Job Discussion Forums

[Sweetsee]

OK. 9 students in a class of 22 have formed a gang. None are bad. All display behavioral problems.

You are going to nip it the bud. Please explain your plan...

[Glenski]

Not enough info for me.

Assuming this is a high school or junior high school, is the "gang" a bunch of hooligans who break windows and shoplift, or do they merely goof off in class? Are they in a school club together? More details, please.

[guest of Japan]

Shucks, I was looking forward to sharing my omelet recipe.

Of course Glenski's questions are valid, but I think a lot of the answers have been covered in other posts.

Assuming that no windows are being smashed the most you can do is separate their seating, keep a strong presense in the classroom, and alert people with power. If you walk into the classroom with the goal of rectifying the situation you have already lost, because you are bringing your judgement from previous classes to bear on a class you haven't exerienced yet. Take each class one at a time. Remain consistent in your approach. Don't unfairly single out students. React to the offense to the degree of the offense. Give praise when it is due.

In general students view the classes with the foreign teacher as a break from the more testable subjects. In all probability, you are not allowed to fail any students. Since you have stated that you have very little Japanese ability it's very difficult for you to guage what the disturbances are about. They could strongly resent you and you won't know. They could be talking about serious situation in their lives and you won't know. Probably their just talking about trivial things to make the time go by. Your best hope is to try to engage them more in the class. Get them out of their seats to write things on the board or pass out papers. Engage them in off topic conversation as you moniter, then try to pull them back on task or to start the task.

When I was in high school my favorite English teacher told us that at any given moment only 20% of student are paying attention. The average span of attention is 2 to 5 minutes. That's in a classroom being conducted in the native language. I think it is safe to assume that the attention duration will be much shorter in a class conducted in a foreign language.

In all probability your school is not expecting you to take control of the classroom like you could in your home country. If you approach classroom discipline too strongly you might find that you make your situation worse. Your school needs a picture to put in the brochures. They need you to remain flexible and accommodating. They expect you to act the part of the teacher. What you expect of your students isn't that important to the school. The school expects the students to do well on the university entrance exams. There is no oral English component on these exams. What you are is an opportunity for students to learn English more wholistically. Not every student is going to take advantage of the opportunity. Some will openly rebel against it.

[Sweetsee]

Thanks you all, no rest, eh?

Funny I was just lamenting over those brochure prints, told them I wanted to have a say in the ones they were using. Duh, in one I'm staring at the camera, the other a hand like Jordan.

Guest: you hit the nail on the head.

Glenski: It's not a big deal really. We have an "international course" and every year there is a group that is a real pain in the #%&�. My ones now are nine strong. I need to do something because my mate will probably inherit them next year.

1. They never sit properly- slouch, lay, cross legged, turned around or sideways.

2. Desks are cluttered.

3. They neede to be prodded to do tasks.

4. They will turn around and spew to their mates while I speak.

5. Each lesson is new no matter how many times practiced.

Like I said, not a big deal. I just want to rein them in. Tell me, how best to begin?

[easyasabc]

[Sweetsee]

Thanks a lot ...abc. For taking the time to respond and for feeling the same way I do.

I was thinking to start the next lesson by reassigning seats. And casually reminding students to sit straight, pay attention and get all the stuff off the desks. I'm also thinking to lay down the law to the leader at some point before class and perhaps if she will snap to and the others may follow.

I don't give a toss what this little group think of me. I know they fancy themselves the next "garusu"or tough chicks.
I have seen the same behavior displayed during presentations by invited guests, shockingly embarassing to say the least. I will take it upon myself to correct the situation tactfully.

[shmooj]

I wonder.

I just read your OP in the thread you started about "method".

In that, you seem to display exactly the same attitude you are complaining about from these students here. IOW, doing the bare minimum, not really bothering, looking for the quick fix...

Now, I may have read you wrong and I'd be quite happy to find out I'd got the wrong end of the stick, but it could well be that your attitude has rubbed off on the students if so.

IMHO, if this is the case, the horse has bolted and I wouldn't want to inherit this class after you...

Let me know how near I am to the mark before I go on to suggest something that is in no way appropriate.

[tangledude]

splitting up the mates spewing to each other (that means vomiting where i come from) has to be a good idea.
How about...
..If the Gang O'Nine are all sitting together, tell the class there are going to be some changes, starting with a few seat placement changes over the week. First split them in to 3 threes, that way they will think they haven't come off too badly. A couple of days later break the threes down.
Do you think it would work?

[Sweetsee]

shmooj: way off, always looking for material. Sorry, just threw that out there on the off chance, honestly, recent member of the digital underclass. What do you do in your lessons?

Tangledude:I think dividing by 3 is an excellent idea. My main reason to change the seating is that I never have and I want to put the good kids in front of me. And the gang in threes won't even realize what's happening, 'cept that the goodie-goodies are front center.

[tangledude]

as said above, you are the one in control, so co-ordinate your strategies, choose your students and seats carefully, be wary of the bad eggs corrupting the good ones. It's an opportunity to reassert yourself and get a tactical advantage.

[Sweetsee]

Tangledude: Well said. Appreciation.

[shmooj]

[Sweetsee]

I hear you shmooj. And you are right. Thank you. I only want them to show some respect. I started this thread this morning and have been consumed with it all weekend and I am no closer to knowing what I will do tomorrow. Probably, try to have a good time. Maybe break a couple eggs.

I have gotten so many conflicting views- bust your butt, kick-butt, roll with it, wow...I guess I was expecting an easy answer to the only thing troubling me in life at this moment.

[Glenski]

[Sweetsee]

In the second year the students must choose one of 5 courses. I teach them 4 lessons a week. I also share homeroom responsibility with the JTE. There is no assigned text. The classes are 50 minutes.

I choose a topic, for example shopping. I introduce relevant vocabulary give out some info gap prints, dialogues to practice and from now will get them to produce their own and perform for me.

I just spent the morning homeroom session with them and the JTE was going around picking up rubish and tidying around the room asking who was responsible for the disorder. I have given up policing the classroom.
From the baginning I was after them every day to no avail.

Of the group of nine, four sit together and were all chatting away and not one sitting properly. I won't say anything while JTE is in the class.

On a bright note, I just had a lesson with the 1st year students and encouraged them to write and perform original dialogues based on the key expressions we have studied thus far. I was quite happy with them. There is a returnee in the class and some really bright, outgoing, motivated individuals.

Glenski, I appreciate your feedback. Of the posts I have read since starting on saturday morning, I like you. you seem fair, knowledgable, and genuinely interested in helping people, which I consider a very rare qualitiy. I hope that we can flesh out the problems I am having and I can become a more effective instructor.

Thanks again.