Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 6, 2015 Share Posted October 6, 2015 What are your standards for outsourced classes? What would be significant enough for you to drop a class? Would the teacher's use of texting slang and informal language in class concern you? Would it be bother you enough to drop the class? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 At least one of the aops online tutors uses informal/conversational language. I don't mind as long as it stays polite. Things like IDK, LOL. Slang in class would concern hubby and me. We expect a certain level of professionalism. Hubby would drop the teacher an email or speak to the teacher before dropping the class. If a teacher hurt himself/herself and let out a swear word in that moment, it wouldn't upset us. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 What kind of a class is it? In-person or online? Text-based or are the participants talking? Does the teacher make a habit of this behavior? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I would give it a few weeks to see if other aspects of the teacher's behavior and quality of material/ instruction bother DS/ me. It would also depend on the kind of class. In jazz class for example, informal language is such a given and everyone is comfortable with it. The environment is such that they use nicknames and such with each other. (ETA: I don't know why I used "such" 3 times. Sigh). DS dropped a so-called "advanced" programming class at the CC when 2 weeks in, the instructor was still on the first chapter of a book DS had used in the intro version of that same class. The instructor was repeating so much material and when DS approached him to say that he would love to have some challenging assignments the instructor said sorry, nope, this class is mostly going to review the intro level and new material will be introduced only in the last few weeks. :confused1: He.dropped.it.like.a.hot.potato. :D 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairProspects Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm not sure this would bother me at all. Ok, it might bother me more in a language arts or writing class. The content and pacing are my major concerns for outsourced classes. If the instructor is younger I can see using some slang to develop rapport with the class. "Slang" is a relative term by age and generation too. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 What kind of a class is it? In-person or online? Text-based or are the participants talking? Does the teacher make a habit of this behavior? Online. Both text-based and talking. Yes, it seems to be a habit. Every.single.time. I don't know that I've seen any student/teacher interaction when they aren't used. Would this bother u? (Obviously it bothers me - quite a bit. ;) I can barely tolerate having the example in my post! :svengo: ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I would give it a few weeks to see if other aspects of the teacher's behavior and quality of material/ instruction bother DS/ me. This would be ideal, but the withdrawal period is only a few more days. :thumbdown: It's an expensive class, so I need to decide ASAP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I probably wouldn't drop for that unless it was an English class. I have dropped a class because the teacher bored ME to tears when I watched with Trinqueta. I ate the cost of that semester. It really was that bad! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 What are your standards for outsourced classes? What would be significant enough for you to drop a class? Would the teacher's use of texting slang and informal language in class concern you? Would it be bother you enough to drop the class? As others have stated, it would depend upon the class. I give a certain amount of latitude to an instructor that knows the material and conducts the course in a professional manner with regards to content, pacing, grading, and communications. However, I am old enough that poor grammar, spelling, and a lack of attention to details will prompt me to scrutinize a teacher more carefully. My student is old enough and savvy enough to recognize and deal with some of those issues. My kids/students are quick to let me know if they think a teacher isn't up to the mark and is wasting the student's time. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm not sure this would bother me at all. Ok, it might bother me more in a language arts or writing class. The content and pacing are my major concerns for outsourced classes. If the instructor is younger I can see using some slang to develop rapport with the class. "Slang" is a relative term by age and generation too. :) It's a foreign language class that also involves writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 As others have stated, it would depend upon the class. I give a certain amount of latitude to an instructor that knows the material and conducts the course in a professional manner with regards to content, pacing, grading, and communications. However, I am old enough that poor grammar, spelling, and a lack of attention to details will prompt me to scrutinize a teacher more carefully. My student is old enough and savvy enough to recognize and deal with some of those issues. My kids/students are quick to let me know if they think a teacher isn't up to the mark and is wasting the student's time. DD has raised some other concerns as well... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 It's a foreign language class that also involves writing. My kids foreign language instructors are all similar to "Mary Poppins". I would expect a K-5th class to be informal but no slang. 6th grade and up to be more of a formal/business language style. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 It's a foreign language class that also involves writing. Do you have a plan B for teaching the language or would your dd lose the year? If you've got another option, I'd let her drop. If she'll lose the credit, I'd have her stick it out. Is the text speak and slang in English or the target language? If it's in the target language, I'd see that as a real plus. Informal language is hard to pick up without a IRL person to teach you and it's important to know what others are saying and what you should avoid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Online. Both text-based and talking. Yes, it seems to be a habit. Every.single.time. I don't know that I've seen any student/teacher interaction when they aren't used. Would this bother u? (Obviously it bothers me - quite a bit. ;) I can barely tolerate having the example in my post! :svengo: ) For a high school class I'm paying a pretty penny for? Oh yes, that would bother me. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm fine if a teacher gets slightly off topic but gets back on task. I'm fine if the language isn't quite what I would use but is still decent and respectful. And I don't expect perfection. If they forget a handout and have to email it out here and there, that's OK. But a teacher who can't stay on task, who shares too much personal information, can't manage the classroom, or who is disorganized on an ongoing basis. Nope. We've been there, and I regret the $ we paid for that. My oldest has a professor who is really bugging him, but she's also the only one who teaches it this semester, both at that campus and online. She shares way too much and gets way off topic. In that case I told him to take a deep breath and stick it out because this is the semester he has to take it. That's a different story. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 What are your standards for outsourced classes? What would be significant enough for you to drop a class? Would the teacher's use of texting slang and informal language in class concern you? Would it be bother you enough to drop the class? My standard would be that the class does a better job than I can do at home. Informal language in class? Would not even register on my radar. I would drop a class if the teacher were incompetent in the subject, had unrealistic demands, created a hostile atmosphere in the class. ETA: Just read it is foreign language. I would drop the class if the teacher were not fluent in the language and if too much of the class time is spent speaking English. The informal language would bother me even less in a foreign language class because I woudl consider it completely irrelevant. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janeway Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 That would likely be enough for us to drop it. Thing is, if that is how they talk or give out written material, then I would guess that they are not very educated and it likely spills over in to other areas. We just dropped an outsourced class. In our case, we are Christians. We are moderate people and it was a secular science class through a public place. The class itself was great. But, apparently, the class was pretty much outspoken atheist children. These children were openly trashing on Christians and God in class. My children reported this to me, but I kind of figured it out before they did because I tried to hang out with some of the moms during the class time where the moms were hanging out. The children were just imitating the parents. I withdrew the kids. I don't know if the staff was even aware what the kids were doing. But, it seemed to me it would be a hard and touchy subject to try to complain about. What were they going to do? Kick the entire class out just so that the only Christian in the class didn't get hated on? Obviously the behavior from the moms and those kids was very bigoted. It was not something that I felt would be resolved because it ran so deep (the moms behaving that way) and wide (large number of moms behaving that way). 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 My standard would be that the class does a better job than I can do at home. Informal language in class? Would not even register on my radar. I would drop a class if the teacher were incompetent in the subject, had unrealistic demands, created a hostile atmosphere in the class. ETA: Just read it is foreign language. I would drop the class if the teacher were not fluent in the language and if too much of the class time is spent speaking English. The informal language would bother me even less in a foreign language class because I woudl consider it completely irrelevant. So this sort of thing wouldn't bother u? U would be OK with this sort of stuff in a $$$ online class? (Egads! I cringe just typing it!) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 So this sort of thing wouldn't bother u? U would be OK with this sort of stuff in a $$$ online class? (Egads! I cringe just typing it!) I would shrug. Not my preference, but it would not bother me so I would drop a class taught by a competent teacher that I outsourced because I am incapable of teaching the subject equally well. the one thing that mattered to me was if my kid learned the foreign language in class. So if the teacher used non-standard language or made mistake in that language, that would be a deal breaker. (Or texting jargon in an English lit class). Somebody probably told this person that this is the way to relate to young people. Whatever. As long as his French or Spanish or whatever the language is is impeccable, it would not bother me. Ideally, there should be no English in a high school level foreign language class at all... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I would shrug. Not my preference, but it would not bother me so I would drop a class taught by a competent teacher that I outsourced because I am incapable of teaching the subject equally well. the one thing that mattered to me was if my kid learned the foreign language in class. So if the teacher used non-standard language or made mistake in that language, that would be a deal breaker. (Or texting jargon in an English lit class). Somebody probably told this person that this is the way to relate to young people. Whatever. As long as his French or Spanish or whatever the language is is impeccable, it would not bother me. Ideally, there should be no English in a high school level foreign language class at all... But how would you know? If you don't speak the language, how would you know? I would think that the manner the instructor speaks in English would be a reflection of how she speaks in the foreign language. If she is sloppy with English, why would you trust her to speak impeccable French or Spanish? Would you expect her vocabulary to suddenly broaden? Her sentence variety to improve? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 But how would you know? If you don't speak the language, how would you know? I would think that the manner the instructor speaks in English would be a reflection of how she speaks in the foreign language. If she is sloppy with English, why would you trust her to speak impeccable French or Spanish? Would you expect her vocabulary to suddenly broaden? Her sentence variety to improve? I would want to see credentials of the teacher before in enrolled my student in a foreign language class. I would pay only for a class by either a native speaker or a teacher with a graduate degree in the language. I would expect the class provider to make such information available before enrollment. I do not think the use of informal English jargon gives any indication as to whether the person uses the other language correctly or not. It does not even indicate whether the person is capable of using standard English correctly - as I pointed out, this may well be a misguided attempt to "relate" to students. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I would want to see credentials of the teacher before in enrolled my student in a foreign language class. I would pay only for a class by either a native speaker or a teacher with a graduate degree in the language. I would expect the class provider to make such information available before enrollment. I do not think the use of informal English jargon gives any indication as to whether the person uses the other language correctly or not. It does not even indicate whether the person is capable of using standard English correctly - as I pointed out, this may well be a misguided attempt to "relate" to students. I've seen the credentials. I guess the words she is using speak louder to me than the degrees. I honestly don't even care if it's a misguided attempt to "relate" to students. It comes across as unprofessional and uneducated. It certainly doesn't encourage a student to strive for excellence. My dd has pointed out several instances of similar slang/sloppiness when the teacher is speaking/typing in the foreign language. I think it's a matter of personality and standards. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 My dd has pointed out several instances of similar slang/sloppiness when the teacher is speaking in the foreign language. I think it's a matter of personality and standards. Now that would be unacceptable to me. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 That would likely be enough for us to drop it. Thing is, if that is how they talk or give out written material, then I would guess that they are not very educated and it likely spills over in to other areas. I have at times thought that the part in bold was true, but have discovered that is not necessarily the case. Ds's AP English teacher for two years was absolutely excellent. Even she had an occasional misspelling, which given the quantity of written work she sent out, was completely fine. Ds's AP Biology teacher used informal, very brief communications. The class he taught was stellar. Ds's AP Spanish teacher is even more informal in his communication, yet he has taught AP Spanish for something like 20 years and ds did fine his month in Spain. There are many things I am willing to overlook, but incompetence isn't one of them. DS has never needed warm, fuzzy teachers, but heaven help the incompetent one. Occasionally, I have to remind ds that teachers may feel the same way. :D While as I said before, I do pay attention to grammar etc., rereading many of my posts on this board is often a humbling experience and I really do know better. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 So this sort of thing wouldn't bother u? U would be OK with this sort of stuff in a $$$ online class? (Egads! I cringe just typing it!) Is this in the chat box? That wouldn't bother me. You have to type fast and keep your sentences short if you want to text at a reasonable clip. The u or ok or $$$ isn't out of line in that situation. Some typos would also be expected because of how quickly chat moves. I'd also differentiate between slang and sloppiness. Incorrectly conjugating your verbs or not making your nouns and adjectives agree is sloppy, using a casual tone and informal speech is an essential part of being able to speak a language well. It doesn't do you any good to be able to handle the formal register if you need to buy something from a street vendor. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 Is this in the chat box? That wouldn't bother me. You have to type fast and keep your sentences short if you want to text at a reasonable clip. The u or ok or $$$ isn't out of line in that situation. Some typos would also be expected because of how quickly chat moves. I'd also differentiate between slang and sloppiness. Incorrectly conjugating your verbs or not making your nouns and adjectives agree is sloppy, using a casual tone and informal speech is an essential part of being able to speak a language well. It doesn't do you any good to be able to handle the formal register if you need to buy something from a street vendor. I completely understand typos and occasional misspellings. Those don't bother me. It's the overall tone that concerns me. It's also not in a quickly moving chat box. What are your thoughts about leaving off accent marks? Necessary part of an online class? Speed over accuracy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I completely understand typos and occasional misspellings. Those don't bother me. It's the overall tone that concerns me. It's also not in a quickly moving chat box. What are your thoughts about leaving off accent marks? Necessary part of an online class? Speed over accuracy? Can you use accents in the software? I've seen that the haiku software Landry uses allows users to use the alt codes for Spanish accents but not for Latin macrons on quizzes and tests. I have no idea why that is but I've run into the problem personally trouble shooting for T. The "solution" is to skip the macrons. This isn't due to the teacher's laxity it's just an artifact of the software. If they could use them but don't, I'd be wary. At this point, if you're so unsure about this class, I'd drop it and get my money back. Go with plan B if you have one or switch to a language that you can teach at home. If you don't have a plan B or a language you can teach at home, I'd carefully weigh whether it's worth putting off this course particularly if it means you won't have at least 3 or 4 years of a foreign language. That would potentially weaken your student's transcript if you're aiming at highly selective universities. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 What are your thoughts about leaving off accent marks? Necessary part of an online class? Speed over accuracy? Like accent marks for French or umlaut for German? It would bother me even for online. My typing speed in German and Chinese is almost as fast as English. I won't want my children to learn wrong spelling. The thing with slang is that it is colloquial and usually regional. Better to learn standard form of a language. I did technical translations from Chinese to English as an engineering intern. No slang in tender documents to worry about. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quark Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Go with plan B if you have one or switch to a language that you can teach at home. If you don't have a plan B or a language you can teach at home, I'd carefully weigh whether it's worth putting off this course particularly if it means you won't have at least 3 or 4 years of a foreign language. That would potentially weaken your student's transcript if you're aiming at highly selective universities. Agreeing with chiguirre. For kiddo, what you have explained (about other reasons for concern in addition to texting language and your DD's feedback about noticing things), would really sour his experience with the class and I'll have to put up with his huffing with irritation every single time. So if level of frustration/ irritation + low morale due to instructor's non professional behavior > than educational value for money paid, we will most definitely drop it. If no plan B and credit is absolutely necessary, we might stick it through one semester until I can find a plan B, and will move on after that. Is this something you can talk to the school/ instructor about? I'm so sorry this is happening. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrysalis Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I agree that the bigger red flag is the things your dd has noticed/mentioned. I don't think I'd drop the class just because of a little texting slang, in the appropriate context, but the things you mentioned that dd brought up would definitely be red flags for me. In general, I would be very harsh in my judgment of typos/mistakes/misspelling/grammar issues in any "printed" materials, even if online - syllabi, assignment instructions, etc. I think that failure to edit carefully in that context is indicative of the level of professionalism/education. I would be way less inclined to judge errors/informality in more casual communications, like chat box messages. However, the bottom line IMO is that if you feel that the way the teacher is presenting herself comes across as unprofessional or uneducated, I wouldn't hesitate to drop the class, especially given the issues your dd has raised. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I appreciate everyone's input. This morning I recalled some online conferences that I've been a part of that did not involve using texting slang. I've also spoken with some friends who attend business meetings online. The meetings are often fast paced and of utmost importance and urgency, but professionalism in the text area is maintained. Those who don't maintain it are not highly regarded. (Of course that is ripe for study into the interplay of perception and work performance...) This most likely varies widely in different locations and professional realms. In the end, it's not something I'm comfortable with or want to encourage in an academic setting. Thanks, again! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.