Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cherry Ripe]

I've just come from my final class with one particular group of kids. It will be my last because I told my co-teacher that I no longer wished to teach this particular class. They are rude, don't listen and the co-teacher seems to have no effect on them whatever. I've tried everything. My classes go down well with the other 15 groups of kids I teach so I know it can't be me.
I do feel a bit like I have failed. This is the first time I've ever had a situation like this and given up.
Has anyone else experienced this before? Do you just keep soldiering on, expecting some miraculous turn around like you see in the movies? Or do you just ignore their behavior, biting the bullet, waiting for the last time you will see them?

[bosintang]

[manlyboy]

The poor behaviour is the fault of their homeroom teacher. I've got 22 different groups of kids with varying degrees of good and bad behaviour. It's no coincidence that the worst ones also happen to have lazy or strung out or just plain disinterested homeroom teachers. I've made a point of walking my well behaved classes back to their homerooms and complimenting the teacher on the job he/she is doing. They really seem to appreciate it, and it also sends a message to the teachers who I don't compliment.
With your evil class, I would put English education on the back burner and focus primarily on behaviour management for the next few lessons. As soon as one steps out of line, stop everything and punish them heavily - get into a push up position and stay there for the whole lesson, write a thousand lines, etc. Keep doling out the punishments even for minor infractions. You may only get 5 minutes of classwork done, and they'll all hate your guts, but it's better than that terrible, embarrassing feeling of not being able to control your students.

[I_Am_Wrong]

Yeah, I have one class at my school that is exactly like how you describe as well. I think it could be one of two things: a)either the homeroom teacher done a very good job of her classroom management or b)The kids have realized that they can get away with pretty much anything while YOUR there. Just do exactly what the other poster mentioned, take control of the class, and things will turn around. They will hate your guts for it but you'll also have them eating from your hand.

[schwa]

You dont tell us your situation but I'm guessing youre in a public school? I've got one class out of 9 in a girls middle school that was slipping away.

Variety of factors (I've seen it before). Not the smartest of classes -- luck of the draw. The brighter girls who should have been mentoring the class developed an unseriousness about study with me, which rubbed off on the other students. The capable but young co-teacher is finding her grip loosening in all her classes as the school year winds down. Upshot -- a relatively noisy & unproductive classroom.

So we issued a couple warnings that went unheeded & then I withdrew my presence from their class for one week, on the understanding they'd have one more chance after that to shape up. My lessons are lighter & more fun than their standard fare, but not to be disrespected.

Well they've been much improved the last couple weeks. Can I suggest trying a similar 2nd chance approach?

[Ihavenolips]

I find that at my Hagwon I can count on one evil class per day. There is always one class that seems to be too wild and destructive. Basically, I just press on through. There is usually at least one good class each day, so it sort of balances out. I find that every two months I have to blow off steam by shouting at an evil class. If I scare them they will behave once again for another month.

Discipline doesn't seem to work. The children often enjoy the attention. Lately, I just punish them by making them do extra work assignments of forcing them to stay after class. If I lose patience I make them leave the classroom and sit in the hallway. One of the Korean teachers will eventually deal with them or call their parents.

All teachers have really bad days were they want to quit. There are usually a combination of students that make it really difficult for foreign teachers. Even Korean teachers deal with the same problem students. However, you just got to suck it up and prepare for the next class. Otherwise, you will burnout and dry up.

[riverboy]

I teach part time at a hagwon every Monday. It is run very poorly and it is difficult for me to get a routine of discipline going because of the fact that I teach them only for forty five minutes a week and the school is crap. There are eight little idiots in the class. Only two of them are actually at a decent level of reading and speaking. They are still very poorly behaved. In the three months I have been teaching at this school, they have yet to buy the textbook I required and changed my schedule several times without telling me.
It has been hell to say the least. Since I have an F-2 visa, I could leave any time, but I am a stubborn little bugger and in the next class, there are some decent kids who do not come from priveliged families. So I have decided to stay for now.
Two weeks ago, I had a terrible day time with the idiot class. I made the mistake of being too lenient on them at the beginning and I paid for it. As I said, I am responsible for not disciplining them properly. Everyone was unruly and after thirty plus minutes of me telling them to; "turn around, be quiet, stop talking Korean etc." I came totally unglued when I was trying to wrap up the class. One of the litlle dinks felt it was time to end the class at his discretion. He started saying"goodbye" repeatedly, I told him to wait. He said "goodbye" again and I told him to wait in Korean. I was writing on the board and he kept repeating it. I told him him to "Be Quiet" one more time in Korean, turned around and he said it three more times all the time with a sarcastic triumphant grin.

Well, like I said, I became totally unglued. I started yelling in broken Korean, incoherent Konglish and wild eyed psychotic English. I punched every students desk once and then punched the boys desk three times. In my rage I went to put my finger in the boys face and accidently poked him in the face(this is totally wrong behaviour). I told everyone to shut up and kept them an extra ten minutes explaining how things were going to change next week.
After I left the class, I met the Korean English teacher, who said, "You are very angry."
To wich I replied,"yes"
She then calmly reassured me that "they were a very bad class."
I met the director standing at the door and she gave me a friendly smile and yold me(in Korean) that "I did a good job."

Now, I lost my cool and did not behave properly at all. I am sure many people will still want to focus on that and comdemn me as a terrible teacher among other things. I should not have poked the boy in the face, but, in light of the way the school is run, sometimes extreme behavior is necessary. And, in a country where striking a student is acceptable, often that is what it takes to effectively enforce discipline. On monday, they were all behaving much better, but to insure that nothing like that happens again, started the class with a big punch on the desk and gave the first student who misbehaved lines. I was obviously better prepared this time around.
I teach a total of thirty-five different classes a week and only two of them difficult to manage. My advice is to not do what I did, but to be prepared to punish immediately and if the class refuses to comply, continue to punish the bad and reward the good.

[ajuma]

Hey, I have a uni class with the same kind of students! Actually, about half of the class would be great (they do the work!) but the other half make me HATE this class. They seem to forget that I'm the one with the power to give them a good or bad grade!

[Apple Scruff]

Kids are stupid.

[rapier]

I have one class the same. I've tried everything for a year, but it simply comes down to the fact 2 of the boys there just do not want to study, and know they can get away with whatever they like as the hagwon won't interfere. Its too late for me and that class...I just let them run wild now and waiting for the class to be changed in 2 weeks time (so the director tells me).
You can only control the really bad kids if your hagwon allows you methods to do so. But most don't care if the kids behave well or not- just as long as their parents keep paying fees and the kids enjoy themselves. So, no point getting too upset about it. I read the paper every lesson.

[Kwangjuchicken]

I guess (no I know) I have been evry blessed.

In six years I have never had a problem with a kid's class. I love them. Make my day. A real joy in all ways.

The first day I walk into a new class of kids, they run up to me TEACHER
TEACHER TEACHER. Like we are old friends.

Then, they each get a bench cookie.

Next we introduce ourselves. I take notes.

Then we write and illustrate a storybook based on the studnets in the class.

I have done this with pre-school thru High school kids.

Great first day.

Also, I tell them to call me by my first name. There are 1000's of teachres.,but only one me.

This both makes me look special in their eyes, and helps to establish a closer relationship.

All of what happens the first day is aimed at fostering a sence of community, and one in where I am a freind as well as a teacher.

Then, they not only do well for me. But they want to. It just becoame "THE WAY IT IS".

And, today I found this very good quality magnifying glass that is in a gold chain. Like a pocket watch. So, now I can use that to read my posts for proofing. Bit acward and hurts my eyes to do so. Maybe I should just stop posting and reading at this site.

I have heard there is another els site. Can someone give me the address? If it is easier to read and post at that one, then I will change sites.

But I still wish this site has a size between normal and large.

Normal at this site seems to small to be normal. And the next step up is so much bigger.



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