tip jar

One of the strategies I’ve developed for the oral English class I call the tip jar. I actually owe the idea for it to one of the departing volunteers who spoke to our training group. She said she would have a blue box on her desk (I think her name began with a ‘B’, and she called it something like "Betty’s blue box"or whatever her name was). Students could give her feedback anytime by simply putting an unsigned note in the box. I wanted to implement something like that, giving students a way to communicate with me without having to be afraid of any repercussions, especially because students here are very reluctant to speak in class (which as you can imagine makes an oral english class quite a challenge).. So I came up with the idea of the "tip jar." I explain to the students that "tip" can mean one of two things. It can on the one had mean simply advice. But I also explain that a "tip" is money you give to a service person over and above the bill. This is a new concept to many, because you simply don’t tip in China. I explain to them that in many coffeehouses and bars a musician will often put out a something called a"tip jar" in which patrons are to put money if they like the performance. I then pull out my tip jar. I cut off the top half of a 1.5 liter water bottle and put a paper label on the bottom part which reads "tip jar." And I tell the students it is not money I want, but advice on how the class is going and suggestions on how to improve it.

The idea has not really caught on in most classes yet, but in the oral English class that met today, for some reason it took hold like wildfire, and students filled it with suggestions on topics they would like to cover for the class. Here are some of the topics they said they would like to cover:

The figure of Chinese in American eyes
I want to know some big events that happened in America which had a significant influence
I want to know something about America’s opinions of the family
Can we see films and listen to music in class?
Tell us some things about philosophy (obviously sucking up, i told them i was a philosopher)
I would like to know what American college students do
Some American places of interest
Tell us abut religion and culture