Job Discussion Forums

[theincredibleegg]

I'm teaching a group of 8 nine year olds.

It's a good group. The students are picking up language. They think it's fun and seem to like English classes in the evening.

One of these students is a very nervous boy. He is very insecure and nervous everytime he comes to class. The outcome of his nervousness/insecurity is the following:

-He doesn't dare to say a word of English unless the whole class begs him to. This is usually because the class gets irritated when he halts an enitre class activity.

-He can't sit still in his chair. He basically sits up-side down, under and infront of the chair at the same time (out nervousness i suppose)

-If he receives a task where the class is watching him, he will hit a student in order to draw attention away from his use of English (well, that's my theory)

-He starts to wander nervously around the classroom as soon as an activity starts.

-It's impossible for him to do pair-work (even pair-work) as he refuses to say a word of English.

I've tried everything: Being gentle; being strict; being cheerful; give him extremely easy tasks. I also told his parents to make he does well on spellings (i have one small spelling test every class) in order to boost his self-confidence, which in the next turn would make it easier for him in class. It didn't work either.

What other possible solutions are there for this kid?

[kev7161]

What's unfortunate is that the kids in China are pretty much the same as kids all over the world. I'm sure there are kids here who suffer from ADD and have learning disabilities as well as behavior disorders. Maybe in the states they have over analyzed and over-drugged kids with these types of disorders, but they DO exist whether we like it or not. In my limited experience, there doesn't seem to be any sort of extra help for kids that suffer from these maladies. They are all lumped together with kids that just happen to all be around the same age. They are all passed through the system regardless of ability or being able to master (in this case) their English classes.

Of course, on the other hand, it could be simply that he's over-mothered at home assuming he's an only child like so many are here in China. At home he may be king of the hill and when he gets to his class, he's too unsure of himself to be able to think or act "normally". Have you tried giving him jobs to do such as being your official paper passer or line leader or cleaning the board or something? Sometimes a child getting a certain responsibility like this makes them feel better about themselves and this reflects in their behavior during lesson time . . . . sometimes.

[brsmith15]

Other than some real pathology, he may simply lack self-confidence. I'd be very curious as to what his home life is like. Is he constantly berated for poor performance?

You might try giving him questions or exercises you know he can handle well. Then congratulate him honestly and profusely. See if you can build that confidence.

If not, it's time for some professional help. Pyschological counseling is new to China so I'm not sure if there are any really qualified practitioners out there; ones with experience and past successes, not just rote learning from some Pysch 101 textbook.

[Beyond1984]

The incredibleegg reports that one of his/her students tends to "wander nervously around the classroom..."

Rather than seek psychological counseling or drug therapy for this pitiable lad, I recommend you question his parents about his diet. Heavily sugared drinks are increasingly popular, and I was discomfited to find that even the bread I have purchased here is sugared.

That boy may be plied with sugared colas and breads before your class as an incentive to make him go.

I recommend that you pass on to his parents a recipe for wholesome bread that I learned from Marcus Porcius Cato:

"Panem depsticium sic facito. Manus mortariumque bene lavato. Farinam in mortarium indito, aquae paulatim addito, subigitoque pulchre. Ubi bene subegeris, defingito, coquitoque sub testu."

Even with my little Latin and less Greek, I take this to mean:

Make kneaded bread thus. Wash your hands and trough well. Put the meal into the trough, add water gradually, and knead it thoroughly. When you have kneaded it well, mould it, and bake it under a cover."

I admire you for attempting to intervene and steer this miserable stripling away from his disastrous course before his life-chances are utterly demolished.

-HDT

"How does it become a man to behave toward this American government today? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it."
-Henry David Thoreau, "On the Duty of Civil Disobedience," 1849

[kev7161]

[theincredibleegg]

brsmith: It's difficult to find out what's happening in his home, for many reasons. Though, it wouldn't suprise me if he gets punished a lot at home. The funny thing is that his parents have attended to an open class and they have seen him in class.

I doubt he has real psychological problems. The reason he can't focus is out of insecurity, low-self confidence and generally being out of place. Students laughing at him when he fails doesn't make it easier either (another issue i've tried to deal with).


But anyway, thanks for the advice. I'll keep on giving him easy tasks (and deal with the other students) and hope for the best.


The rest:
The problem isn't sugar diets, ADD or being "spoiled". He has an extremely low self-confidence for some reason and i think contacting a psychologist or advising his parents to do so, is out of the question.

[eddy-cool]

[sharpe88]

Well, there's abuse of it but we use psychological principles everyday in teaching, sales, management,etc. without consulting a "professional". Psychology existed before the word existed.

anyway, best of luck egg. The only other speech confidence method I can think of is writing down your answer first before saying it. I haven't used this but I've heard it helps.

[theincredibleegg]

Before i'm "closing" this, I would like to give a last update.

I just got info from a parent through my Chinese partner, who had a meeting with the kids parent after an open lesson (the kid wasn't any different when his mother was in the classroom)

Response was: "He (my son) was very impolite to the teacher"

I feel like giving up all home-school efforts with this student.

[Hansen]

"This is usually because the class gets irritated when he halts an enitre class activity."

Why do you empower the kid like that? Give him a task. If he doesn't perform it in an average amount of time, move on.

Surely other students are eager to participate.

[mister tom]

it sounds like the parable of the lost sheep - the good shepherd has to find the lost sheep before the rest of the flock can be attended to

i agree with hansen that he shouldn't be empowered; but on the other hand he shouldn't be ignored either

tom