Korean Job Discussion Forums

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

So I teach 18 classes a week in a tech high school. EVERY class except one is fine, no problems...

But my Wednesday afternoon class is another story. There is a group of 6 or 7 girls who are obviously part of the "in" crowd. They completely disrespect myself and my coteacher, and take every opportunity to talk about boys or their weekend or whatnot. The ringleader is the class captain.

I tried being nice in the beginning. That lasted about 10 minutes. Last week I kept the group after class for five minutes. This was of course after several warnings. I told them that they had wasted about five minutes of class time by my having to get on them. I told them last week that if it happened again they would have to stay 10 minutes.

Today in class it was business as usual. The other 30 students were participating and being generally good, but I had to keep telling the bad group of girls to be quiet and pay attention.

I've also instituted a system in all of my classes where if the class is good and stays on task they can have five minutes of free time at the end of the period. Each time I have to raise my voice more than twice, I take away a minute of free time. After five times of this they sart accumulating time in the other direction (time they have to stay after class). This has worked wonders in all of my other classes, but in this particular class the other students seem intimidated enough to where they don't tell the girls to be quiet.

So I can't do anything with them, my coteacher can't get through to them (they treat him worse than they treat me), and their classmates won't discourage them from misbehaving. I don't want to have to punish the whole class every time for the misdeeds of one group, so what do I do?

Today I kept the whole class for three minutes (accumulated time) and kept the group for 10 minutes. I made sure they understood that the next time this happens they will have to stay 10 minutes and I will get their homeroom teacher involved. My coteacher told me after class that if I do that then my relationship with the students will get even worse.

What would you do??

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I don't know if you are allowed to do this, but try separating them.

Put one in each corner desk so they are as far apart as possible.

If there are 5 or 6 put one at the front -middle and one about half way back middle.

They probably won't listen to you when you tell them, so be prepared for what comes next.

Be sure to get your co-teacher on side first or it's a lost cause.

OOpss> 7?

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Something like the above diagram (X=trouble-maker)

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

I know the students normally have assigned seats, but couldn't you just split them up on this occassion?

Also, instead of group punishment. How about making an example of them? If I have any really naughty students I make them stand at the back of the class and this normally works a treat on them and the other students.

Also, never be nice until you have established that you are in charge and show you respect them and expect them to respect you.

ilovebdt

Colorado · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:47 pm Post subject:

I would get the homeroom teacher involved. Your relationship with these students is already on a downhill slide.
That's what the homeroom teacher is for.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I'd get the homeroom teacher involved.

But for the time being, chill out. Next week is exams? The week after that don't even bother trying to do anything serious. Then next term in August you can try to sort them out. You'll have a new class bahn jang and possibly even a new co-teacher. You can start off the new term by giving them one more chance and trying to get the ring-leader on your side, and then get nasty if they still keep it up.

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

Cheers for that. I wasn't too nice in the beginning. The first class we went over the rules and they seemed receptive enough. I thought I was at the point where I could relax control a little...

I did have three of them stand facing the wall a couple of weeks ago but it was only a short-term fix. I know this seems archaic, but when in Rome...

bosintang · Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:56 pm Post subject:

In my opinion:

- If you can, get to the root of the problem. Politely ask them. Why are they behaving like this?
- Separate them. Don't let them sit together.
- If they continue disturbing the class, ask them to leave the class.
- Start every week fresh. Be polite, smile. Pretend like the previous week never happened.

Other than that, what can you do really?

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Re: your co-teacher's reluctance to go to the homeroom teacher - this may be a potential loss of face for him. In two years at my school I've twice complained to HR teachers about students in a class for which I had a co-teacher. In one case it was two students and I wasn't so much complaining as asking if they had some sort of learning disability (I was new and they were just playing dumb). In the other case it was about a whole class in general, in which a number of students had been acting up. In both cases it worked very well indeed, even though it may have been a loss of face for the younger CT I had. In the first case I felt kind of bad for the CT as she was a decent teacher, it wasn't a class she regularly taught, I had't meant to make her look bad, and she was really hot and fun to be around. In the second case I couldn't care less about the CT as he should go find another profession based on what I've seen so far.

It's quite likely that your CT for this class, if he's they're regular teacher, has a tacit agreement with the trouble-makers that if they don't bother him he won't bother them and will just let them sleep, tune out, doodle, or whatever, and they respond by goofing off when you actually expect them to do something in your class.

Jizzo T. Clown · Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Location: at my wit's end

Thanks for all the advice, guys. Reading this has made me feel better, especially knowing that I only have one more "real" week with them.

I hadn't thought that the CT has a vested interest in my not going to their homeroom teacher (of whom they're terrified). And come to think of it, he does go rather easy on them. hmm...

All in all, I guess if out of 400 students I only have a problem with this group, things aren't too bad.

mrsquirrel · Joined: 13 Dec 2006

I feel for you.

I have several classes here where I could be stricter on them but it is just a waste of time co-teacher or no co-teacher.

The classes which are the worst are the ones where the co-teacher comes sporadically. Kids see she don't care so they don't care. Classes which are the best are the ones with my active co-teacher.

Strange situation to be in. I have had more success if the CT never comes to class then the kids have to listen to me and do as I say.

Some of my worst classes have been when the CT just sort of hung her head and gave up.

I would say now that for the last month I have been wasting 80% of my classes purely down to the lack of discipline in the room. Which I would love to enforce but there is a KT there who isn't which means that whatever I do is null and void

Good luck and keep up the fight.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

mgafunnell · Joined: 11 Apr 2007

I know this will sound rather harsh, but it works: pay a meathead student to beat the crap out of them everytime they act up.

I did it in Korea and it worked like a charm.

If you cannot have their respect then take their fear. You can always do much more with fear than respect anyway.

Mosley · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

Yu bum suk said: "[my female CT] was really hot and fun to be around."

Yowzells! Damn! Why can't I get a CT like that? Sad