Korean Job Discussion Forums

[murmanjake]

I'm stuck with this class I'm teaching. Two rowdy 12 year old boys with little enthusiasm for learning English. One is quite a low level, can write, but knows very few words and has no confidence. The other is much better, can do basic grammar exercises and has an extensive vocabulary. The two are good friends.

It's essentially a private class taught at my hagwon, so I have complete control over what I do, no lesson plan/continuity asked for or required(and no textbook). Thing is none of my ideas are good enough.

The one thing they really like is this stupid game I played once. I taped a piece of paper with a word written on it onto each of their backs and they had to dance around with their hands in their pockets and read what was written on the other's back. They kept pushing each other around too much though so I called it quits. Now it's the only thing they want to do.

Any ideas on how to utilize this energy in an English-learning activity?
Something that let's them run around and be boys, but is educational at the same time?

[brento1138]

I think firstly, getting them running around or whatever is a mistake. It just encourages that kind of behavior. They're 12 years old? Almost teenagers. They should start learning how to study properly. Maybe you can just focus on getting them to learn the basics of studying and that it doesn't equal running around, or pushing each other.

I know it can be tough, especially if their level is low. But it seems odd to me that the boys think they can get away with bad behavior like being rowdy and such. Unless they have ADD, the problem is likely curable.

Since you cannot speak Korean, and since their English level is quite low, you have to bring this up with your boss that you cannot teach them effectively with this type of behavior. For that, you might need a co-teacher for a little while. If they don't provide you with help, or let you sit down with the kids to have a serious discussion, I guess then it would be OK to throw your hands up and say "who cares" and play games on your phone while the kids run around aimlessly.

[PRagic]

Pushups and jogging. Seriously. I know a specialist Ed.D. guy back in the States. He's also an Assistant SI and professor. He has a company on the side that deals with 'overactive and/or ADD kids. In a nut shell, his recommendation is to run em'!

I had ADD students when I taught at university back in the US. They had mandatory attendance and took their exams in a supervised facility on campus. In general, they did well enough.

[Illysook]

I had a lot of fun with some unruly seven year olds when I taught them prepositions of locations. They stood on top of desks, crawled underneath desks, hid behind the classroom door like sardines, and stood beside each other...stuff like that is fun. Those pushups can be used to teach them to go up and down on command and they can practice with numbers by counting how many they can do.

[murmanjake]

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Since this is actually a private class held at my hagwon I'm getting paid 50k/hour so I really want to make it worth their money.

I think I'll try out that preposition activity next class, though as soon as I get them on their feet they usually lose all sense of discipline. I've actually been having some success with getting them to sit and complete worksheets. The low level kid is ignorant, but luckily not stupid and he enjoys competing with his friend to see who can finish first. I still have to spend about 10 minutes calming them down before we can get going with any sit-down work though.

I don't like using my co-teacher for discipline too much. Only with kids who don't do their homework really. I command respect from my students and usually I get it. These two are problematic though. I've spoken to their mother through my co-teacher and she sympathizes. Her big wish is for me to make them actually like English!

Luckily I'm not at a public school so my hands aren't tied and I can be a fearsome enforcer if need be. I've made the low-level kid cry a couple times already so that is a good start!(No I don't hit them, shame is a much better motivator)

[Illysook]

Their mother is right. Korean mothers are always right!

All joking aside, she has a point. Giving them a positive experience with English is a lot more important than maintaining discipline. If your classroom is full of rowdy students who are learning something, that's perfectly okay. Keep things moving, keep 'em busy. I used a lot of flashcard games that required kids to take turns speaking, identifying things, asking common questions and stuff like that. It got to the point that my boss started getting stingy about using the laminating plastic, but when it came time for some evaluation, my students could answer her questions in complete sentences.

[Ya-ta Boy]

You might try these:

1. Run & Write: Copy a few sentences that include some vocabulary from a lesson, or a simple joke they could understand and tape it to the whiteboard. Have one look at the sentence and run back to his partner and dictate the information. (Pre-teach punctuation and classroom vocab like 'How do you spell that?'). This activity utilizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening. My students love it. With the jokes, I sometimes leave off the punch line and have them come up with their own.

2. Hot Seat: Make a list of vocabulary words and have them take turns giving clues while the other one guesses. Use a stop watch to determine the winner...X number of words in 5 minutes or whatever.

Both activities are high energy but involve active use of English.

[ddeubel]

That's not an easy task but rewarding if you can succeed.

I find with this age, the crucial thing is tapping in to their lives, world. Also, getting them to "make" / "do". Project based learning, getting them doing tasks they see as "valid" and engaging.

Please PM me, I'll send you a copy of my multimedia ebook. I think it might work for your situation and I'd be interested if you'd give it a try. Student created content is the focus. In any case, best of luck.

DD
http://eflclassroom.com