|
Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
View previous topic :: View next topic |
Author |
Message |
poeticjustice
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:32 pm Post subject: Calm the [MOD EDIT] down! |
|
|
I work at a Public High School. It's alright, but I have my off weeks and my on weeks for sure. I'm a very stubborn person, so if one of my lesson plans doesn't work like I thought it was going to I refuse to change it until I'm absolutely sure it's a problem with the lesson plan and not with the students. These days the majority of my classes have been a constant battle between the students and I, where I calmly, using all of my diaphragm, tell them to "bbbbbbbeeeeeeeeee qqqqqquuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttt" and they either ignore me, need to be told five or six times, or yell something saucy back in return.
While I try to never lose my cool, I really come close with some classes. Especially boys. I have a few classes where the co-teacher is completely AFK (mentally) and let's everything slide. When the discipline is all up to me, they don't really respond very well.
I stand there, isolating 'problem' students, adjusting seating arrangements and glaring at (while not speaking) problem makers when they're holding up the entire class. None of it works. The second I start talking again, the students start talking under me and some little jerk is always sitting there yelling "OKAY! OKAY! OKAY!!!!!!!!! OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in response to everything I say. Or, the worst, "SHU T UP!!!!!!!! GET OUUUTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRRRYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
God damn. It's not even as if I'm behaving disrespectfully. Forever I was wondering "is it me? Is it me?" and now I know that it isn't. It's them. They're bastards.
Even in my good classes, I still have some problems. Do Korean children ever learn the whole "indoor voice / outdoor voice" thing? Seriously? If they're doing a worksheet and one needs help, they don't raise their hand. They scream "TEACCCCCHAAAAA!!!" and when I go them, another student (who also wants help) feels as if they have to scream "TEACCCCHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!" even louder just to get my attention.
I had two classes, yes, two, on classroom rules and how you shouldn't behave like this. Yet they persist. I think they've been brought up this way or something, yet when I see them in other classes they're always quiet and half dead.
Any advice? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
afsjesse

Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: |
|
|
First of all yelling will accomplish nothing. Don't forget that you're the adult. If you lose control then that shows the students you're unstable and they will prey on this.
Second, have a great talk with your coteacher about how they need to control the students. Explain this in many ways and how it's important to you for them to participate in the class. If they don't change then you need to take this problem to the VP and P and get things into gear.
Third, try to compliment them. Instead of yelling, just be quiet and stand up there looking straight when they don't listen. This works like a charm for me and eventually one or two students calm the class down. If you show them you are serious and are not happy about the situation 70% of the time it wil resolve itself.
Good Luck. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Many co-teachers will choose to play good cop so you get to be the bad one. Which role do you want to play? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
cruisemonkey

Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject: Re: Calm the f*ck down! Christ... |
|
|
poeticjustice wrote: |
Any advice? |
Find another profession? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
climber159

Joined: 02 Sep 2007
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 6:54 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Something that has worked for me:
If I have a particularly obnoxious class I will, rather than scream, yell, or get angry, do something completely unexpected. Sometimes I'll do a little magic and pull a silver doller from a student's ear; sometimes I'll just ignore all the students and read a book, surf the internet, chat with my coteacher. The unsusal usually gets them to shut-up. They're so used to being yelled at from other teachers that they don't even notice it anymore.
Another thing that enables me to get the class off to a good start is to have a short Youtube animation video playing at the beginning of class as they're entering. Most of the time this keeps their attention until the majority of the class is present and I'm ready to begin class.
Above all, don't lose your composure. If you do, you lose the class for good. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
pocariboy73
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: Calm the f*ck down! Christ... |
|
|
Quote: |
I work at a Public High School. It's alright, but I have my off weeks and my on weeks for sure. I'm a very stubborn person, so if one of my lesson plans doesn't work like I thought it was going to I refuse to change it until I'm absolutely sure it's a problem with the lesson plan and not with the students. These days the majority of my classes have been a constant battle between the students and I, where I calmly, using all of my diaphragm, tell them to "bbbbbbbeeeeeeeeee qqqqqquuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttt" and they either ignore me, need to be told five or six times, or yell something saucy back in return.
While I try to never lose my cool, I really come close with some classes. Especially boys. I have a few classes where the co-teacher is completely AFK (mentally) and let's everything slide. When the discipline is all up to me, they don't really respond very well.
I stand there, isolating 'problem' students, adjusting seating arrangements and glaring at (while not speaking) problem makers when they're holding up the entire class. None of it works. The second I start talking again, the students start talking under me and some little jerk is always sitting there yelling "OKAY! OKAY! OKAY!!!!!!!!! OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in response to everything I say. Or, the worst, "SHU T UP!!!!!!!! GET OUUUTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRRRYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
God damn. It's not even as if I'm behaving disrespectfully. Forever I was wondering "is it me? Is it me?" and now I know that it isn't. It's them. They're bastards.
Even in my good classes, I still have some problems. Do Korean children ever learn the whole "indoor voice / outdoor voice" thing? Seriously? If they're doing a worksheet and one needs help, they don't raise their hand. They scream "TEACCCCCHAAAAA!!!" and when I go them, another student (who also wants help) feels as if they have to scream "TEACCCCHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!" even louder just to get my attention.
I had two classes, yes, two, on classroom rules and how you shouldn't behave like this. Yet they persist. I think they've been brought up this way or something, yet when I see them in other classes they're always quiet and half dead.
Any advice? |
Yah, calm down and mind your manners
Last edited by pocariboy73 on Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:03 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Hanson

Joined: 20 Oct 2004
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
You get more by offering honey than you do with vinegar. You have to create an incentive to behave well.
Quote: |
I stand there, isolating 'problem' students, adjusting seating arrangements and glaring at (while not speaking) problem makers when they're holding up the entire class. None of it works. |
This clearly is a bad strategy and a common mistake by rookie teachers. Win them over with kindness. Make them want to behave well because they like you. Right now, I'd hazard a guess and say they don't much like you, much less respect you. This is where your fight lies. Make them like you. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:11 pm Post subject: |
|
|
First question: academic or vocational / technical?
I had one class last year like you describe. I found that a mixture of punishment and something fun at the beginning and end of the lesson worked very well. After a while they could just 'sense' when I wasn't ready to put up with chatter and would keep it down. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
AgentM
Joined: 07 Jun 2009 Location: British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:15 pm Post subject: |
|
|
climber159 wrote: |
Another thing that enables me to get the class off to a good start is to have a short Youtube animation video playing at the beginning of class as they're entering. Most of the time this keeps their attention until the majority of the class is present and I'm ready to begin class.
Above all, don't lose your composure. If you do, you lose the class for good. |
Just out of curiosity, what cartoons do you play? |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Location: Chilgok, Korea
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:32 pm Post subject: |
|
|
AgentM wrote: |
Just out of curiosity, what cartoons do you play? |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gB3JbEbvvI <-- this.
I actually have a stock of Coyote/Road Runner (for the grade 4-6 crowd) and Tom & Jerry (for the little ones). |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
climber159

Joined: 02 Sep 2007
|
|
Back to top |
|
 |
AgentM
Joined: 07 Jun 2009 Location: British Columbia, Canada
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Straphanger wrote: |
I actually have a stock of Coyote/Road Runner (for the grade 4-6 crowd) and Tom & Jerry (for the little ones). |
Thanks for the tip. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Goku
Joined: 10 Dec 2008
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:48 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I find what helps too especially in your particular problem is to come off very strongly
You know those motivational speakers on infomercials?
If you pretend you're like that guy, very few kids will challenge, but obviously lose the cheese of it and coming off like a sleazeball.
I know what you mean though OP. I have had the hardest time with kids since I got here. The kids are just naturally going to take advantage of the FT.
It's pretty easy to isolate you from all the Korean teachers and nobody takes the FT classs seriously. There's no grades, there's no homework etc.
If I were a student in an FT class, I'd probably talk all I want too.
It's something we have to deal with it. Let me know if the motivational imagery works. It works quite well for me. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
poeticjustice
Joined: 28 Feb 2009
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Hanson wrote: |
You get more by offering honey than you do with vinegar. You have to create an incentive to behave well.
Quote: |
I stand there, isolating 'problem' students, adjusting seating arrangements and glaring at (while not speaking) problem makers when they're holding up the entire class. None of it works. |
This clearly is a bad strategy and a common mistake by rookie teachers. Win them over with kindness. Make them want to behave well because they like you. Right now, I'd hazard a guess and say they don't much like you, much less respect you. This is where your fight lies. Make them like you. |
Yeah, that sounds like a good strategy but to be honest I'm too tired to do it. A lot of this requires me having a reserve of energy greater than theirs and half the time I simply don't. I don't have enough energy to always be constantly one-upping them. I barely have enough to stand the entire 50 minutes.
Something about working here saps all my energy. I have loads when I leave work (usually go for a big long run then) but while I'm at work I'm about as useful as a snail. |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
Zulethe

Joined: 04 Jul 2008
|
Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 8:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Quote: |
I work at a Public High School. It's alright, but I have my off weeks and my on weeks for sure. I'm a very stubborn person, so if one of my lesson plans doesn't work like I thought it was going to I refuse to change it until I'm absolutely sure it's a problem with the lesson plan and not with the students. These days the majority of my classes have been a constant battle between the students and I, where I calmly, using all of my diaphragm, tell them to "bbbbbbbeeeeeeeeee qqqqqquuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttttttttttttttt" and they either ignore me, need to be told five or six times, or yell something saucy back in return.
While I try to never lose my cool, I really come close with some classes. Especially boys. I have a few classes where the co-teacher is completely AFK (mentally) and let's everything slide. When the discipline is all up to me, they don't really respond very well.
I stand there, isolating 'problem' students, adjusting seating arrangements and glaring at (while not speaking) problem makers when they're holding up the entire class. None of it works. The second I start talking again, the students start talking under me and some little jerk is always sitting there yelling "OKAY! OKAY! OKAY!!!!!!!!! OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" in response to everything I say. Or, the worst, "SHU T UP!!!!!!!! GET OUUUTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! SORRRRYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
God damn. It's not even as if I'm behaving disrespectfully. Forever I was wondering "is it me? Is it me?" and now I know that it isn't. It's them. They're bastards.
Even in my good classes, I still have some problems. Do Korean children ever learn the whole "indoor voice / outdoor voice" thing? Seriously? If they're doing a worksheet and one needs help, they don't raise their hand. They scream "TEACCCCCHAAAAA!!!" and when I go them, another student (who also wants help) feels as if they have to scream "TEACCCCHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!" even louder just to get my attention.
I had two classes, yes, two, on classroom rules and how you shouldn't behave like this. Yet they persist. I think they've been brought up this way or something, yet when I see them in other classes they're always quiet and half dead.
Any advice? |
This is the funniest post I've read in a long time. Thanks for the good laugh. I can just picture you running around like a mad man screaming at them: SHUUUUUT THE F. UP AAAAAAHAAHAHA
YOU LITTLE INGRATES...I'TS NOT THE LESSON PLAN IT'S YOUUUUU...
AHHAHAHAHAHAHAH |
|
Back to top |
|
 |
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|