Desk Art

Yeah, I know - - - I keep writing about how things are changing in Việt Nam.  But gimme a break – this is a just a fun observation..

When we first got here, all the desks in the classrooms were like this.  With big two-to-a-desk classrooms, it was hard to break classes into small groups for speaking practice, or role playing.  The desks were bulky and heavy, and most were not this nice.

But, beginning with the Fall 2005 semester, classrooms were changed over to foldable student desks that made it easy to quickly rearrange a room.  Nice change, eh?

However, I’ve found that there are some things common to all students to world over.  They get bored a create “desk art.”

It’s the same as you see in any school - - well, okay, maybe you won’t see Chinese characters on an Alabama school desk.

But there are lots of doodled flowers – and of course, romantic paeans to the student’s current love.

(Be sure to read the comments - some interesting observations have been made by Vietnamese.)

Comments

[T]

Yeah, that's too bad. I am not sure if it's the same in any school around the world cause I have not been there but in fact, not only "desk art" there also are "wall art" and "ceiling art" in the classrooms at my college. They could be pictures, poems, or crazy sentences and maybe some indecent things and maybe "chewing-gum art" sometimes. I remember my class, environmental science class, including me had to clean those art twice (as volunteer) when we were still student and I know how hard it is to do that. But that has no meaning with the other students and they are still keeping "creating" those kind of absurd art with different crazy inspiration. I found some of classrooms does not look like a classroom. I hope that the same problem with any school so I don't have to complain about VNese students :-) just kidding. But anyway, we need to think seriously of it; an awareness problem.

[Duong Lam Anh]

You may think I am a strict teacher but I really hate it. I often ask students to wipe them off, if possible. Easier with images on walls but very difficult/almost impossible with stubborn ones on the chairs. I think it is another type of graffiti and a very bad habit. Sounds funny, but I always include this as a requirement of my class, that students in my class mustn’t do this.
A note for you, Doug. That change in chair type in the classroom at the College did occur a little while ago when the new building was finished at the request of the English Department where students do a lot of pair work and group work. BTW, your observation of passive teaching and learning, that students here are not encouraged to ask questions, as mentioned in your article *So – Whatzzit Like to Teach English in Vietnam?* is what in the book which were written by ones who just *see what they want to see* and focused on the contrast of the West and the East. In practice, it is not true, at least with foreign language classes. I have been teaching since 1991 and have always been encouraging my students to ask questions, to challenge me and I enjoy it. Many of my colleague friends do, too. When I was a student, I was taught and trained that way anyway. So I was sort of taken aback reading that article, thinking as if I were reading an old page of that comparison and contrast type. Of course I do know there are classes like that somewhere in here but they are just part of the picture. Foreign language classes are quite different. And if you notice, you would easily see there are two different generations of teacher here, old and young… (and not in here only but everywhere I believe.)
Duong Lam Anh

[Doug]

Thanx to my colleague Lam Anh for the above comment.

I too dislike the "desk art", as both Tuan and Lam Anh do. Possibly I was a bit too light-hearted about it, but I just noted the similarities to doodling in America. But - it is ugly and demonstrates a lack of respect for the school.

But, the second part of his comment deserve a reply, and I will post one soon. His expereince differs from mine, and I wonder if student shyness is related to my being a foreigner.

[Tom Murray]

In the USA, the janitors would report this type of activity to school administration. The teacher would then be required to inspect each and every desk between class. Those desks with drawing would cause the student that sat in the desk that period to be pulled from class and disciplined for "destruction of school board property".

In some cases, in areas other than desks like walls etc., the case could become serious and an arrest may result, if the culpret can be found. This can escatlate to the school putting in cameras to record activity in 100% of the school, except for restrooms. My last high school had 72 cameras with loop tape recorders. This type of activity caught on tape can be used as evidence against what would be considered "criminal activity."

Your pictures actually look as though the white desk tops can handle writing and be cleaned without damage. I've not seen a desk like that in the USA. They are normally dark brown or black. On the one occasion that I did have light grey desk tops the writing escalated dramatically.

My air tickets to Vietnam have arrived. The trip is now official. My four USA college students are in for hte trip of a lifetime.

Tom Murray

[The Hoppy Mailman]

I was going to ask if there was some chewing gum art under the desk, but T beat me to the punch. Have desk, will draw.

[hikaru]

FYI that one desk has basic Japanese syllabary (hiragana/katakana), not Chinese characters. Someone is beginning to learn Japanese (and is probably a Japanese anime/manga fan).

[doug]

yeah--the desk with Japanese is curious. they've practiced the first 3 rows of hiragana syllabery, then they've also written, to the left, "Be-to-na-mu" or Vietnam.
interesting to think of them doodling in Japanese while you're teaching English?

interesting to think of them doodling in Japanese while you're teaching English.... (from "desk art")

Once I was teaching English (ESOL) to adult newcomers in the U.S. The classes were free..completely voluntary. The students came from many different countries. One student (not from Italy) read an Italian newspaper during most of the classes. Curious!

[Travel Man]

RE: Tom Murray

I'm not so sure about all that. It seems a bit exaggerated to me. My HS was full of desks like these and it wasn't that long ago. :-)