Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ilsanman]

I was never hit when I grew up, and I always said I don't believe in corporal punishment.

Lately, I am changing my belief. I don't want to beat the shit out of a student, but I sure wouldn't mind giving em a smack upside the head when they're being a fucking dumbass.

Anyone else feel the same way?

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

You're getting older, or getting crankier.

I never used to believe in it either, until I spent a few years here.

I'm starting to change my tune.

[bepositive]

I've noticed that even the most kind natured, calm teachers in Korea can feel like this. I guess sometimes it's difficult to scold the kids with words, what with the language/cultural barrier and all. Therefore we result to expressing ourselves with action. Can't say I've ever laid a hand on a kid, but I've certainly whacked s%it out of my desks from time to time.

[Ilsanman]

I had a kid trashing Canada in the classroom, every class. I gradually got more and more angry. He was one of those idiotic kids who was educated by other idiots. He actually believed that Korea was not only bigger in size than Canada, but also cleaner. What a laugh.

One day I had it with him. I slung his books onto the floor and screamed in his face. He left the classroom crying, and he denied ever saying anything. The director, of course, sided with the kid.

Yesterday I tried something new. A different kid insulted me so I flung his books into the hallway. When he went to get them, I locked him out of the room. Then I wouldn't let him back in until he apologized. It worked.

Yes I am old and cranky.

[Holyjoe]

The lock on my classroom door is broken from some kid kicking it in after getting put outside recently...

The little buggers can have superhuman strength at times

[Blue Flower]

Behaviour management is so difficult here, because at home, we would use verbal cues to inform the students that thier behaviour is just not acceptable, but here, they just don't understand what i mean, when I try and tell them that I am not happy with what they are doing. In some classes me telling them that I am getting very un-happy (angry) with them, seems to work, as lots of the kids don't like to see me angry.

But it is just so difficult. sigh. luckily i have been blessed with the ability to give a very good "evil" look, so one of those flung round the room at the little deviants keeps them sort of inline. Doesn't work with middle school though.

[kiwioutofthenest]

When my kids don't do their homework i give them a rap on the hand with the stick...i never do it hard but just tease them by hitting the desk really hard and play like thats how i'm gonna hit them, i also bring up that i have a black belt in Gumdo to really get them going....now they have taken to hiding my stick so yesterday i used a big ruler...imagine my surprise when it smashed into peices over some girls hand. The whole class cracked up laughing including me.

[William Beckerson]

[Gwangjuboy]

I have hit a few of my students and hard. I will only use the cane if a serious problem has arisen. If students swear at me in Korean, make paper airplanes with their handouts, or fight (seriously fight) then they get 10 strokes accross the palms. For extreme cases I make the student turn his hands over and rap his knuckles too. I never hit elementary students. Middle school or above and I think it is okay. I like the children that try and show pride by just taking the punishment. They look you right in the eye and give you their hands. It becomes a competition to try and get them to shed a tear.

[Corporal]

[peppermint]

I taught for a short time at a public elementary school, and what I found most useful was implied threats. I always kept the "love stick" in my own hands, otherwise they'd use it to beat on each other. I found twirling the stick like a baton, impressed/scared the hell out of them.

I never would hit them, but they didn't need to know that. . .

[ulsanchris]

When i was in New Zealand a teacher told me this story about this public (private) school. This was back in the day when corporal punishment was allowed in NZ. There was one teacher who was fairly mild mannered and never wanted to hit the students. However shorlty after he started teaching there a student had to put him to the test. To see how severel the new teacher would be. The teacher took out an old cane made of very dry wood and mananged to shatter it on the kids *ss. After that he had a reputation of a fearsome teacher. No student, even years after, would misbehave while around that teacher. At the same school was a former all black player. You would think he was a big fearsome man and kids wouldn't misbehave around him, but he refused to hit the kids. Once the kids figured this out they ran all over him.

[crazylemongirl]

See I know another story about caning and behaviour. One teacher would do it all the time and never had control of his class the other didn't and was teaching the 'spec ed kids' and had control. I think in the end it comes down to the kids reaslising who's the boss, if you lose that battle then your stuffed.

OP - haven't but there are soem days....

CLG

[Homer]

Indeed CLG,

If a teacher does not show the kids who is the boss and where the line is then its game over.
No amount of caning or corporal punishement will help.
Also, discipline can be quite effective without resorting to physical punishement. In fact, sometimes, physical punishement will be bad for discipline.

[mokpochica]