Korean Job Discussion Forums

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

I had perhaps the worst student I have ever seen in over 5 years of teaching quit today and I couldn't be happier....

A little background.....

I have worked at this school for 6 months and basically couldn't be much happier except for this one student. He is 12 years old and I have never met a piece of work like him.

Basically he knows how to push my buttons like no other kid I have ever met. Nothing was ever over the top just every class so many little things, like this teacher is the worst in the world, you can't tell me what to do,etc.....he would constantly rock on his chair(I tried every reasonable punishment I know), swear at the other kids in Korean and English, constantly talk, wouldn't study and had that look in his eye that when he was being nasty, you know it wasn't a fun thing, but something with intent.....

I asked the director to chop him (the first time I have ever asked for a student to be outright told to quit) but she wouldn't do it as he has 2 other sisters(who are golden) at the school. Fair enough i thought I'll do things my way.....

I take teaching quite seriously and act professionally at work but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I thought if you won't stop him coming, I will. Basically every time he did something wrong i made sure he knew all about it for the past 6 weeks. I made every class an absolute pain for him. No hitting, just basic intimidation and isolation tactics to break him down.If he was well-behaved(which he never was, he can't help playing up) I would let him go but as soon as he played up he knew all about it.

So it all come to a head last Friday when it was test day. Silence is mandatory during testing but he just didn't seem to get it. He was worse than ever and starting swearing and cursing about me when he thought I was out of earshot..........he never saw me coming.

Grabbed from behind and locked his arms which i knew was hurting(but nothing to bad) and tramped him off and when he flalled and fell I dragged him along the ground all the way. That was it as he proceeded to swear at me, the director and all the kids in the class.....

He didn't show yesterday and has officially quit today...however his sisters will continue to attend so i think his mother must know what it is like.

While I am not proud of the way I acted and never lost my temper this is one child that did deserve everything he got.......I couldn't be happier he is gone.

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Not proud of the way you acted??????

You showed outstanding patience and non-physical measures were used before you ever became physical.

Now that you had to become physical and it solved your problems, be proud, be strong.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Well done. Some kids just don't belong in an English academy in the evening and you got rid of one such example.

Thought about giving his mother a Wonderland flyer?

jodemas2 · Joined: 06 Dec 2006

Ekuboko · Joined: 22 Dec 2004 Location: ex-Gyeonggi

Good on you!

Obviously him being the only boy in his family sees him being spoilt and fussed over, but he's too lazy to apply himself and can't handle not being the centre of attention.. he probably torments his sisters for being such 'goody-goods' as well.

Is he the youngest, middle or oldest child?

Oreovictim · Joined: 23 Aug 2006

ONE bad student? Man, you're lucky. But I'm glad that he's gone. I've had a student from hell or two who quit or changed classes, and it's such a relief.

My director and the Korean teachers never really help us out. There's a couple of kids who act out, and the director and the other teachers just say, "Oh, we found out that his family doesn't love him, so we're supposed to be extra nice to him."

My coworker/friend had this psycho boy throw a chair at him. The kid got thrown out of class. One of the Korean teachers calmly said to my coworker, "I talked to him, and he said that he had a really hard day at school today." ("Yeah, well so did I. I had some psycho kid throw a #$%kin' chair at me!")

gsxr750r · Joined: 29 Jan 2007

After he flunks/is kicked out of/mother finds a reason to hate the next 2 hagwons in the area, he'll be back.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Scotticus · Joined: 18 Mar 2007

I spent last year at a hakwan. Nothing made me happier than noticing that one of the hellions I dreaded seeing had left the school. I can personally say I had a hand in a good five or six kids leaving the school, for good. Oddly enough, classes went smoother once they were taken out of the environment. Whoulda thunk?