Job Discussion Forums

[crazyteacher]

valley_girl said:

"I don't know if either method could be considered "rehabilitation" (in my own view) because the change to the behaviour is out of a desire to not have the resulting consequence or punishment inflicted on them and not out of a desire to do better. JMHO"


I looked in the Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary and it said rehabilitate means "to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity". Im not trying to be pedantic I just like that definition. Some students might not like doing "constructive activity" at first but they come around after a while.


"As I said above, it's all a matter of perspective. I think there is more direct disapproval and anger in your method, whereas mine is a matter-of-fact cause-and-effect action which I do not even address in class beyond the initial warning."


I guess it depends on how you execute the method. You can be dissaproving and angry to your students with any method. I never get angry when I tell a student to wait outside. Its not personal. Its just cause and effect. This really confuses the students at first because I`m totally calm but I`m telling them to get out.



"The students know that the marks are coming off and I don't need to scold them in class to get them to acknowledge that fact."


I think a bit of scolding is good. They need to know that what they are doing is wrong. Its good to show the students the effect they are having on you, be that good or bad.


"There is a big difference in the learning that will take place in the classroom and outside the classroom."

I`m not so sure of that. Whats the difference between a student writing an essay (for example) in class or at home. Isnt it the same activity?


"If these students were able to learn ESL/EFL by staying at home, why would they spend oodles of yen/dollars on English lessons?"

First they are able to learn at home. There are lots of self-study textbooks, graded readers, qiuzzes on the internet.......

Next, in my situation, the students parents pay the university who then put the students into required english classes.


"I don't think your method is bad, but I honestly think that there are better ways to handle the no-homework situation. "


In your situation do the students actually do homework? If this is the case then I would say you have really handled the no-homework situation. If not then you are just punishing them which to me is not enough because punishment without rehabilitation doesnt really solve anything.

[valley_girl]

Yes, my students 'actually' do homework. I've had very few problems with it in the past. Skipping classes is a problem with a handful of students, however, so I wouldn't want to encourage them by making them leave. I think the points deduction is a worse consequence for them. My Chinese and Japanese students in particular seem very concerned about holding onto every point they can.

[peterquinn]

valley_girl said

"Yes, my students 'actually' do homework. I've had very few problems with it in the past."


You can tell your not teaching in Japan. Most people here would say something like this


denise said:


"I learned quickly that daily homework did not get done by about half the class, so I stopped assigning it. "



It seems like deducting points does work in Canada, but it doesnt work here. I`ve tried it and failed so thats why I started making them wait outside.

[Eleckid]

I've never taught in a univ, so what I say might not be relevant to Japanese univ.

When I was in univ in Canada, my TA splitted us into groups of 4-6. We are allowed to discuss & work together as a team on our hwk outside the class (or inside the class, if they gave us time to work on it). We don't lose points for not doing hwk, but we gain points if everyone finishes their hwk, we gain more if we have little or no mistakes. With each point we gain, it's like a bonus point that the entire team can use on their next test or assignment. The points are ours & we can save them up & use all of them on a test. We don't get anything higher than a 100% if the bonus points made it above that.

This way, the instructor didn't have to get upset with us if we don't do hwk. Most young ppl are in packs, so let the other team members get upset with the ones who didn't do their hwk, & the entire team puts pressure on eachother. A chart is also up on the wall showing who did their hwk, who didn't, & how many points each team has. Let the rest of the students laugh at the person who has the lowest point.

It might work & it might not, but it worked on us & the eikawa that I work at. Hope it helps a bit.

[crazyteacher]

Eleckid that sounds really cool but many of the Japanese university students are not so motivated by grades. This is because when looking for a job the important thing is what university you graduated from, your grades dont matter.

This has an upside as students dont often come looking to have thier grades increased (Is this called "grade grubbing"?)

However, students on scholarships, in my case they are foriegn students, can be very worried about thier grades.

About you using this method in your situation now, I think its great and I`ll be reading the other thread that your comment has spawned.