I’ve often felt that in China a teacher is not only an educator but also a mentor, and that the position embodies much more than is typical in Western societies. An explanation lies perhaps in the fact that during the life of Confucius, the role of the teacher was tied with spiritualistic and moralistic concerns that have to this day endured in Chinese culture.

This enhanced role of the teacher in modern Chinese society is perhaps most apparent in high schools in the lead up to the 'gao kao', where a Chinese teacher’s job seems just as much about emotional support to their highly stressed pupils, as about academic preparation. The idea that a teacher has higher standards to live up to also seemed latent in the level of opprobrium and vitriol directed at Fan Meizhong, nicknamed ‘Runner Fang’, when he frankly admitted on his blog to fleeing for his life with complete disregard to his students during the Sichuan earthquake in 2008.

As a Western teacher in China, it can sometimes be hard to navigate this change in role and expectation. To compound matters further, foreigners' teaching styles and methodologies are often more open than what Chinese students are used to from their native teachers. This also can subvert the traditional perception of the role of teacher in the eyes of students, leading to a situation where the boundary between teacher and friend is blurred.

These confusions in social norms can lead to all sorts of uncomfortable situations and complications for the western teacher in China, especially when it comes to managing relations with pupils. Some examples I have experienced directly or indirectly include late night text messages of requests for help with English language homework due in the next morning, university students asking for ‘help’ (often a euphemism for re-write!) with their 20 page thesis, and invitations from adult students to attend social engagements or business function events on precious weekends off work.

Of course, as a teacher it is not unreasonable to provide extra help outside of the classroom and on a personal level you might be perfectly comfortable giving up your time to socialise with students, but what happens when these demands become excessive or if your students breach what you feel to be acceptable limits? Here are some points to consider when embarking on a teaching job in China in order to effectively manage your teacher-student relations and to avoid awkward refusals to extra requests for help.

1) Lay down the rules
Lay the rules of your engagement with your students from the beginning. Some teachers are only willing to interact and help their students with learning problems during classroom hours. If this is the case for you, politely make this clear from the start. If you are willing to give up some of your free time outside of contract hours, schedule a time for this and stick to it. Often 10 minutes set aside after a class finishes is enough. This is particularly useful for dealing with parents’ queries regarding the progress of their child, as opposed to them waylaying you as you leave the school building or inviting you round for tea (and an informal discussion session on their child’s performance!) on evenings you have free.

2) Decide on how accessible you want to be
At some stage if teaching in China a student is undoubtedly going to break what is a cultural taboo in Western schools and ask you for your phone number. Decide from the beginning whether or not you are happy to give out your phone number. A convenient way of circumnavigating the awkwardness of a direct refusal to an earnest student is to offer your email address instead. Receiving questions via email is much less intrusive and disruptive to your social life and is more manageable if a student is over keen with their questions.

3) Treat students equally
Perhaps this is just a case of common sense, but be consistent and treat all your students the same. Be sure that if you provide extra help to one student, other students or their parents will find out and demand similar consideration, which can quickly snowball!

4) Be clear on expectations and extra-curricular obligations
Especially if teaching in a private school where a large emphasis is placed on enrollment and reenrollment, being a successful teacher is often about being a popular teacher rather than being a good teacher. Schools will often hint at or actively encourage out-of-hours attention towards your students to keep them happy at the school. Check the terms of your contract before signing and make sure you are clear about the amount of extracurricular work you are obliged to carry out and how much you are comfortable undertaking on your own initiative.

5) Know how to deal with students’ emotions
China, just like the West, has many students under great educational pressure who can sometimes see in their teacher a key to their problems and can pursue this feeling romantically. If you feel a student is behaving inappropriately towards you, let your school or employer know immediately, rather than trying to deal with it by yourself.  They will be much more able to deal with the issue successfully and without causing offence, than you will be able to do.

In conclusion, be clear and fair when dealing with your teacher-student relations in China but don’t expect to follow the traditional framework in which the teacher-student role is followed in the West. Above all, have fun and enjoy the job for the rich and rewarding experience it is!
 

Related links
Teaching in China: What Can it Get You?
Teaching in China: Tips for First-year Teachers
The Chinese Teacher’s Paycheck

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: what is acceptable teaching relations China problems between student teacher China role of teacher in China teacher student relation China