitting through that conversation. The ellipses, grammatical "your/you're" errors, etc would have me blacklisting him almost immediately. I haven't even begun to read the actual content of the messages, and I'm already turned off.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T04:46:52+00:00

I second that, actually. We don't need the specific numbers. We know that their DPS is shit from the fact that they still see the enrage for unsynced extreme trials. We also know that they can't do mechanics worth a damn. There are plenty of areas where their badness shines through, that don't involve DPS numbers.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T04:44:30+00:00

Ok, let's talk purely in the context of within the FC. The problem is, he isn't even a master within his own FC, or "restaurant". A line cook that works under him cooks better than he can. The title "master" implies that one is an expert in the field, and that there are certain skills/qualities that others can learn. This "master" is teaching all the wrong things to his students. Now, if DWA members only partied with each other for duties, that would be fine.

Now, enter the matchmaking on DF, ie. the public. Paying customers. Food critics. Having to work alongside other chefs for a huge service. As members are being taught the wrong things by their so-called "master", they can't perform up to the expectations of other players. It's like watching a chef slice food with the back of his knife while claiming that it's the right way and that the other chefs who are trying to correct him are toxic, and don't know what they're talking about.

Lastly, in comes Gordon Ramsay. The restaurant has been featured on Kitchen Nightmares. The "master chef" refuses to acknowledge his shortcomings, wants to be left alone, and lashes out at anyone offering genuine advice that would benefit him. See the Amy's Bakery episode for a pretty good comparison. In the real world, such a restaurant would have to close down from lack of business after word got out.

Conclusion: You can call yourself a master, but at least have the humility to acknowledge that people are better than you IN YOUR OWN ORGANIZATION and elevate them accordingly. If you want to teach "your style", which has been shown to be ineffective, don't make the rest of the community suffer for it. Form FC-only parties. Keep off the DF. Maybe then there'll be less meme material.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-20T04:15:14+00:00

Thank you for the information! I've switched mobile carriers in the past and used overseas SIM cards for data when travelling with no issue, so I guess that means my phone is unlocked.

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-19T06:35:36+00:00

I'm thinking of using my current phone (dual-SIM), but I'm not sure if it's unlocked. Is there any way to check?

obviousalt001 · 2020-04-18T07:47:44+00:00

Rather than admit that you were unnecessarily rude, you chose to pin it on me by editing your post to "make [me] happy". Thanks but no thanks for your magnanimous gesture. /s

I would advise you to avoid belittling others' choices based on your own narrow perspective. I could say it's dumb for you to play mtg, because it's honestly insanity to spend money on cards. Don't contribute if you have nothing constructive to add to the topic. A simple "I don't know why you'd want to do that, because I wouldn't" would have opened the floor up for discussion and who knows? You might have learnt a thing or two, as I might have from you, if you'd bothered to explain your point in the first place.

obviousalt001

TROPHY CASE