Korean Job Discussion Forums

[guangho]

I don't know if it's Dokdo or too much taekwondo practice or whatever, but just this week I had to break up two fights- one boy v. boy and one girl v. boy. I mean just going at each other- kicking, punching, biting, the works. How do I deal with this short of strangling the little mutts? (Which would be cool, but the odd thing about this profession is that you need to have students to keep on teaching.)

[rapier]

Only bad teachers break up fights.
-because it involves forcefully holding a child. You should be able to control them with words alone.
Keep out of it, let them go at it. Call the wonjangnim when its got bloody. If you break it up before then, they will likely blame you for the whole thing. Don't get involved, then no parent can blame you for anything.

[PolyChronic Time Girl]

This happened all the time to me at my first hagwon teaching kids (big mistake on my part for choosing to work with kids).
Most children are an endless source of frustration/misery, and I will never step a foot in another class full of those snotty little vermonites again.

[JacktheCat]

Good advice from Rapier there.

Don't get physically involved in the fight. Use your voice, body language, and stare of death to let the students know in no uncertain terms that their behavior is unacceptable.

You know you're really a teacher when you have perfected your "death stare" and fake "angry teacher" voice.

[guangho]

Cool. Thanks guys.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

And say you didn't see what happened - writing on the board, whatever - so that it's all the KTs problem to deal with.

[Ya-ta Boy]

I agree with your choice to stop the fight. Immediately. There is no other real choice.

Second step would be to haul their little butts down to the wonjong to deal with it.

Third, let him know that they are both welcome to return to class when they are ready to apologize to you and the other students for disturbing class.

[Grotto]

Wow, on Friday I had a bunch of students horsing around. At first they were having fun but then things started to get out of hand. They started pushing and swinging away at each other. I let out a good loud "YAH! ANJAYO" and they sat down in their chairs. I then stepped out to get my co-teacher to tell them that there is no fighting allowed. Read the riot act to them...etc.


I come back into the room with my co-teacher right behind me(I was gone maybe a minute) and they are locked in a deathgrip(hand to hand)
The girl(who was taller and bigger than the boy) dug her fingernails into the back of his hand hard enough to draw blood and leave some tissue damage. As we enter the class the boy puncher her one in the jaw, she kicks him where it really really hurts. The Korean teacher and a furniture salesmen (who was there showing the furniture catalogue) jumped in and pulled them apart.

I read the riot act to both of them and my Co-teacher translated and added her own slant.

I dont tolerate fighting but I leave the punishements up to my co-teacher. I told the students that if it ever happens again they will be going to the Vice principals office!

Luckily??? I work in a public school so there is some meat to the consequences.

[Ya-ta Boy]

The message I get from Grotto's post is that every kid in class gets one free fight. Consequences don't kick in until the second fight.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Was discussing this with my co-workers last night after yet another silly fight that I thankfully missed. Consensus: if it's kids or at least one kid you like, pull them apart right away; if they're little shits, at least one of them will get what he's been asking for, maybe two, so leave it to the KTs to deal with.

Like at the bar, unless it's someone I really like who might get hurt, I'm not taking much notice of yet another mindless brawl.

[some waygug-in]

What if it's a boy and a girl?

A couple of times last year, I had boys and girls going at it. In one case the girl was bigger and she was winning....... so I let them go at it.

In the other case the girl was much smaller and just minding her own business, the boy was a bully trying to steal from her. In this case I had to step in, I couldn't just let it go on.

I grabbed him and took him down to the office. let Wonjonnim deal with it.

[Yu_Bum_suk]