Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Hotwire]

All the korean teachers at my hakwan have drum sticks to beat the desks with and keep the kids in check.

I asked if I could have one too but was told no.

Boo hoo.

[Gom]

Buy one?

[rooster_2006]

[lprice001]

After the sixth month? I am in my second, and those kids couldn't give a darn if I beat the desk with a stick or screamed at them. They would laugh.

[Hotwire]

^^

Curious, do you just go with the flow and take it or do you still TRY..?

By the way I honeslty am making no value judgements.

I have a freiend who just takes the abuse and always gets renewed at his jobs despite his own admission that

'I'm barely there, I don't think they even notice my presense, I just plug in the cd and let them do what they want, anything for an easy life.' He might take issue if they really verbally assault him in a strong manner but that's about it.

I still try and although I honestly have seen evidence of huge improvement in my student's English, I have never been at one job for more than a year due to being 'too serious' despite also playing games, videos and having decent classroom management (still an effort to maintain.)

I sometimes SINCERELY wish I was like my friend and just soaked it up and ignored it and went through the motions.

It's just so hard to have a 10 year old punk dissing you to your face in front of the whole class and making it hard for the good students who actually really do want to learn - and just soak it up.

I've tried and tried even saying to myself 'just imagine it's not real or you're not really there, be zen etc' but my real personality kicks in eventually and I will assert myself and make it clear in a non threatening manner that this is not cool etc and impliment some kind of reward and debit system.

I want the easy life

[le-paul]

i started hiding the drum sticks in our academy slowly over a couple of months. I thought maybe the teachers might learn how to discipline/control the kids instead of being lazy and just threatening/hitting them.
Instead, they just found ways to invent new more powerful sticks by rolling up newspapers and covering them with gaffa tape etc., lead pipes - that kind of thing.
They have no imagination when it comes to teaching methods but ask them to invent 'paddling sticks'...

point is - make your own - its quite easy apprarently.

[Fishead soup]

Don't use the stick. Corporal Punishment is on it's way out in Korea. The only reason why it's still being used is that Korean teachers can really unite and help out someone if they get in a tight spot over this legally vague situation. As a foreigner you will get zero support if the students decides to take legal action.

Corporal Punishment is not effective. You are just playing your Ace card from there really is nowhere to go. Once students no longer fear you they will just tease you until you do something really stupid that you will regret that will not only cost you your job but might block any future prospects of getting a job in Korea.

[tanklor1]

[Kaypea]

I still remember at the hogwan I used to teach, a couple of the Korean teachers had love sticks which I don't think they ever used. Once, a little girl student took a male teacher's love stick and ran around the hallway giggling, knowing he would do diddly squat. (That sounded dirty, didn't it?)

I have a running joke with the other teachers that I really want one of the sticks, but I'm not allowed. Really, though, I wouldn't know how to use it... that kind of discipline's never made sense to me, personally, because I didn't grow up with it. There's better and more subtle ways to deal with students. OP, sounds like what you're doing is fine. I'm surprised your schools haven't been appreciating it. At my school, I don't think I'm supposed to let the students get away with bloody murder. On the occasions when I teach through/around/whatever classroom anarchy, I always regret it because I know it's such s*tty teaching, and I think the coteaches think less of me when I don't stop the lesson and try to regain focus... I feel really guilty on days when I just let the clock run out.

[bobbybigfoot]

[Kaypea]

I still remember at the hogwan I used to teach, a couple of the Korean teachers had love sticks which I don't think they ever used. Once, a little girl student took a male teacher's love stick and ran around the hallway giggling, knowing he would do diddly squat. (That sounded dirty, didn't it?)

I have a running joke with the other teachers that I really want one of the sticks, but I'm not allowed. Really, though, I wouldn't know how to use it... that kind of discipline's never made sense to me, personally, because I didn't grow up with it. There's better and more subtle ways to deal with students. OP, sounds like what you're doing is fine. I'm surprised your schools haven't been appreciating it. At my school, I don't think I'm supposed to let the students get away with bloody murder. On the occasions when I teach through/around/whatever classroom anarchy, I always regret it because I know it's such s*tty teaching, and I think the coteaches think less of me when I don't stop the lesson and try to regain focus... I feel really guilty on days when I just let the clock run out.

[Kaypea]

I still remember at the hogwan I used to teach, a couple of the Korean teachers had love sticks which I don't think they ever used. Once, a little girl student took a male teacher's love stick and ran around the hallway giggling, knowing he would do diddly squat. (That sounded dirty, didn't it?)

[wiganer]

[sharkey]

I have a 2 foot bamboo stick.. It was a gift from another teacher. I don't hit the kids because my co-teacher will do that. I just use it for pointing and getting attention.

[Caffeinated]

At Monday's school meeting the teachers were informed that corporal punishment is verboten. Maybe something got lost in the translation but I was told "punishment points" were the suggested way to go.