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[The Great Wall of Whiner]

What do you do when students dig into their noses? Do you let them dig dig dig and pretend you don't see it, or do you tell them not to?

I remember writing a question similar to this before, only it has disappeared. I want to know seriously. Do you ignore nose-picking kids?

I tell them that they are welcome to pick their nose as long as it's not in my class. Often, they pick their noses until it bleeds. Then they have to scurry to the WC to stuff a nose tampon in their nasal cavity. It wastes class time and is disruptive.

I remember one teacher saying that he embarrasses the kid asking him "Do you think girls want a boyfriend who picks his nose?" My students are too young for this approach, but I do ask other students if they want to shake hands or play games with someone with "nose water" on their fingers.

[tw]

A perfect chance to teach them Western culture! Tell them that in the West we'd take out a piece of tissue and blow our nose instead of picking it.

Thank goodness I have never had students picking their nose in my class before. I mean, GROSS! It's so nice to be teaching adults.

[Volodiya]

It's obvious that, in China, little, if any, opprobrium attaches to this disgusting habit.

Why not go a step further, in class: offer a tissue, and demonstrate how to use it.

It would teach a social skill useful almost anywhere else in the world; and, perhaps, the students would find it amusing to try it.

[stil]

[wonderd]

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.

Whatever you want to do is fine I think. Fortunately, I've never really had this problem. I think I would go with the tissue idea and maybe explain to them that in the west, this is a no no.

If that doesn't work then just avoid shaking hands.

[Tao Burp]

Same ol' story: picking the nostrils in class, out of class, in the streets, in buildings, at the dining table. Spitting, blowing one nostril with one finger ploy, defecating in the streets, pissing....shall I go on?

There was a time when I attempted to do the Red Cross speech of hygiene to my classes, but you know something? They don't give a damn, and they still keep on doing it.

Now, I could rant, rave, and spew venomious condemnation about these primitive disgusting habits, but have accepted the conclusion, "it's their country, if they want to look like a bunch of yahoos just out of the primeval slime pit of evolution, why should I waste my time trying to change them?"

So, I don't--call me jaded. I don't give a shit--just like they don't.