Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Quack Addict]

I try and avoid the wacking. I do the yellow/red card thing. Red card means the 'wall chair'. They sit up against the wall like they are in a chair for an unspecified amount of time. Usually until i see some strain on the face.

[crusher_of_heads]

Pushups

or

staring at a dot on the chalk board

or

holding the fire extinguisher in the hall

or my favourite

eating lunch in the english classroom with me and not saying a word

[nobbyken]

Warn them, then if I have too, keep the whole class in for the whole period.

Good behaviour means the whole class or the quiet/attentive section leave a few minutes early. Homework not required if they are good.

[Easter Clark]

Hasn't been long since this topic was covered:

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=117672&highlight=

[Bouvguy]

The standard punishment in my area is the whipping stick and having them get on their knees and hold their hands over their heads. I don't have a stick, so I "improved" the knee punishment. I don't let them sit down on their legs and instead of holding their hands over their heads, I have them put them straight out to thier sides, palms up, so they look like a T. Then I put a book on each hand. Even if the books aren't very heavy, they can't keep their arms up for long. I think I need heavier books!

[laogaiguk]

Spanking, though it seems to only be the cute university students that are always bad ...

I used to use a point/reward system when I taught in elementary school with small prizes for getting points. Nothing big of course. It almost always worked. If I had to, I would stop class until they settled down, and the class knew we would be making up every second (timed) after class.

[Lekker]

Punish the entire class for constant misbehavior of one student. He/She will get the point soon enough. I use sticker charts. If they are good, they get a sticker at the end of the class. If they aren't so good, they give me a sticker. They only get one warning.

[CanuckinKorea]

If one of my kindergarten kids is misbehaving I do the 5-4-3-2-1 countdown and most of the time they knock it off before I reach 2. When that doesn't work they get an x, 3 x's means no science that week which is like the worst punishment in the world because they LOVE science! Also if they get an x they don't get a sticker on their sticker board that day.
With my older kids I have them either sit in the corner until they pull that sad face and say "I'm sorry teacher" although sometimes I say I don't care stay there.
If a kid is just being INSANE I put them in the hall, I don't care what they do out there, they could run up and down the hall doing cartwheels for all I care just as long as they aren't distracting the kids that are actually trying to learn something.
When I reach my whits end they go to the office to talk to the principle, the threat of that happening usually makes them listen.

[poet13]

Pushups for the individual.
If pushups fail, the entire class does pushups.
Failing that, take one outside, set him on fire, and the rest (believe me) will behave for at least a week.

[spliff]

[maingman]

LEKKER WRITES :
Punish the entire class for constant misbehavior of one student.



what

[moosehead]

I recall reading on here quite a while ago about walking into the classroom for the first time and NOT smiling, but being stern from the beginning, then smiling later on.

Well, I tried it at this latest school, also because the NETs don't have our own classrooms but have to come to different rooms, which sort of puts us on the students' turf, so to speak.

I've been very strict from day 1, confiscating any and all toys immediately. No time to put in the pockets, you play, you give it up and MAYBE get it back, if it's a piece of junk it goes in the trash.

Same with notes being passed, into the trash.

Chatting away, you get 1 warning, maybe 2 for younger students, low levels. Then it's up against the wall.

Still misbehaving, talk to the HR teacher. We get good support in this, it helps somewhat. If not, we are to take them to the principal, again, good support here.

However, in the past, I would do the same, follow the chain up until you get to the principal's office. If a student is disrupting the entire class (or a group of students) it's important you stand your ground; if you keep letting them get away with it, it's only going to continue, get worse, and drive you batty. You came here to teach, the school needs to support you in doing that.

I think it's always important to stress how difficult it is for many children to study a foreign language when discussing discipline issues. You need to open the door and show you understand their side of it, but then explain how it hurts the entire class when one or more students make it impossible for you to teach.

IMO the problem is WAY too many NET teachers do NOT manage their classrooms properly, let the students get away with too much (talking, playing with their friends, etc.) and set a very poor example for the ones of us who take our jobs very seriously and actually want to teach English in a professional manner.

quite simply, a student that is talking in Korean cannot hear English as well as a student who someone is talking to them in Korean cannot hear English. The students should be focused on the teacher, and listening, let them act out on the playground, that's what it's there for.

I have found that by being firm the students who ARE there to learn are very grateful for this - they are so tired of a few students disrupting their classes and getting away with it. My classes go much smoother and we have a good time, less stress all the way around.

Don't let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch - it really is YOUR choice.

good luck!

[agentX]

The ones that are talking are the ones I call on for a quick question and answer in front of the class. I love the 'caught with their pants down' look they give.

The boys that hit each other, I have to separate them in different corners and that does the trick.
I've only had to boot out 2 students in 6 months. I guess I got a good batch this work cycle. Next work cycle, these things might be different.

[crusher_of_heads]

[majolica]

i do a 3-2-1 countdown... sometimes from 10 if we're doing an activity and they need more time to get settled. i have a 3 stars system, each class they have to earn three stars to get a sticker for class prizes. even threatening to take one of the stars off the board makes them shut it. when it's truly an individual or a small group causing a ruckus, i generally have them stand with their faces to the wall at the back of the class, a third warning warrants getting kicked out of class to stand with their hands up in the hall (i've spied on them, and they actually keep their arms up the whole time!).
i do silent meditation (really just a time out for me so i can cool down if they're being really irritating)... hands on heads, eyes shut, no talking... class is always MUCH calmer after a few minutes of quiet time.
some of the boys seem to appreciate a little knock on the head or a little ear twist... it's wierd, because i hate physical discipline, but i guess they're so used to it, they seemed to like me and respect me a lot more afterwards... it's almost a token of my affection for them if i accompany my "finish your work" or "don't do that" with a rap on the head... really strange.

stars, countdowns, and quiet times have dealt with almost all of my discipline problems this year... i've only had one or two bad situations... compared to last year, especially.