Korean Job Discussion Forums

[crazylemongirl]

Apparently on the news last night a teacher in Gyeongsam Nam Do sent a student out into the hall for 20 days, so we got a note from the Vice-Principal saying that we are no longer allowed to send kids out into the hall when they've been misbehaving. Because those students have a 'right to an education'

I don't often do that, but for my 2nd graders in particular there is usually a group of about half a dozen students in one or two classes that make life hell for the class and we can't get through the material because I spend more time keeping students seated and the noise at reasonable level than I do teaching. I don't take it personal as apparently one class in partiular makes life hell for everybody, because surprise surprise their homeroom teacher is a nice, sweet first year teacher and those kids just walk all over her.

I've tried group punishments, but the guys that are making life miserable just don't seem to care. I've found that the borderline kids become a lot more agitated when the group punishments are in effect for these classes so I stopped them. I also never strike these kids, and can't keep them back much after class, nor can I give them a detention. Lines or extra homework just won't get done and leaving them at the back of the class causes more disruption than if they are in their seats because they now have freedom of movement.

Seems like the baby has been thrown out with the bath water. I struggle with discpline here because there are no real systems in place apart from kids getting the beat down when they step out of line. I would love for them to have dentition here but perish the thought that these kids might miss out on lunch (good) or a lesson at hagwon (even better). Thus their actions now have no consquences. Gotta love that.

[Wrench]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I'm sure these regulation will just be disregarded like everything else. Thankfully I don't have to send my kids into the hall. Since my only real disciplinary problem is playing with handphones and toys the solution is almost too easy.

[Demonicat]

Be careful who you military punish. I had one brat (who is now one of my favourites) who I would always make do pushups, book holds, overheads, sqyuats, and all of that. None of it worked and the other kids would laugh as he flew though them, then they;d think it was easy and try to act up. A few weeks later I asked Brian why he wasn't at school the other day- national Judo championships. Turns out the kid spent all day everyday working out and my 20 pushups here and there were nothing.

[mourningclam]

This one boy flipped off a girl in class right infront of me. I made him hole his middle fingers in the air out in the hallway for 20 minutes. That worked pretty well.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[dulouz]

I like to either smash unlawful toys with a stiff march from my jackboot or I simply sail said toys out the 3rd story window while everyone watches.
I prefer to send the kids to the hall rather than high maintenance punishments ie book holding or push ups.

[SPINOZA]

I immediately move the "crazy guys" to somewhere at the front with a bunch of girls. Totally backfires sometimes, but it's had decent consequences. When almost entire classes are ba5tards (we all have at least 1 class like that - class 3-6 in my case, nice kids personally but total tw_ts when it comes to study) you're really f_cked basically. Still not found a solution to that myself.

[Beej]

Typical response here. A few weeks ago us teachers were told not to give the kids any candy ( I never did anyway) because a student somewhere in Seoul had choked on some candy the week before.

[Hater Depot]

[crazylemongirl]

[joe_doufu]

See, if I told my kids to do something like that (hold the chair over their head, stand in the corner, do push-ups, sit with the girls, etc) they would just say "no". I make them go out into the hall and by "make them" I mean I drag them and it's not easy. Often I have to remove desks, chairs, bookbags and pencilcases first. The kids fight me for the same reason they acted up in the first place, to get attention. They totally succeed for a while, but out in the hall is pure agony for them.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[riley]

I find that there is a serious lack of willingness on the teachers here to put extra effort into any serious discipline system. My wife shocked me when we were discussing this. Her attitude was that teachers would rather not have to spend the time on it.I think that is one of the explanations for why corporal punishment happens. It's the easiest thing to do.
Case in point, teachers here scurry off to the teacher's room leaving the students to rampage in the halls. It's a wonder why no one has been badly hurt.

[ddeubel]

Hey guys.....

I don't want to sound like a "know it all" and yeah of course I have the odd little problem in my large classes but...............

these still are kids for the most part. When I hear of dragging kids out of the classroom, chairs held up in the air, push ups and any kind of coercive punishment that isn't related to the problem....i kinda get the hairs on the back of my neck raised....

Kids should be respect, that's how you win their attention. Seems to me point blank that most discipline/behaviour problems are the result of the teacher. Yes, read teacher. Mostly in the language classroom, kids are being taught wrong -- either too high or too low or without it being student centered and active or the students having little or no input....

This is where the problem should be fixed if possible, --- NOT throwing kids out of the class, berating, sitting them out, dragging, chair holding or even push ups (but that doesn't seem too bad

My two cents.


DD

"when one teaches, two learn"