Korean Job Discussion Forums

[driftingfocus]

So, I live in a town where only one of my 7 schools is, so I have a scooter, and drive to most of them. When I left my house this morning it was merely cloudy. About 5 minutes into my 15 minute scooter drive to school, it started pouring down rain. I spent the morning teaching while drenched, and was introduced to the new principal and vice principal while soaked. >.< Not the best first impression of a foreign teacher.

Add to that this incident, which I will just copy/paste from my blog:

So, I just had to discipline AN ENTIRE CLASS. Ironic that the first time I�ve actually had to punish a student (I had to isolate one last week, but it wasn�t what I, and the Korean system, consider punishment) since I got here 3 months ago I actually had to punish an entire class (all 28 of them).

They didn�t like my lesson, so they were being silent. So, I asked them if it was too difficult. Silence. I told them that if it was, I would do an easier activity. Silence. I had my co-teacher translate. Still silence. After 10 minutes of trying to get them to say something, anything, I told them that if they were going to be silent, they were going to do so uncomfortably. I made them all stand up from their desks and stand with their arms outstretched. Silent. For the entire rest of the period (about 30 minutes).

I�m vaguely worried about retribution, however. Last week a teacher here punished a few students, and they broke 7 windows in the teachers office in response. I told my co-teacher that in America, those students would be expelled, or at least suspended. These were the 8th graders (equivalent), who apparently are a reasonably violent and vengeful bunch here, so I do have to be careful about what I do with them. After the bell, I asked them �Did you enjoy that?� �No�� �Will you speak when I ask you a question, in the future?� �Yes��.

Apparently they think I should only play games with them. I told them that I would play a game with them the last week of every month, but if I *only* play games with them, they will not learn anything from me (since I only see them once a week), and they will have a hard time ever getting a job off the island. Harsh, yes, but they really angered me. They were completely disrespectful to both me and the co-teacher, and the other Korean teacher who was brought in to help. They were disrespectful by American standards, and *extremely* disrespectful by Korean standards. First they refused to speak, then when the other Korean came in to "assist", they simply cursed at him (according to my co-teacher, who was similarly shocked).

It�s early in the year, and I do *not* want to start off the year seeming like a pushover. I really hope this has some effect. As a friend of mine says, if I continue with the same, all I will do is achieve compliance through force, which is not a productive form of classroom management.

Sorry, just needed to vent. If you have any advice or commentary, I'd appreciate it.

[KYC]

hm..you disciplined them for being silent? wow...if only I can get my classes to be silent

Some lessons flop and they may not like it..big deal. Live & learn and as a teacher you should make your lessons more interesting. If games & activities are what motivates them, then you should at least consider incorporating it in your lesson then. They can learn from games and activities...you just have to know how to plan it.

[driftingfocus]

[yoja]

It was the first day. They were pushing you to see what they could get away with. You pushed back. It happens. Don't let it get you too stressed.

Next time you go into class, pretend it didn't happen. Be happy and excited to see the students. Help them understand that your job is to help them be their best, and to help them to enjoy learning. If you continue to be a total hard-ass, you will become the token scapegoat for all the 8th grade punks to challenge and rebel against. You don't want to put yourself in that situation. Try to find some middle ground so you can freely give and receive respect--and not have to demand it.

As far as breaking the silence, ask one specific student a question that is easy enough for him/her to respond to without losing face. Give the student time to formulate a response--it's not always easy to think quickly in a foreign language. Be persistent and be kind and gentle. If the student is still silent, prompt the student with a few acceptable responses, and include one that is silly. Laughing will relax a tense or nervous student, and will decrease their need to act like little turds. Try to help the students to feel successful and they will be gain trust in you and see you less as the enemy.

Are they low-level students? I have found typically my lowest-level classes act the way you described. You need to help them find some motivation to communicate in English, whether that involves bribes, games, discussing pop songs, or whatever else is marginally relevant to both their lives and the lesson at hand. I don't feel the method of teaching is as important as encouraging them to be motivated to learn. In fact, many low-level students have a harder time learning in the traditional sit-at-a-desk listen-and-repeat way. They often need visual or physical stimulation/activity while they are learning. Perhaps this is what they are trying to tell you with their insistence to "only play games".

[driftingfocus]

[Cracker006]

You might want to designate time at the end of class for games... and if they fail to speak or speak too much, you can take time away from the game.

My problem is that they speak constantly in Korean, giving me a string of "wheeey???" and "mot-he-yo!"s

[Fishead soup]

[SOOHWA101]

Ugh..been there quite a few times. Depending on what kind of day I am having dictates my method of getting my "don't play games with me" message across.

Sounds like you handled it appropriately. Yoja had some really good advice; it is what I do the next day after an episode such as that. Just pretend it didn't happen and be very up-beat.

I usually pick one student, usually the one that looks the toughest (street rules apply), and drill his ass and make an example out of him. I make time for a LONG 5 minutes with this one student until he either answers or cracks. Perhaps some teachers find this to be unproductive and/or cruel, but I find it extremely effective and it never fails me. This, might I also add, usually happens the first day. The rest of the semester usually unfolds rather smoothly.

[nicholas_chiasson]

I usually suggest goading the male students into attacking you, and then kicking their ass. Works well for me.

[it's full of stars]

Call the biggest one a gorilla and then walk around the class assigning nicknames they have to use for the rest of the year. Alien, alien baby, chihuahua, mushroom head, and hotdog are some of my favorites from the last year.

[Easter Clark]

^

So far this year, I've got 바보, 곰탱이, 자니, and 아줌마.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I wish I could offer some sage advice but in three years of teaching them I honestly haven't had too many problems with second-year MS students being too silent.

[yoja]

[Whistleblower]

I would have not spoken to the group. Always go to class with a magazine or a book. If the class are not speaking, stroll to the corner of the room with a chair, sit down and read. Language learners need to become aware that they are in control of their own language learning and automonous learning is the way forward. Thus, if the kids don't wish to communicate, let them and sit down and chill out.

[driftingfocus]