Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kaypea]

This may be old hat for some of you, but it happened to me for the first time today.

Near the end of class-- middle school, 3rd grade, low level-- a boy had a tantrum and started hitting another boy. The other boy was fighting back. It happened so fast! I tried holding boy #1 back, while the other teacher held boy #2, but I felt awkward to really hold on to him. I let him go, and he ran out of the room, down the hallway, and then out the door... I stood and watched, like an idiot, but didn't go after him, but then the other teacher did. So there they were, out in the rain, teacher chasing student, and me... kind of feeling like I let someone down.

I'm female, and so is the teacher. She's older, but she's tough-- all the 1st graders are scared shootless of her.

I didn't feel comfortable holding on to boy #1 or restraining him, because he's a lot taller than me, and his English level is 0, and he's one of those "special" students who nobody really expects to do anywork. I've seldom heard him talk, but when he's feeling really happy and secure, he'll smile and pull his shirt over the back of his head and rock on his chair. He wasn't doing that today...

So, what should I do if this happens again? Should I just grab his arm and lead him to the nearest office? (Of course, why didn't I do that...?)

[winterfall]

I've had a few fights break out. Usually you yell and if they still don't stop. You grab the nearest kid and take them or send them to your department head or principal's office. Your KET will explain to them what happened. And you'll have to talk to the homeroom teacher with your KET. Korea takes in class room fights much more seriously than back home. Which is surprising considering how much the kids hit each other or the teacher vs student scene.

It shouldn't matter if the student is "Special" or not. And I don't quite agree with that no one expects anything from him. It shouldn't really change anything.

Some posters will say breaking up fights isn't your job, it's the KETs. Which is true. But what these other posters never mention, every time you pull out the "It's not in the contract" move, your undermining your own authority and eventually no one's going take you seriously as a teacher

[oldfatfarang]

Don't worry OP. Violence between students (and between teachers and students) is endemic in Korean public school classrooms. It's not your problem - you can not stop it from occuring.

However, you can make sure that there is a no 'hitting' rule in your classroom. I have this rule on a rule poster in my room - and if kids start hitting each other - I just stop teaching. All the kids know the rule, and so do the co-teachers. I say" No hitting," they stop, and then we go on with the lesson.

Special students are different. And so is fighting. Any fighting, and your job is to protect the other students. This year I had to forcibly eject a student who was punching (not playing) another student. If you are not comfortable with ejecting a larger male student (understandable), just refuse to teach until the co-teacher goes and gets a Korean male teacher to eject them.

Once outside the classroom, this student now has no right to re-enter your English Class (until you are ready to teach them). The Korean teachers will tell you that the student must come back into class ("It's their right"), but you should hold your ground. Use expressions like: "This is an English Room." "There is no fighting in the English Room." "We must protect the other students." "What are you going to tell the student's parents if one loses an eye etc." "Do you know that a Korean student stabbed a teacher in NZ?" Just keep going until your school gets the message that there's no violence in your classroom. Believe me, taking the time to create a safe and happy learning environment for yourself - and your students, will be appreciated by everyone.

Incidentally, my school is full of special students. One student has already been expelled this year for punching a teacher in the face. I've told my school that I will protect my English students from violence - even if it means breaking a student's arm while ejecting them.

Good luck. Be firm. You didn't do anything wrong.

[jvalmer]

I'm sure someone will contradict me, but I've never seen a student attack a teacher. And I've worked in some terrible boys' schools. However, I've seen a student attack his drunk father in the middle of the teacher's office.

There should be little to worry if you ask a larger student to get out of the classroom.

[Kaypea]

Yeah, I was just in deer in the headlights mode. My KET says that I should just lead him by the hand as quickly as possible to the admin office if this happens again, because it's the office closest to the English Room. They know Korean, and how the school works, and there's a guy in there, so it would probably be the best thing.

I was a little surprised that it was this "special" boy, because I'd only seen him peaceful or nervous before. But, my KET tells me he has occasional outbursts, and has broken windows in the school. I don't think he'd hit a woman teacher, though, and although he's tall, he's very thin, so I'd probably be able to manouver him 200m to the admin office.

I've never had a problem with fighting in my class before. I know kids like to horseplay, especially the first grade boys, but we tell them to stop and they do.

I agree that I should be prepared to step in when something like this happens. I feel like I let the other teacher down today, by letting this kid run out. Next time this happens, I'll follow the procedure of leading him to the admin office, unless if he's waving a knife around (this actually scares me, that a kid with a cutter will act up sometime). Then, I guess I'll lead the other kids out the door, and then rustle up the maintenance ajossis?

[BoholDiver]

I have physically stopped fights. I have never done it to someone bigger than me. I am not that big.

One young boy jumped on another boy and started almost biting his stomach or some f'ed up stuff. I grabbed him in a sort of full nelson and forcefully separated them. Then a Keacher dealt with it.

With kindie kids, I have seen two kids going at it and the lady Keacher trying to stop them by poking them or saying 'stop' but it didn't work, so I physically separated them without hurting either of them.

[Ramen]

K students are highly stressed. Teachers should allow students let off some steam from time to time.

Kick back and just enjoy.

[emilylovesyou]

I know it feels weird restraining a student, but sometimes for the safety of everyone involved, you need to. My mom works at an autistic school in the US (some are higher functioning than others), and they often gets kids throwing tantrums and fighting each other. Many times the kids flail their arms and legs. If my mother and the other teachers weren't trained in restraining, most of those kids would end up hurting others, themselves, and teachers. Even if the student is bigger than you, sometimes restraining is necessary. It could mean anything from holding their wrist/arm to "bear hugging" and pinning their arms.

Just remember you have to protect not only the fighting students, but the other students and yourself.

[AsiaESLbound]

Wow, students are wound up today like over wound coils. They haven't decompressed from vacation and are full of energy. They aren't listening, constantly talking, and several minor fights happened. I didn't get upset over a little spilled milk as it's unlikely they will respond right now when you try to talk and little is expected on the 1st day of school. If they think they need to calm down and listen, it's because Korean teachers have put them in the mindset of being ready for school. Right now, they are not ready, but they will slip into the routine soon and things will be back to normal. They always go through these cycles based on weather, seasons, days of the week, vacation periods, and fun factor level such as field trips and games. Rainy days seem to always be more difficult in school.

[Ramen]

[Countrygirl]

I've had to deal with many fights in class from 'special' students but it's elementary so I've been able to handle myself just fine. Some of them I doubt that I could deal with so well with if they were in middle school...they're already big and and only tougher when they get violent.

One boy in my daughter's class causes lots of trouble has been violent with the students and teachers since grade 3. There is clearly something wrong with this boy but the mother refuses to believe it and do anything about it. Even the teachers don't really push the issue and just try to make it through the year until they can move him on to be someone else's problem.

Even though he has improved a lot this year, because my daughter's teacher is simply awesome, he did have a bad day last semester and started to fight with the other boys with some scissors and box cutters. When the teacher took all sharp objects away from him, he bit her....and this is a teacher he likes!

Don't be too hard on yourself. These things really do happen in a split second. This is probably the first time you've had to deal with something like this and it's hard to know how to react when no one has told you what you should do in such a situation. I agree with Winterfall that it's important to react with authority in the classroom and I'm sure next time (hopefully there is no next time) you'll be better prepared.

[Steve_Rogers2008]

[chachee99]

When a fight breaks out start taking bets. That's what Don King would do.

[passport220]

You did fine Kaypea, you are a language teacher not Big John McCarthy. You did what you could to stop the immediate problem, follow up is the job of the Korean teachers.


Big John McCarthy:
http://www.mmabay.co.uk/img/bigjohn.jpg

[Kaypea]