Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ilsanman · Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Bucheon, Korea

What do you think?

peppermint · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:16 am Post subject:

up to the parents and not my place

kimchi story · Joined: 23 Nov 2006

Interesting question. After a year in a hagwon I went on to take a B.Ed and during the process raised the question of whether or not having students raise their hands for a period of time was corporal punishment. Quite literally, it is.

And is it wrong? I'm not entirely sure. But I am inclined to side with peppermint on the matter.

Alyallen · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:32 am Post subject:

Sleepy in Seoul · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:27 am Post subject:

I would leave it up to the principal or headmaster and not to the teacher him/herself, as it was when I was at high school. It seemed to work pretty welll then.

Mix1 · Joined: 08 May 2007

Probably depends on the situation. Although I will say my views have changed a lot from being in Korea...at first I would have said "never" , while now I think I have seen some positive results with certain kids who had no idea what respect was when they first came to the hagwon.

I know its not PC to say it, but I think it does work for some kids. But not all, for some they may need a totally different approach.

The hagwon where I worked before, the Korean teachers were very physical with the students and so...totally wild and disrespectful kids would come in and within a few weeks be totally polite and actually do their homework. Now... I work in a hagwon where it is totally hands off the students... and wow, what a difference...the students never do their homework, never shut up, talk back and totally push the envelope always... even for the Korean teachers.
In a perfect world, it wouldn't be needed of course...
But it is funny that now that teachers in the USA can't or haven't been able to use ANY force at all for some time for fear of being sued...you hear all kinds of incidents where schools are just out of control, kids threatening teachers, no respect or disipline for adults, etc. It wasn't always this way, one has to admit. I'm liberal on most viewpoints, but certainly mixed on this one...

uberscheisse · Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: japan is better than korea.

smacking a kid is a bankrupt form of communication.

if a kid is wielding a bat or something, do what you have to disarm him. other than that, keep your hands to yourself and be a teacher. leave being a heavy-handed bully to pigs.

newteacher · Joined: 31 May 2007

http://www.thetravisty.com/Just_Funny/wmv/South_Park_-_ADD_Treatment.htm

Neil · Joined: 02 Jan 2004 Location: Tokyo

Counterproductive......I find with the kids who come in with the most bruises their behavior deteriorates instead of improving.

kotakji · Joined: 23 Oct 2006

"Just simply bad parenting/teaching" for my children

But up to individual parents to decide.

W.T.Carl · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

It is a tool I wish I had at my disposal here in the US. In all my time in Korea, I had but one episode that merited a smack up side the noggin. During a lesson, a kid decided to write on the desk instead of following the lesson. I asked to erase it nicely. He just smiled. Asked him again. Still smiled ( I know that he understood). Asked again. Still smiled. Then I gently cuffed his head. He erased it. With a smile.

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

Well, I don't know about paddling that is a parents responsibility. However, I made it clear that the wages of being late for my class involve push ups for the boys and squats for the girls. I think I had one late student in the past couple weeks. 10 to 30 push ups after gym class can really suck.

The don't write on the desks or carve on them cuz I just take the tools away. They can bring a pencil/pen, English book and an eraser to my class.

If they drop an f bomb in my class they get to write that word all during class, after they eat lunch and sometimes after school. Never hear it much even near my classroom.

You touch any machinery in my classroom and the entire class is done with no power point and they have to listen and dictate all the notes for class which leaves no time for Q & A (which involves prizes) and there is no time for fun games like the whisper game or speed English.

Touch the Air Con in my class room and your class loses the privilege of having it on EVER. The air unit in my classroom is one of the few that is clean, not missing any slats and works.

Every thing is laid out at the beginning of the school year. No mistakes about the meaning. Actions = consequences. No one can feign ignorance. You don't have to hit students although gawd in heaven some deserve it for what they do the school.

Children need boundaries to learn and practice self control. Normally my classes are from about 40 students I don't have time for counselling each student. Simple straight forward rules...Simple straight forward consequences. I have one of the few classrooms that still has all the bulletin boards and posters intact because I don't allow vandalism like the K-teachers do.

Jade

Mix1 · Joined: 08 May 2007

kimchi_pizza · Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject:

Up to the parents.

I also maintain control and discipline by being in control and disciplined [L disciplina - "training"]myself. Students are often a reflection of their teacher. I have never physically punished a student for misbehavior for rarely does it ever have to come to that. 'Course I have classes of up to 13 students. With classes of 30 or 40 students different methods of maintaining discipline are needed.

A lot of misbehavior can be explained if you think about it and find the cause. I had a student who was very aggressive with her classmates with scratching and grabbing. So I asked simple questions like "How much sleep did you get? What did you eat or drink? How're things at home?" Come to find out the mother would force chocolate down her throat to keep her quiet. In the end, the mother was only making it worse. I told the mother no more chocolate and soon it was like I had an angel for a student.

I think corporal punishment can have positive effects BUT only if the teacher remains in control of him/herself and calm and does so for a just reason.

As for Koreans, it is cultural and possibly a throw back to confucian beliefs. Teachers can hit students, elders can hit their subordinates. I've seen 30 year olds hit 20 year olds, 50 year olds hit 40 year olds and the recipient even seemed to appreciate it by weeping and bowing! Here elders will support their subordinates and usally pay any food/drinking tabs and at the same time will not hesitate to chastise and physically punish a subordinate with the intention of helping them. I actually like that and support it. I can think of a good number of grown men I'd like to slap upside the head and ask, "What were you thinking?" And not out of anger but of friendship and to help'em out.

Growing up, guys I got into fights with usually ended up becomin the best'o friends.

I have no patience or sympathy for adults, but nearly endless patience and support for my students and I show it.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Teachers should learn to control their temper. Difficult kids are the most obvious, base challenge of teaching. Do plumbers start whacking a boiler that's more difficult to install than they expected? No. If they do, they're in the wrong job. Like people wh complain about Koreans staring at them. Don't like being stared at because you're big and white? You're in the wrong part of the world. Can't go 5 minutes without whacking a kid, got severe respect issues? You shouldn't teach.

Only in extreme circumstances should kids be struck. In Korea it's hardly ever warranted and when a sound trashing is justified it doesn't happen.