Korean Job Discussion Forums

[rapier]

Interesting tale there Kyrei: you suffered more provocation there than I ever did. Your own choice of course, but I think maybe you came to an unecesarilly extreme conclusion as a result of the experience. (for me, anyway).
Of course, with kids that speak English, its a lot easier because you can make them understand a whole lot of things by talking.
However in korea, thats not an easy option, and getting physical becomes the most effective way of showing your dissaproval or your approval.

[Squid]

I noticed there were a few "Bad students" whom were shuffled around the hagwons in the area I worked in last year.
Their parents would pull them out and switch to another because of the "Bad foreign teacher" then switch back 6 months later for the same reason.
My main threat, to put them down a grade or into baby class, usually worked.
I will not teach kids again.

Squid

[Seoultrader]

Jesus, remind me to adopt a 17-yr-old girl if I ever feel the need to become a parent...

[Gollum]

Sick, sick, sick.

[A.I.]

Just Because, I had a very similar experience to yours. Seems like rationally placing the child outside for a few minutes quiet time constitutes an act of tyranny while losing your rag and beating the child to a pulp Korean style is acceptable. I was backed up by the Hagwon too. Child X did a big exit stage left and all was well in HagwonLand again.

I have since found another solution. Marker pen to the face. Just make little line drawings on the offending child's face. They go bananas and then calm right down and behave. I don't even wanna know why this works. I'm just happy it does. A little like a bumble bee flying, perhaps?

I'm sorry for those of you who think getting physical is the way to 'teach' their kids. Personally I think perpetuating the cycle of violence isn't the best way to go.

[VanIslander]

A marker to the face is like a scarlet letter, branding the sinner. Hard to save face then, eh?

I prefer the hands off approach to discipline, though one need not be ghostly with the kids. I for one do the low five, high five and thumb shake. basically an arm's length type of touching, a risk-adverse, conservative approach to the ethics of teaching.

[captain kirk]

yeah, they really hate getting markered in the face. it's a big deal. one yahoo was stretched right back arching his back with no escape as the marker point moved upstoppably toward him. dabbed on the beak, he rubbed his schnozz like a racoon with an 'unfair!' look on his face. time stops. you can hear the silence.

[VanIslander]

[Grotto]

Using physical discipline

Many a time have I grabbed ears, slapped hands and knuckled heads.

Never harshly, just a firm grab or a light tap to let them know I was serious.

My students learned very quickly that dong chim is a major no no The first time someone does it I firmly say no.....and tell them never again....usually thats enough...I had one 10 year old girl who seemed to get her jollies out of it. The second time she did it I tapped her head...the third time I threw her out of the class....the fourth time she got a hard smack on the ass...a proper spank! Never happened again.

Rude behaviour....I had these two 11 year old boys who started holding their noses when I entered class and making smelly noises(I checked it wasnt me) I just cuffed both of them upside the head....not hard but that and the dirty look turned them from little shytes to hardworking students.

Sometimes a more direct approach is needed when dealing with kids...especially when there is a language barrier involved.

[Butterfly]

I admire you people, dealing with these foul children.

[just because]

Geezz...that was a blast from the past

[ryleeys]

My first classes weren't bad at all... a little talkative, but nothing serious. Then I got a whole flood of kindergardeners in March. Little hellions every last one of them. It took me two months to get the law laid down... yelling didn't work. One day I lost it and picked up the desk of the kid that was pissing me off and threw it across the floor. That scared the hell out of them. Then I started making them stand in the corner (as learned from you online people)... they didn't much care, so I had them hold a stack of books (which they would repeatedly drop over and over for jollies), so then I put a glass of water on top of the books (worked like a charm, nobody wants to get all wet). But about a month ago, the Korean teacher quit and I suddenly had all of my classes double in size and was teaching as many as 4 different levels at the same time. The little kids went ape s*** and I've been trying to calm them down ever since. Now they ASK for the punishments... my good older students have stopped responding to me... it's drivin' me crazy and my friends are telling me they're noticing grey hairs! (I'm only 22!) It probably hasn't helped that I haven't taken a single vacation day since I came here in October and that I've got a never ending stream of Korean teachers (since my boss ain't too good). Actually, I'm about to lose another Korean teacher.

I hate to say it, but there are some days now when even the slightest infraction sets me off: asking me for 100 won (EVERY SINGLE DAMN DAY!), "forgetting" their pencils (they do it on purpose), sometimes even just talking quietly when I have them doing work in their books. The bigger things: flicking me off, swearing (first Korean I learned was how to swear), throwing things, etc... man, I just know I'm gonna go off one of these days.

Stay tuned for some really good stories...

[Juggertha]

I have used ears, hair, arms, hands, fingers or whatever else i can get ahold of in extreme cases. If a child refuse reason or is physically combative they will be removed from the class.

I have to say my Hogwon director has backed me up in every instance. We have numerous student reviews and we all know who the trouble makers are