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the_beaver
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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 Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:19 am Post subject: |
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| ryleeys wrote: |
I've gotten 14 new kids aged 5-6 in the last 2 or 3 weeks... I went with the carrot and stick method as I'm not a fan of disciplining children that aren't my own (of which I have none to discipline). I was disciplined at home and never had problems at school due to this. Anyway, that lasted about a week before it sunk in to me that this ain't gonna work.
The main problems I'm having: 1) Being flicked off, both Korean and American style, 2) Being called every name in the book in Korean, 3) Being attacked from behind and hit with everything from fists to, of all things, a souvenier baseball bat, 4) Non-stop talking that prevents me from accomplishing any teaching at all, 5) Attempts to break everything in the room the second I attempt to write anything on the board, 6) Intentionally being coughed and sneezed on... etc. etc. etc.
By the way, I have been put in the classroom at the far end of the hagwan to isolate me and the kindergardeners from the other elementary students and Korean teachers. There are empty classrooms across and beside me at all times.
Then I went with the ever popular yelling at them to shut the hell up. That lasted about a week until I literally lost my voice and got pissed at them laughing at me. The day I lost my voice, I started picking up desks and slamming them down... they were stunned the first time and stayed quiet and sitting for a full two minutes before realizing that I couldn't yell anymore or even speak enough to say my name, much less get the director.
Today, I went with the "death penalty" (I spent 30 minutes last night after school rigging this thing up)... Any kid that pisses me off gets sent to a corner, where I have rigged a piece of string that holds a glass of water over their head. I adjust it so they have to hold their arms over their head to keep the glass of water from spilling on them. The more times they get in trouble, the longer I make them hold it and I can use a larger glass of water (I've got a 2 quart pitcher if need be).
The first kid I let quit after 2 minutes when he started to cry. The second kid pissed me off real bad and got to hold it for 15 minutes. After that, they stayed quiet all class.
I realize I'll probably be fired once word of this gets out, but with the behavior of these kids, I don't even care anymore. It's sure as hell fun to see the look on their faces before and after the punishment. This job might have a little bit of fun in it after all. |
That's genius. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:26 am Post subject: |
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Ryleeys: I sympathise... but what would you do if the kids simply refused to go to the corner, refused the punishment? Would you physically drag the kid under the jar, and hold him there the entire lesson?
personally, I've learned not to open myself up to any accusations of abuse..I cover my own back...if that means the kids go nuts and learn nothing...so be it.
You can't dig a tunnel through a mountain when you're denied even a toothpick to use.
This one particular lesson of mine runs something like this:
Me: Okay, lets read from page 14.
Kids: Shiroh!!
Me: Ok, I tried. Have fun y'all, I'll just stand here and daydream about my favorite beach...ahhh!!
Makes lessons a lot easier. |
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ryleeys
Joined: 22 Dec 2003
Location: Columbia, MD
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:41 am Post subject: |
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Actually, the second kids refused to go to the corner. So I picked him up and put him over there with him crying and screaming all the way. He got away and ran back to his seat when I realized I had to make a loop on the end of the string to put around his finger since he wouldn't grab on to it. But I won in the end...
Like I said, I'm not doing anything abusive that's going to get me in trouble with police or anything... and I could care less about getting fired. Either changes are going to happen or I'll find another job in Korea (preferably, as I don't feel I've accomplished yet what I came here to do) or I'll go back to America (also acceptable).
By the way, I get yelled at if I'm not "actively" teaching for all 50 minutes. Just yesterday I was walking around the table to help a student when I slipped on a bookbag and fell down. My director walked by and saw me on the floor and came in an scolded me for acting childish. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| ryleeys wrote: |
Actually, the second kids refused to go to the corner. So I picked him up and put him over there with him crying and screaming all the way. He got away and ran back to his seat when I realized I had to make a loop on the end of the string to put around his finger since he wouldn't grab on to it. But I won in the end...
Like I said, I'm not doing anything abusive that's going to get me in trouble with police or anything... and I could care less about getting fired. Either changes are going to happen or I'll find another job in Korea (preferably, as I don't feel I've accomplished yet what I came here to do) or I'll go back to America (also acceptable).
By the way, I get yelled at if I'm not "actively" teaching for all 50 minutes. Just yesterday I was walking around the table to help a student when I slipped on a bookbag and fell down. My director walked by and saw me on the floor and came in an scolded me for acting childish. |
Its hilarious, I know...I just continue teaching, as background noise... of course the moment wonjangnim glides past the window, they clam up into their best behavior, so I suppose the illusion remains intact... I honestly think Koreans have absolutely no idea of how our classes misbehave:- because the kids are suddenly obedient little soldiers, the moment a Korean comes into view.
My particular class,are 15 yrs old. I'd try your technique, but there's no way I can drag them under a jar... they'd probably throw it over eachother for extra fun, or maybe me too. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:59 am Post subject: |
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| I got pissed off the other day, which I don't do too often. I just couldn't take all their Korean chatting. They were a class of just 6 or 7, but 3 would not shut up. And they are 3 weak students! So I freaked out a bit, and then just left the room for the last 10 minutes. Part of it too is that the material is not so great, or I'm a bit burned out at times and don't teach it so well. I just find it tiring sometimes, even if the classes are small and not so many students, to deal with the near zero English students who seem like they are in agony if you try to get them to be attentive or think! They whine too much for my liking. Sometimes I think I'd like to introduce them to hungry children in a far off country who wish they had the opportunity to go to school. |
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g-ese
Joined: 21 Feb 2004
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2004 2:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Wow, my kids don't get that bad. Sometimes when I get mad, they really clam up. I must get pretty vicious. I don't know. But I love some of the punishment ideas in here. Thanks. |
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