Korean Job Discussion Forums

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

I have this class once a week that is just a terror. I don't think i need to get into what kinda of ridiculous tomfoolerannigans they get into.

Anyhoo, I thought i'd try bringing a oh bek won snack to class, putting it right under their noses, and tell them the best behaved kid would get it. Simply that. You're working and quiet, plus, you're talking and loud, minus.

It was ridiculous....TOTALLY ridiculous, the change. It was a graveyard. Well, a swiftly working grave yard. They finished quickly, gave me the ol "teacher i'm finished" (even made the effort to not say "peeneeshwee"). Sat quietly until everyone was done.
It was crazy.
I did it again this week, same result.

I tried it with dukbokkie in a differrent class (more for kicks than anything). Sat it right on the table so they could smell it all class. They were going crazy..it was GREAT fun to watch really.

And then it got me to thinking, how MUCH would i spend to keep my classes in good working order. Obviously 500W a week is pretty affordable for most people here, but i teach 30 classes, I can't imagine i'd want to spend 15,000W a week.

So how much WOULD YOU spend and how much DO you spend to keep a class(es) in line?

Now some of you will come on here and gripe about not rewarding students and conditioning with blah blah blah blah blah. Listen, some kids are bad and there isn't anything we can do about it cause we can't talk to them to solve the situation. Luckily, it seems almost any kid will answer to candy. Not only that but it's the easy way out.

Freezer Burn · Joined: 11 Apr 2005 Location: Busan

I used the same technique when i was teaching in China, you run the risk of it becoming a crutch, and they will only behave if you hve the candy/treat, i was called candy teacher.
But hey if it works, which it does, just buy one big bag of candy for about 4000 won, and only give out one or two, its still the same, they still want it and throw some chocalate in there for good measure.

numazawa · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: The Concrete Barnyard

If you want, you can rent one of mine.

Knappstar · Joined: 05 Jan 2005

Srict disipline from the start!Make them hate you and fear you at first, then slowly let them warm to you. The first 3 classes, anyone who makes a PEEP or korean or does anything else disruptive to classtime has to write a ton for homework. (Such as "I will not speak Korean in english class x50).

The only class this doesnt work for is my 14 year olds, b/c they have figured out (and I hope they keep queit about it) that there is absolutely nothing I can do if they don't do said homework-what am I gonna do, have them expelled? Not likely-I work at a hogwan, and their parents money is keeping the place afloat.

I found a pretty good solution that probably won't cost me a dime..set a date (one month in future) that they could have a pizza party on IF they manage fewer than 50 checks in that time. A check is issued EVERY time they piss me off at all. Korean? Check. That annoying AHHHH TEACHHAAAAAAAA DONT WANNNNNNNA? Check. They have 25 so far, and its been a week. The ones who cause the checks get looks to kill from the other ones. I am almost sure they will go over the 50 checks, but it is doing great at keeping them in line for a while.

About the disipline with the younger kids thing...funny enough, they all hated me the first week..but about 2 weeks in, not only do they seem to like me, but they LOVE the disipline! If I fail to call someone out for speaking Korean, the other kids remind me! My mom musta been write..deep down, kids CRAVE displine. LOL

Hope this helps

Andy

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

yes strict discipline from the start, however, I think it should be balanced with a reward points system (although I don't know how many esler's have time to do this properly. Currently, I don't have the time for a proper points system so I started the term out with strict discipline and occasionally bring in surprise treats for exceptional behavior or having homework finished.

I think it's a really bad idea to just automatically bring treats in every class and have them behave solely for that reason. This doesn't deal with any major class issues and I think it doesn't truly have the desired effects. Furthermore, you shouldn't have to break the bank in order to have student control. My two foreign co-workers at my public school just give out candys all the time to students and it's a real piss off and will bring in snacks, just like you, and tell the students that if they behave they'll get the snack. However, they always fold under pressure and always reward bad behavior (big no-no!) When they give candy they say it's "to teach them how to use 'Can I have a ......'" Yeah right! Today two grade 6 girls ran into out staff room (which they aren't allowed to do without permission) and yelled "Candy!" at me. I said no candy and my co-worker walked in and they yelled to her "Candy NOW!" and he goes "hehehe...ok which one do you want" and they grabbed the candys and ran away without even saying thank you. Then he turned to me and said "see I'm teaching them how to ask for things in English"

Blind fool.....

Knappstar · Joined: 05 Jan 2005

sorry for all the typos in my last post..it was the end of a long day at work..brain was a little discomboblulated

Knappstar · Joined: 05 Jan 2005

BTW..I find the BEST reward system to be absolute RESPECT..if you are good in class, I treat you like a god for that class..hugs and high fives and compliments..they can't get enough.

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

i havne't gotten to the whole high 5s etc... but and the reason for that is that this particular class, i have one a week and it's difficult to establish ANY sort of reporte with them. If i was to have them every day, I have little doubt that i'd be able to find a way to bring them "under wing", however, the whole "once a week" thing is killing me.

I don't know if i was clear enough, but i do NOT reward bad behaviour, and spending 500W a class seems to have an incredibly positive impact.

That said, I am going to try a couple variables in this class.
These days, so far it's been, a busy, engaging task AND the prospect of a treat.
Next week, i'll try no engaging task AND prospect of treat....week after that will be engaging task and NO prospect of treat.

This will be more of an experiment than anyhting else i suppose....
if no one is interested, let this thread fall to the bottom...i have the class tues, so i'd report then.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

Stickers have magical power too. Try a big sticker on the table instead of a choco pie, it might have the same effect.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Making my most ridiculous class work for a whole lesson has been purchased with:

- two toast sandwiches, cost: W2,400 (it was past 8pm and the kids still hadn't eaten dinner, so it was also my weekly charity)
- two drinks from the nearby vending maching, cost: W1,000
- five candies each, cost, a third of a big bag that cost a few thousand

One time when I didn't give a certain barbarian candy she started grabbing everyone else's papers and throwing them around the room (she's 15 years old). Her and an equally insolent and lazy friend genuinely think that I discriminate against them because I give rewards and praise to the other girls when they do their work but not to them when they don't. They even looked up the word 'discriminate' on a computer translator just so they could explain themselves to me. One of them, the class bully, will just take candie from the other girls if I don't give any to her. As I type this I'm looking at a scratch mark on my hand I got from confiscating a marker pen from another girl from this class I caught writing on the wall.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Bribes work, for a bit. It's a bit like l-dopa and Parkinsons. Eventually the kids become used to it. They then assume they're entitled to their bek won coins or stickers or chocopies. Or worse, they become beggars. It's good to throw little surprises like this into the mix but I've found when I start using it as a form of bribe/reward the kids eventually become immune.

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Birbes only work for so long. Unless you are willing to pay a small fortune to have a good class.

Other than that there is nothing you can do. Most kids know that we aren't real teachers so no respect is required.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Fear or incentive, reward or punishment are the only 2 ways to control a class.

I use reward system very well on my pre-school kids.
For the rest, I am barred from ruling by fear, and I refuse to pay for rewards. So, they often degenerate into unruly chaos. Until the director wants to give me an extra allowance to buy them candy or ramyon, or allows me a big stick in the classroom, they will remain inneffective classes:

tomato · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 11:01 pm Post subject:

What about activities which are both fun and educational?
Verb conjugations, prepositions, plural and singular--all of these grammatical points can be made into concentration games, go fish games, old maid games, or bingo games.
When a child misbehaves, just ask the child, "Do you want to act silly, or do you want to play bingo?"
I promise you, the other children will understand the word "bingo." And they will help you pressure that child into behaving.

For the first year, it will take you long hourse to type, print, cut, paste, and laminate all those games. But those games will last you a lifetime, and they will prove themselves worth the effort.