Korean Job Discussion Forums

Zoot · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Location: Bundang

How many of your students are teased for whatever reason? They're darker-skinned, slow, or just plain wierd.

I have at least a half a dozen students who are teased routinely for things but the most common reason is that they're slow and/or just plain weird. They say stuff at inappropriate times that have nothing to do with the topic at hand, they sing or hum to themselves during class, they're little badasses who don't listen to the teacher and disrupt the class (games included!), they don't do their work and hold up the class etc. etc. You know what I mean.

I was teased myself, as a child and I think that thanks to my supportive family and a series of other people who were there to prop me up, I made it through without too many problems. But not all kids have that.

My friend once told me this so here's the quesiton I'd like to open for debate:

Teasing and bullying are society's way of correcting socially unacceptable behavior.

I can't say I really agree but there may be something to it.

Discuss.

poet13 · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 7:50 am Post subject:

I'm cool with teasing the kid who has food all over his school jacket after lunch, or who sneezes and a yard long booger is hanging out of his face, but color, physical DEFECT, religion? No way. I also don't tolerate continued gang teasing or bullying.
I tease my kids sometimes. A boy leaves his book at home? I'll ask him to go get it, and tell him he has to be back in five minutes. I'll stop him when he gets to the door. No pencil, pen, or marker? I pull a tack from the board and tell him he has to write in blood. I used to tease a first year boy who was about 6'2" and maybe 100 kilos. He also had whiskers. At the beginning of our class the boys were introducing themselves, and I asked him how old he was. 15 he rumbled. "No way", I said, "you're at least 22. Sorry, you need to leave now. The university is just down the road."
Teasing for fun, and teasing to hurt are two different things. Teasing for fun is...well, fun.

jay-shi · Joined: 09 May 2004 Location: On tour

poet13 · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 9:21 am Post subject:

"It's a fine line line between being funny and being cruel to a kid. Learn to walk it carefully and it's pure gold in the classroom."

Well said.

andrew · Joined: 30 Jan 2003

.....

kimchi story · Joined: 23 Nov 2006

"It's a fine line line between being funny and being cruel to a kid. Learn to walk it carefully and it's pure gold in the classroom."

Thirded - there is tremendous value in levity in the classroom.

Now, correcting unacceptable behaviour is a very interesting point. I'm going to think on that, at least until lunch...

OiGirl · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun

Teasing "for fun" is cruel and in my opinion is not appropriate for an adult in the classroom.

Using the pressure of peers to get a student with bad or inappropriate behavior which they are capable of controlling can be a useful classroom management tool in a society like Korea.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

pest2 · Joined: 01 Jun 2005 Location: Vancouver, Canada

poet13 · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:12 pm Post subject:

"It is never OK, in my opinion, and should be dealt with quickly and firmly. I was one of those kids who were bullied in high school and the reason was that I wasn't athletic."

Ok, you've addressed bullying. But what about teasing? Do you differentiate between the two?

Zoot · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Location: Bundang

I think part of teasing and bullying here is also the kind of language they use with each other. Jo-yong etc. - I would never accept it if someone said shut up to me in class so I don't think the other students should, either. At least, that's how I'd like to think I manage my classroom.

Seriously, though, I do pick on some kids more than others on a daily basis because they're just badass students EVERYDAY. However, I also like to pay a little more attention to the ones who are on the recieving end of the joke a lot of the time.

Let's think of some of socially unacceptable behavior that is singled out by such things as teasing. Things like saying strange things at inappropriate times or being overweight come to mind as things that kids get teased about. Maybe if these things are corrected - like, the kid realizes that being overwieght is going to hurt them in society like for getting a job or a partner...

But no one ever said a skinny chick or a rich dude was 100% happy, right?

poet13 · Posted: Wed Feb 21, 2007 4:54 am Post subject:

"Maybe if these things are corrected - like, the kid realizes that being overwieght is going to hurt them in society like for getting a job or a partner... "

Rolling Eyes

?

?

So when you decide this or that kid should be teased about their weight (and in your connotation, a negative way), you have taken the time to determine whether their weight is a result of sucking down endless amounts of chips or a medical/genetic issue?

What you are essentially saying is that fat people are worth less in society.
Your lame disclaimer/joke at the end doesn't excuse you.

Like another poster said. Teasing is an art, if you can walk that fine line, levity in the classroom is golden. (or something like that) And like I said, there's a difference between fun and cruel. You're talking about cruel lke it's ok.

True Samurai · Joined: 07 Feb 2007

As the Buddhisst say, hatred is never appeased by hatred. Only non-hatred can conquer hatred. This is considered an eternal and universal law. I'll leave it to the Christians among you to give the Western version of this ancient truth.

Zoot · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Location: Bundang

poet13 · Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:36 pm Post subject:

Sorry, I didn't understand what you were saying before. Apologies for the mini-flame....