Korean Job Discussion Forums

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

I fear the thread topic may be naively cliche, but I have to ask.

I've been on the job one week now and my biggest, and really only, problem is getting the kids to be quiet and settle down. My first class is only three students, 7 years old, and they are unebelievably bad. They throw everything at me, including their jackets, shoes, bookbags. I take everything they throw at me and put it up where they can't reach it, and the rest of the class is spent with me trying to get them to stop trying to get the items I put up high. I don't think it's that they dislike me, because they hug me and smile a lot, but they are just very very rowdy and come to my class directly after taekwondo class.

Thankfully, that's the only group that pummels me with projectiles, but most of the others are just as vocal and rowdy. I often can not hear the kids who are reading, or they can't hear me reading, because of everyone yelling. And if I am lucky enough to get them quiet, the very second I turn my back to write on the boeard, they get up and run around again. It's absolute mayhem in some of my classes, but somehow the work gets done and the kids seem to understand.

I don't get mad, and I don't want to feign anger as that may inspire their impish schadenfreud, acting worse to get reaction from me. I sometimes stand in front of them and yell "SIT" and they sit, but then it's the whole as-soon-as-I-turn-around thing again.

A few times the kids have hurt themselves by falling off desks, or like the other day a kid slammed the other boy's hand in the door. Every time, guess what they tell the other teachers? Thaaaaat's right, they say that I hurt them, which is absolutely false. Aren't Korean kids raised to give a little more respect than this to their sonsangnims?

Anyway, is there any tip someone can offer to get them to settle down? I'm desperate. The other teachers tell me to YELL, but they speak Korean and I don't. If I yell, I will just sound funny to them. It's bad enough they call me Jongu.

Thanks, Qinella

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2005 5:33 am Post subject:

Well, first thing's first. If they're hurting each other, then you've definitely got to get them under control before anything serious happens. If kids get hurt, immediately take them to the front desk and report it. This keeps them from having time to formulate anything against you. Just take the kid who's hurt and the kid who got hurt up there and leave it up to the secretary to figure it out.

If you want kids to behave, you have to institute a system that they know and abide by. I use a points system, where the bad things they do (no homework, acting up in class, so on) get them negative points, and good things net them positive points, but there's tons of different systems out there, like yellow card/red card, points being bad, stickers for rewards, and so on. Just take a half hour and work out the basics, the rules and rewards, and start it up. Also, don't get angry when a kid breaks the rules; just punish them according to the system until they get the hint, and if it doesn't help, send them up front. For instance, my kids start with 20 points, and if they get 0, it's front desk time. Kids hurting each other in any serious manner would be an automatic 0. To help kids police each other, I also have monthly class rewards, so if each student were to get 22 points, they get a pizza/game day at the beginning of the next month. Surprisingly, kids don't get this very often, because I penalize them for no homework and make getting points back hard.

Also, get some standardized class rules that every class will know. If they don't know that there are rules, they will assume that rules don't exist and just be natural.

After a few months of this, they will begin to learn what you like and dislike from a class very well, and will abide by the rules quite well.

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

Seperate the 3 evil ones and make them all sit next to girls (or threaten to do so). It works wonders.

adventureman · Joined: 18 Feb 2003

A little birdie told me cattle prods are all the rage this year....

Aidge · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Location: CA

If you can institute a "No Korean" rule, and enforce it, your teaching will be WAY simpler. Make tough consequences and stick to them! NO Korean.

polonius · Joined: 05 Jun 2004

I have found that the best way to control a class, is to have your class rules. Everyday before the lesson starts, have the kids list out the class rules, right them on the board, and they should remain there for the entire class. Use the reward system, give a stamp if a student offers a response. (I generally avoid taking away stamps, as it is something they have already earned, and would you like being docked pay for something you merited) Instead, if the behaviour is inappropriate, I draw attention to the class rules, ask little Johnny if he understands what he did wrong, and then I congratulate the rest of the students for not taking his actions, and reward them. This sets them off against each other, and the competitive nature takes over. Be sure that your rules are not negatives. For example: "Don't stand up" isn't as effective as "Sit in your seats", or "Don't speak unless you raise your hand" vs. "Raise your hand before speaking." Children respond to positive rather than negatives, as do we all, I suppose. And Positive re-inforcement can be your greatest tool. Always congratulate your students for a correct response, good behaviour. And that being said, do not put down a child for an incorrect response. Tell them they made a good effort, that they were close to the correst answer, and move on. NOTE: Never raise your voice in class. This only intrigues the children, and will encourage them to see you do it again. Do not give them the pleasure of it. I have many other ideas, if you are interested, you may PM me, and I would be more than happy to share.

Grotto · Joined: 21 Mar 2004

One thing that seems to work well is clapping a quick pattern. 1,2, 1, 2, 3

Also it is much easier to crack down right at the start and ease up later on. Having things thrown at you is unacceptable and I would put a stop to that immediately.

I use "Looking, Listening" I tell them looking at the teacher, listening to the teacher. No talking and I will repeat it up to 3 times. If all students havent settled down and paid attention then I make the offending student stand with their hands in the air for a few minutes.

Practice a steely, icy stare, something that gets across the fact that you arent impressed.

Captain Corea · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul

i agree, with children it is best to define the rules AT THE BEGINNING.

I would often use a countdown of 3...2...1! If they were not seated in the prper posture they would get a rousing "horse-bite" (a firm but tickling squeeze of the knee).

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

There's some complex formula that determines a loud class vs a quiet class. Larger classes are harder to control. Kids with poorer language ability are harder to control. Classes with 9 girls and 2 boys can be very quiet. 9 boys and 2 girls can be hell.

Don't be afraid to bring in the head Korean teacher to really really yell at them, threats to call their parents, etc.

I have a class of four 8 year olds and they can be little monsters. Running around, fighting with each other, ugg. It's made worse that one kid is the boss's son and he breaks out into a crying ninny fit at the drop of a hat. Lord. I'm considering bringing in my digital camera and video taping him in one of his rages, trying to brain a girl with a chair. Just in case.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

I want to get a video camera just for this reason.

Basically in a system with unrealistic expectations and little support there's not much point in trying. The only thing that really pisses me off is when a kid is disturbing things for others who want to learn. With more advanced or older kids I can sometimes have great success by bringing in things they find interesting. Even if they're being unbelievably insolent, as long as they're learning something I don't care. Younger kids who just want to play games I don't have the patience to discipline properly.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Ok things that I do in classes of 40 boys.

Have a be quiet chant. In my classes I yell attention and then the kids repeat it back until everyone is yelling it. dara ha say yo 'attention' or whatever the word is.

Every time I have to stop the class to get their attention then they get an X on the board. When it gets to 5 everyone has to put their arms in the air for 5 seconds with no talking. If they talk it goes back to fine. sun d row

Then class ressumes. But at 10 it becomes 10 seconds (if I'm feeling particularly mean I make them kneel on their desks with their hands in the air).

Granted I'm in a public school where my punishments can be a lot more mean and I dont' have to worry about the moms.

But whatever it is you need to train them in some magic words inorder to control the class.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

Yeah I was just writing a response and the worst kid in the class ran up and hit the Esc key, erasing all of it.

So my question is, how do I explain a points/reward/punishment/rule system if I can't speak Korean? We're talking about 7-9 year olds that can't speak any English, and won't stop screaming and running around long enough for me to explain something, anyway.

Today with the three first graders, they did well because I had the other teachers talk to them in Korean, but one of the children kept acting bad and inspiring the others to misbehave. He was trying to kick and punch me, and grabbing his kneecap only made him giggle, not obey.

So what can I do to calm down these crazy kids? Call their parents at home? Do the parents even care?

Thanks, Qinella

camelina · Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Location: wishing i was there

Sitting boy girl boy girl, seems to work somewhat.

However... lately... i've been drawing 'the line'.

At the top of the white board...on one end of 'the line' i write START. Then 1/4 down i write "heads down", another 1/4 I write "hands up" another 1/4 I write "25 lines" and at the end I write "5 pages homework". Everytime a student speaks Korean I erase a bit of the line. And when they reach one of the 1/4 the whole class has to do it. So they never ever want to get to those parts.

Works like a charm. My coworker told me about it. I thought it sounded kind of dumb, but it is working great!

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

For this age group you are going to have to train them in classroom commands.

Also look at your body language etc. At the moment these kids think that they can walk all over you and do. They can sense that you're unsure of yourself. You need to basically perfect the Stare of Death. And look like you own the room even if you feel that you don't.