Korean Job Discussion Forums

axmill · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Location: USA

So one of my favorite co-teachers had to go away for a semester and was replaced by a recent graduate. She's female and very quiet. We've been working together for several weeks, and all I can say is that I dread every class that I teach with her.

I NEED SOME HELP! One thing that frustrates me, is that she graduated with an education degree and she's older than me! I'm assuming in Korea that comes with student teaching experience. But, seriously I've seen none of that!

Here are my problems.

1. She can't get the class to be quiet when I'm teaching the lesson. ex. one time it took her 30 minutes to get the class totally quiet. <--main issue

2. These days she disciplines them by making them stand in the back of the classroom or make them do some sort of exercise. It still doesn't work! They are still noisy!

3. She rarely translates for me, therefore a lack of classroom participation and understanding.

Bottom line is that I don't know what to do! I'm frustrated because these classes were fine with my old co-teacher. I even called in sick last week because I didn't want to deal with her horrible classes.

What can I do? I've spoken to her several times about the issue and even to my head teacher. No one seems to care or has done anything....

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! About the teacher or the class!

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I've had a couple of temps like that. You've got to step up to the plate and deal with it yourself. What level are you teaching?

You may even try having her stay behind in the staff room for a few lessons while you establish a sense of discipline yourself. Plan something very simple and straight-forward to teach, that leads into student-centred activities, but make it abundantly clear to them that they will shut up and pay attention while you're explaining what you're going to do. If this doesn't happen there are many disciplinary approaches you can take. Ultimately involve the class' homeroom teacher if need be. Yes, it's a loss of face for a CT who's older than you but she's just a temp so it probably won't go down too badly.

My guess is that you were too dependant on the last CT for classroom management and now are reaping the results.

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

I've been having the same problem. Push-ups and other physical penalties tend to just cause a spectacle and actually increases the distraction in the class. I tried many different strategies, but I found that this works well. They waste my time, so I waste their time.

I bought a service bell for 5000W and when I ring the bell the class has a 5 second countdown to be quiet. If they take longer than 5 seconds, they get a warning. The third time they take longer than 5 seconds, the entire class has to come to my room at the beginning of their next available lunch period and write "I will be quiet and pay attention during the lesson." 50 times.

It's a bit of a pain for me because I have to go to their homeroom and collect them and bring them to my room or else nobody would show up. If a student skips out on the punishment I offer a bounty to the student who brings me the runners. The runners then write the sentence 100 times.

On the flip side, they are rewarded by paying attention and quickly finishing the book lesson with a game or some free time depending on my choice that day.

In the rowdier classes, I ring the bell a lot, but they do quiet down quickly.

I also have the 3-warning rule for individuals that includes the group they sit with and their group will have to visit at lunchtime. And before I get the sympathetic cries for the innocents that are penalized -- they all agreed to the new rules and I gave them the advice that, even though they are their friends, they may want to consider if they are the best people to sit with since they could be the cause of your group losing some of your lunch period.

So far, things are much better. The book lessons are being completed quickly and there has been an activity or a few minutes of free time awarded in almost every class. Only one class has visited me at lunchtime and it was on the first day I implemented the new rules -- no problems since.

I should also mention that this is a middle school.

poet13 · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject:

Pushups. Lot's and lot's of pushups. Be consistent, be fair, but have an iron fist on the class.

Easter Clark · Joined: 18 Nov 2007 Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong

If the class won't be quiet, just stand there quietly without saying a word. Do that for a minute or two, and if they still won't shut up, sit down. Then tell your co-teacher "I can't teach if they won't listen." I do this as a last resort, but the kids usually quiet down once I tell them they will have to write for an hour if they continue with the noise.

If the class meets before lunch or is the last class of the day, you have extra leverage (keeping them after class), so use it. I made a class stay after school 20 minutes last week. This week they were angels.

EzeWong · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Location: Seoul

I figured out what my "scary" co-teacher does
She has these creative ways to punish students

She drops their notebook almost 3 floors down and has the student race to get it.
Obviously they never do. If they fail to get it, they get a harsher punishment

She also rips up their notebooks and puts it into a bowl of water... I have no idea what thats about but she makes them put it back together again after that.
Again an impossible task

I think the students are just afraid of what she will come up with next

poet13 · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject:

I pitched a kids crutches out a 2nd floor window on Wednesday.

To be clear, the crutches were for a skit, not an injury.

njp6 · Joined: 01 Sep 2005 Location: Gangnam, South Korea

I think the biggest mistake most of us make in teaching public school is assuming that the K-teacher will control the students. Nope, this is all up to you. Everyday I write ENGL on the board. If the students do the activities we have planned successfully, I then write I-S-H. If they get a full ENGLISH this goes towards a movie day. When I want the kids to be quite, I count from 5 to 1. If they aren't quiet I erase a letter. If I erase all the letters, the students have a dictation test. We have practiced and modeled all the desired behaviors so the kids know exactly what is expected of them.

I mention this because many co-teachers have no classroom procedures, rewards, or consequences. They don't write out and explain their rules, and they don't reinforce the rules they assume all the students understand. My biggest peeve is yelling at the students to get them to be quiet. This is hypocritical and doesn't work.

OP your situation is difficult. I would sit down with the K-teacher, explain that things are not working and work on making a behavior system together that will suit your needs. Of course, come up with your own behavior plan first, sit down with the k-teacher, and lead him/her over to your way of thinking. I hope everything works out.

Rusty Shackleford · Joined: 08 May 2008

I agree with everything njp6 said. It really is up to us to enforce discipline.

One of my favorite tricks is to whack the class role on a desk really hard. It's like electro shock therapy 'cos they usually get a fright. After that they often police each other to stop the noise. I'm thinking about getting a whistle too. The first time I crack it out should be hilarious.

OculisOrbis · Joined: 17 Jul 2006

I tried the whistle. I used a FOX 40 - it's prob one one the loudest you can buy. It worked for about 3 days and then it became a game to them and their reaction to the whistle was louder than they were before the whistle.

nomad-ish · Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:52 pm Post subject:

offtheoche · Joined: 21 Mar 2007

Ignore your co-teacher...and teach the class as if she is absent. You are the one and only BOSS of the classroom. Make sure your students know this......in no uncertain terms.

Rusty Shackleford · Joined: 08 May 2008

Yea, agree with the whistle thing I guess. Same is true of whacking the role. It works when they aren't expecting it but it loses its effectiveness fast.

Some classes are just out of control so no tricks really work. You have to clean house sometimes. Had to spend an entire class sorting out students last week. Went in like nothing happened this week and they are about 40% better. Hopefully they keep improving.

wayfarer · Joined: 05 Jun 2007

I think the tough, pro-active approach of not relying on your co-teachers is mainly for career teachers, and/or for those who have inflated sense of the importance of their job. I just can't be bothered. Seriously what difference does it make? The stuff I teach them isn't on their exams, they see me two or three times a month at most, and I have no contact with the parents. So why should these kids fear me? I just teach for the ones who want to listen, and if the others get so noisy as to make it impossible for everyone, I just stand quietly and wait for my passive co-teachers to finally shut them up (with some of my other co-teachers it's never an issue). If you're not making a career out of this job don't take it so seriously. Live an easy life- it's not worth the exertion.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004