Korean Job Discussion Forums

[iamdugmoore]

I'm having a difficult time dealing with discipline problems in one of my classes. About 11 kids out of the 13 kids are out of contol. While the class had a reputation before I arrived, it is driving me crazy. I've tried being nice, giving rewards for good behavior (stamps, stickers, sometime candy / ice cream), and I've tried even tried yelling at them (which I hate to do). I've tried making them write letters to their parents (in Korean).

(BTW - they are 12 to 13 years old).

Other teachers said that the class was hell (their words exactly) but I still want to improve the situation. I've decided to stop yelling, as that doesn't seem to help, and quite frankly, so far I've had little success.

My director is questioning how this could be so out of control with all of my experience, and it feels kind of justified (though I was honest that I had no experience teaching kids, and I reminded them of this in the interview).

Has anyone had this kind of problem? It's creating tons of grief at work, and any suggestions would help. I really do want to finish this contract on good terms.

[Dalton]

Here's a great link. Scroll down for some advice on 'CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT, DISCIPLINE, SCHOOLS TODAY'.

Teachers and Education

Some of that stuff works.

The last really bad, big class I had I quietly, repeatedly asked them to be quiet and open their books. I slipped out and got a big plastic ruler. When I returned I repeated my request then I walked over to the table and slapped the ruler on it so hard that it shattered. It was really loud and they were scared fecesless. That worked that day. Most days I just move around the room for some personal listen and repeat. I make them laugh. I did the ruler thing again. I yell 'be quiet' so loud that whole floor shuts up a couple times. Three days a week roughly I do the personal stuff and find ways to make them laugh. All this helps me identify the hard cases. I start to teach the whole class and insist that the trouble makers be quiet, I am firm but patient. I begin to toss them out of the class earlier and earlier. They both quit. The director and the other teachers were very happy. Their growth had slowed down to a crawl.


My school was pretty wild when I got there and the director asked me, the only male, to be 'disciplinary'. They admit they have a problem and I am the first male teacher in years (after I sign of course ). So I am 'disciplinary' but fun. Some students left but now the school has lots of kids, it's growing again and the director asks me not to discipline anymore. The kids are a bit wild but respectful. Nobody wants me to be angry because when I'm happy they have fun.

But really I rarely got angry. Twice I think and that was my fault because I learned a while back to 'get' angry before I really get angry. I also learned the value of fun. It's better than candy and quite rewarding unless laughing with and having fun with kids bothers you.

I read somewhere that it takes 4-6 weeks to get control of a new class.
Be firm at the start and ease off as they respond. Keep your sense of humour in the class. Punish with humour (not mean or debasing) when appropriate.

Hope my experience is useful to you.

[Grotto]

The thing for new teachers to remember is that it is easier to ease up than it is to crack down.

In short be a tough disciplinarian at the start....you can always ease up later on but if you are a softy at the start it is doubly tough to crack down later on.

[sadsac]

Grotto got it in one. Tough to begin and then as they respond ease up a little, also be consistent. Set the rules and enforce them for all students. The kids respond to structure and consistency because in your classroom it will be about the only place they will have it.

[McNasty]

No doubt about it. Lay the smack down from the beginning, or you will pay the price down the road.

iamdugmoore, yelling doesn't solve the problem and revealing your anger sometimes encourages the kids to misbehave.

I have found that proper planning and keeping the students busy througout the class with a variety of activities helps deal with and prevent much of the misbehavior problems. It is during the idle time, if/when there is any, that the students can get out of contol.

How is the material/curriculum at your school?

[rapier]

The cause of the problem is not you, but the schools. They should be supportive with disciplinary options, but all too often in korea, discipline is nojn existenet and the kids rule the show.
People say "crackdown early", but what if your bark has no bite? ie, you cannot follow up with an actual stiif penalty? The kids realise you've played your last card and you can look forward to a year of frustration.
At my hagwon I managed to hold most classes for up to 9/10 months. When I went ballistic or whatever, they suddenly realised nothing more could happen to them and things rapidly got worse. Shout too much, and they'll ignore it.
"Bring back the cane" as i've said a million times before. did me no harm when I was at school.

[some waygug-in]

I have to agree with Rapier here, although I don't disagree with anything that's been said. If you work in a place that doesn't support discipline, you have to be very careful how you go about classroom control.

If you put a student out, and the director immediately puts them back in, it just makes you look weak and foolish in front of your students and they soon realize that you have no real power over them......... then see where you'll be.

If you can, sure do it, but in some places it just is not possible.

Being in an adversarial role with your students is not the best approach to classroom management, although there are always going to be students who will try to force you into that situation.

If you can find games or activities that grab the students' attention, you won't have so many discipline problems.

[Grotto]

Classroom discipline.

Stop what ever you are doing and just stare at the offender/s dont do anything until they quiet down.

Proximity walk right up to them and stand behind them,,,usually works

Get a black indelible ink marker the kind that doesn't wash off and put a big black X on his hand....trust me his parents will ask him why he has this big black X on his hand. More severe write a big black 4(death)

My personal favorite..get a ball..I find a tennis ball works for middle schoolers and anytime someone starts getting out of hand bounce it off the back of the head ...avoid the face but bounce it off their skull or back or some interesting place. After a few tosses all you have to do is pick up the ball and they all quiet down.

Change the seating....put each desk about 3 feet from the other..put offenders as far from each other as possible.

Another favorite...tape record the class....phone their parents and play the tape for them.....I had a really bad class and after I did this they didnt speak out for about a month before they started up again.

The reward system....stickers. Have some prizes...get some stuff they might like and reward good behaviour with stickers...x amount of stickers gets you one prize..the better the behaviour the more stickers. Bad behaviour take away stickers...no stickers...take away a sticker from each student in the class...watch the other students beat the offender to death during the break. Laugh madly while you watch

Kick them out and refuse to let them back into your class. Tell your director/owner that if they come back to your class you will quit. If he puts them back in the class without resolving the problems walk out and go home that will usually scare the crap out of the hogwan.

Try any of these methods or come up with some of your own. But dont experience hell, put a stop to it.

Hope this helps.

[tomato]

There is a mailing list concerned with classroom discipline.
Go to the yahoogroups Website and enter "discipline" as a search word.

[rapier]