Job Discussion Forums

[cheryl]

Hi everyone,

I know I probably should post this in the Japan section since i'm in Japan but I wanted to get as much feedback as possible. Here's my question: In a team teaching situation, have you ever experienced violence in the classroom? Have you seen a teacher hit a student or vice versa? If so, how did you handle it? Did you tell the principles?

[guty]

I should imagine the principles are that violence never pays, couldnt you tell?

[cheryl]

Sorry Guty, I made a typo there...I meant to ask if you told the Principals...not the the principles.

[Gordon]

When I was young and teaching in Korea, I had a young Korean teacher (20 yr old) there who used to hit kids in the arm with a wooden stick if they did something wrong. I used to tell her to stop to no avail. Then one day I had enough, grabbed the stick from her hand and threatened to hit her with it if she did it again. I wouldn't do that now, I'm a little more diplomatic. But it was effective, the teacher-girl never hit the kids again.

[dduck]

I think phsycologists would have a field day with that one. I assume you, Gordon, threatend your young teacher in front of all the students. I might seem that you've solved the problem but you also reinforced the idea that violence solves problems. On the other hand, if we are hierarchical animals then you taught the students that you're the alpha-male and they'd better not mess with you.

I know you said you wouldn't do it again, what exactly would you do if it happened again?

To answer the question, I teach adults - mainly women, so I have absolutely no need for violence in the classroom. I have trouble getting them to stop laughing sometimes.

Iain

[october]

sometimes kids who use violence in the class, see this kind of behavior at home situations first, so under no circumstances do you want to report violent behavior to his parents (not at first anyway), not until you know for sure that it's not from home. I hardly have any violence in my classes, it's just not acceptibale to me, and the kids know it, but since i know the nervous types already, i know when they are about to explode and try to stop the "explosion" before it happens.
BUT a teacher hitting a student???? first of all she would be out flat on her face that same day (fired) and second she would defenetly have a criminal record.
Telling the principal? it depends on the principal. If she has a backbone and the students know this so it will help to tell her about a situation that can be dangerous to teacher and other students.
violence is a tricky business. I would never raise a hand on a student, i hardly ever raise my voice either.

[The Darn]

I saw a news story this morning on cnn.com about a teacher in Morroco that had thrown 2 students out the first floor window. They were talking and she told them to be quiet or she would throw them out, they didn't shut up, so she threw them out. One of the students was injured. They didn't say whether the teacher would be discaplined or not.

[Gordon]

dduck asked me

[J-Pop]

[cheryl]

Thanks J-Pop, your email has made me feel better in knowing that i'm not alone. I'm on the JET program and it was my supervisor that displayed the act of violence. She hit a student (i mean really hard across the face)mulitple times in class and probably wouldn't have stopped had i not stopped her. It was only when i got hit too that i realized just how hard she was slapping this boy. This apparently was not her first time hitting a student and she has a reputation for being volitile (i found this out after talking to some other teachers in a different school). On the outside she seemed like such a kind, happy and relaxed person.

I agree with you about not telling my kyoto or kocho sensei. I hardly talk to them and they probably won't see it as something as serious as i see it. When i told my another teacher, she just nodded and said, "oh, sometimes there's nothing else you can do." I really trust and respect this teacher so i was blown away by her response. I don't think this will happen again while i'm in the room with her. She knows my stand on violence, but who knows what has happened or what will happen when i'm not in the room with her.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

Personally, I could never support acts of violence or physical aggression by teachers no matter what the situation.

I did my time, 20 years of it in some rough U.S. high schools, where violence in the schools and classrooms was the norm. Knives, guns, students beating the hell out of each other, students attacking teachers, the whole 9 yards. In all of those situations, a teacher would be fired for laying a hand on a student other than to defend him/herself or protect one student from another.

In my current job situation (Mexican university,) in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine any act of violence happening in my classroom. Talk about feeling like I've died and gone to heaven . . .

[october]

Am i naive??? I am in shock of how much violence some of you witness in the classroom! Are these "bad" or "less fortunate" populations you are talking about or is this the norm in Japan or in the US?? Please tell me that this is not the norm.
Actually I thought that where i work is violent but now that i've read your experiences i'm sure i work in La-la land...
Somebody save the day and say something good!

[J-Pop]

[october]

well, I stand corrected. A day after I announced that i probably am naive and live in la la land i was attacked by a 6 grader while trying to seperate him from "killing" a girl that borrowed a pencil from him without asking!
I immidiatly called for the principal and when she told the boy to come with her he smuggly and red faced said to her "i dont feel like it, and you can't touch me anyway"... What are we to do? we have no power what so ever??? i went home with a sore arm from the kick and still cant believe that this happened and how on earth did i keep myself from slapping the monster?
So, nobody escapes the violence after all?

[dduck]

I don't understand: why doesn't the Principal have no power? Surely she could expel the pupil if she wanted?

Iain