Teacher ending class early

Author: Polyglot

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#1
Polyglot
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I’m curious on your opinion. I’m an ESL teacher who teachers private group classes to adult English learners, each class being an hour.

After teaching for about 55 minutes I will naturally end the lesson and leave the last 5 minutes for student questions and clarification. If no questions are asked, I will end early, no more than 5 minutes early.

However, my students began complaining that I end class early, even after they stated they have no questions. It feels unnatural to force something in those last 5 minutes just so they get “their full money worth”. Are these students unreasonable in asking for their 5 minutes?
#2
Lemming
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@Polyglot
'Sounds that way, yeah.
So long as you aren't making classes 5 minutes long and ending them 55 minutes early, seems ideal to have some flexibility time, yet still be able to impart the full lesson.
(Edit)
Though I suppose if someone is paying by the hour, they may want to feel they are getting a full hours worth of instruction, maybe they feel five minutes a day over times adds up.
#3
oromagi
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@Polyglot
re these students unreasonable in asking for their 5 minutes?
One approach might be tell them that what is unreasonable is to have no questions after 55 minutes of English language.  The English language is a messed up thing- a nasty tangle of influences. 

What if you didn't let them loose but instead started asking them questions to see how well they understood but told them they could interrupt with questions of their own at any time.  That might motivate them to think of questions and free you up from lesson planning and yet give the learners their full five minutes.
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#4
Polyglot
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Usually the students are given plenty of question time throughout the lesson as well. Me asking them if they have more questions at the end is just a way to hint that the class is ending. 

In my opinion, I think students should concern themselves more with the lesson quality rather than the lesson time. If I teach a high quality lesson for 57 minutes I still would have students complain that there are 3 minutes left. 
#5
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@Polyglot
A philosophy professor of mine ends class 5 minutes pass his schedule. The TAs are responsible for time management, but they let him go because students in the class (myself included) thoroughly enjoy his teaching. You might be structuring the class in which time is overemphasized. For example, my intro professor loved to play podcasts and that angered me so much that I developed a habit of leaving the class earlier than usual. Students are really not that objective in the class. I won't assume that I understand what you're going through and I don't know all of the facts in your class so I can't offer specific solutions.
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#6
Polyglot
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I guess if I was making an education center I would emphasize that students are paying for a class that is approximately an hour, taking the focus away from the time and more on the actual lesson being taught.

Sometimes when teaching, the class would go perfectly and a natural end occurs. I think it would be ridiculous to force someone to teach past this mark. 
#7
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@Polyglot
Sometimes when teaching, the class would go perfectly and a natural end occurs. I think it would be ridiculous to force someone to teach past this mark. 

Interesting. I suppose I should keep this in mind. I don't often know what my instructors are going through.
#8
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@Polyglot
Yes, they are being unreasonable, but maybe tell them to ask questions as they arise and keep it 60 minutes, so they stop bitching. 

Also

I am using duolingo

I saw that app that you watch shows while learning spanish. Is that good?


#9
Reece101
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@Polyglot
Time adds up. Twelve lessons of ending the class 5 minutes early turns into an hour. 
Maybe the time can be spent giving them goals for outside of class and talking about it the next lesson. 
#10
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@Polyglot
Me asking them if they have more questions at the end is just a way to hint that the class is ending. 
That's a cop-out. Of course the students know when class ends. And if they re paying for an hour, give them the hour. oromagi's suggestion is a good one. You're supposed to be a teacher. Be creative. 
#11
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@Greyparrot
You're an actual teacher right? What is she doing wrong?
#12
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@Wylted
If she is teaching adults, she should use the college class format. Which is teach the full agreed upon time that they paid for and see people after class for individual questions.

The student's time is valuable too and part of the exchange they are making to learn the material.

The quality of the education is already factored in through institution reviews and reviews of the classes of individual teachers. Most adults use the website ratemyteachers.com or other similar resources to decide if they are going to agree to a level of quality teaching from any individual instructor.
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#13
Polyglot
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@Wylted
I am using duolingo

I saw that app that you watch shows while learning spanish. Is that good?
Personally I don’t like Duolingo for language learning. It puts too much focus on grammar while using nonessential vocabulary to teach this grammar. If you want a good language app then I recommend Busuu, which has the same format as Duolingo, but with a much stronger curriculum. 
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#14
Polyglot
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@fauxlaw
That's a cop-out. Of course the students know when class ends. And if they re paying for an hour, give them the hour. oromagi's suggestion is a good one. You're supposed to be a teacher. Be creative. 
I agree, I actually started looking up 5 minute activities to do in that last bit of time. And not saying that I end 5 minutes early every time; it’s just occasionally. But those times that I do, I would get complaints, which I feel are unwarranted. 
#15
ILikePie5
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@Polyglot
However, my students began complaining that I end class early, even after they stated they have no questions. It feels unnatural to force something in those last 5 minutes just so they get “their full money worth”. Are these students unreasonable in asking for their 5 minutes?
What I’d do is make them do something much harder (interactive type stuff)in those last 5 minutes than asking questions. This allows them options of a sorts - they get their 5 minutes and you get to teach them/help them apply what they’ve learned.
#16
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@Polyglot
If those students are paying you for an hour, and they get 55 minutes of instruction, you're cheating them. Lower your rate.