Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Enigma]

I've only been teaching here in Korea for 2 weeks, but some of the kids are already driving me nuts.
Most of my classes are elementary students, and a few of them are all boys except for one girl. I'm having serious problems with some of the older elementary boys as if they're almost oblivious to the fact that I'm there. I'm a big guy and I have a loud voice and a commanding presence, so it's not because I'm timid. It just seems that several of them have zero interest in being there and so just want to ignore me and talk with their friends.
If they don't want to learn, that's their decision, but I'm trying to help the students that are interested, and they're seriously interfering with that.
I'd much rather use the carrot than the stick, as I don't want them to be afraid of me, but I need them to know that I call the shots.
If any of you can relate to what I'm saying, do you have any advice for me?

[ttompatz]

[daz1979]

The good old days!!!

I had the same problem when I first started at my hagwon. The boys would go crazy and the girls would chat away. Shouting worked for 10 minutes, but gets you very little respect. The best way I found was tease them for a day with games, then the next class they will ask/beg for games again. At this point give a big hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm........ then write 15 minutes on the board. Explain that everytime someone talks in Korean, hits someone or attempts to give you an anal probe you will deduct 1 minute game time. They might not understand, but after the first few minutes are deducted they will soon catch on.

Good luck!!

[ds_fan]

id like to agree with you there but im afraid i cant, im in the same situation as this guy. im a newbie here too and im having trouble controlling them. i teach at a kinderten hagwon and do elementory in the afternoon. at first i went soft as all the other teachers seem to. thogh i have previous teaching experience, in a rough as hell uk secondary school. i got fed up wth them running round and not sitting in their seat and thought well, if they hit them here i might as well assert my authorty and show im not an easy push over. so i started shouting be quiet, clicking my fingers and pointing at ones who messed around saying thats bad, or your bad etc. I recieved a telling off, though they were decent about it all, from the director saying that i cant shout at them and calling them bad is not allowed.......

any advice for the both of us?

[BreakfastInBed]

I just got a whistle. I'm gonna blow on that mutha until we're all deaf then teach braille.

[ttompatz]

seriously?

Positive reinforcement and patience.

If you are like I was, you have trouble even getting the class started.
But then I learned a good trick:
If you can only get 2 children to come to you, try positive reinforcement.
Pay attention to those 2 who came to you, and ignore the 20 who are running around, killing each other.
But make plenty of noise while you do that.
A suggestion is to slap you knees while shouting "Hello, Kathy, K-A-T-H-Y!" "Hello, Bobby, B-O-B-B-Y!"
The screaming hellions will see that Kathy and Bobby are getting your attention and they will want attention too.
Once they come to the circle, add their names to the ritual.
I wouldn't be surprised if you can get all the kids into the circle without a single interruption.

Once you got their attention, keeping their attention is easier.
I didn't say "easy," now; I said "easiER."
The trick is to balance individual attention with group attention.
Call on volunteers to draw pictures, to arrange alphabet blocks in the correct order, to play musical instruments, or any other activity you can think of.
I promise you the children will throw their hands in the air and yell, "저요! 저요!"
Call on only those who are behaving, and most of them will behave.
There is just one down side to this, though: the longer you pay attention only to individuals, the more everyone else will fidget.
You can alleviate this problem by repeating a ritual after each child volunteers. I slap my knees and rhythmically say, "Thank you, Matthew! Thank you, Matthew!"

If you still have problems reducing the noise level, resist the shout above the noise. That is like fighting for peace.

Also, try not interrupt the lesson in order to deal with the disturbances.
The children might not see the goal which you have in mind, which is to operate a smooth and productive class.

Rather, you could:

▶ Whisper. The children will have to reduce the noise level in order to hear you. You can whisper names of offending individuals. ("Angela, are you ready to listen?")

I realize you're tempted to yell at the offending students, but don't.

▶ Ask content-related questions to offending individuals. ("Jason, what color is this?")

▶ Redirect the behavior of offending individuals. ("Mickey, I would like for you to sing Old MacDonald with us.")

▶ Communicate non-verbally. Tag the offending students, look their way and shake your head, or just give them a dirty look.

▶ Continue to reinforce the students who are behaving. I often look around the room and enumerate the students whom I could hear singing or reciting. "Thank you, Laura. Thank you, Kevin." Nine times out of ten, I am able to pick up a few more names on the next round.

Thank you to tomato for this.

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=79340&highlight=kindy

and this list:

But I'll post the list again anyway:

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[BreakfastInBed]

^Probably better advice.

[crusher_of_heads]

Or use a water gun in the eye of some of the 'tards.

[kingplaya4]

This new age teaching stuff doesn't work (for the most part) and I've been in many an education class and taught in a variety of locations to judge this. There are subtle things you learn as you gain experience which will make you more sucessful than a newbie teacher, but its more of a mood of feeling like a teacher than something anyone can teach you. Basically what I mean is that when you tell a student something you have to feel confident that they will follow it, and if they don't they are not going to like the consequences. Children are like dogs, they can sniff out the fearful and the insecure.

You need your school to back you. The reality is that you will not have a disciplined class if they don't. Detention works reasonably well. However, don't just take a students lip for awhile and then suddenly scream they have detention. And don't threaten them with it either. Just say "These are the behaviors I won't tolerate, and here are the consequences". They talk out that's a strike, they hit a student, that's two strikes. Three strikes and they get a detention. If this doesn't affect them then tell them if they get three strikes you'll have their Korean teacher call their mother. If this doesn't effect them, then hope the kid leaves the school.

Positive reinforcement is a nice theory, but kids will want bigger candies or more pencils from you rather than appreciating what you gave them. Rewards can be given, but I think they are best randomly given for excellence, not as bribes.

[jadarite]

I have been letting the good students leave early. I go over the material with them first. Then I let the 2 most behaved out. This triggers something in the less well behaved children and they rush to finish their work. There are a few who don't care, but this way I can address most of the class without wrestling with the whole class.

This also helps when you get a late student. I know it doesn't work every lesson cause many times you will have a full lesson prepared which can't be divided, but it works when you can set it up.

[ds_fan]

thanks for the advice, very much appreciated, good work. im off for the weekend so time to do some drinking and relaxing. ill let you know after a few days as to how sucessfully these theories can be put into practice.
good job

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[Motto]

I too have some problems

what helps the most is seating don't let them sit trouble maker next to trouble maker.
have a better student or a teachers pet help the bad students, i explain this by saying sunsengnim or teacher and pointing.
i have a naughty chair or baby chair as we call it, bit of stigma.

finally let the good students leave 10 minutes early and keep the bad students 5 mins and the worst student alone till the end. This has made a few boys cry even when shouting has had no effect. next day be extra nice to bad student.