Korean Job Discussion Forums

[LateBloomer]

Thanks to all the posters who repeatedly try to help newer teachers and give them the benefit of your experience. This week, your good advice helped me �head off� what could have been a potential teaching disaster. (I�ve also appreciated the assistance a number of people have given me on issues related to being new in Korea.)

Background:
After two weeks of elementary school summer camp with well-behaved kids and seemingly good results�especially satisfying because I had developed all my own materials�the grade five �class from hell� walked in the door. If I were paranoid, I might have thought that someone had recruited the 10 most difficult kids in the school and put them all in one class�just to see if I could handle them. (I�m an older first-time teacher but I do have a CELTA.)

Right off the bat, before my first class with them even started�..I could tell that trouble was brewing�an exceptionally high noise level, four boys pushing each other and wrestling over a hat and a generally disrespectful attitude when I asked them to find their Korean names on the class register.

I remembered the advice on posts about classroom management�.words to the effect that if the kids ever get the �upper hand�, it will be an uphill battle after that. So, I knew it was time to get tough. Before I started the lesson, I made those kids switch seats and sit boy/girl/boy girl. (Their desks were in a semi-circle�.right against one another.) They strongly resisted but finally all complied, with the exception of the biggest boy, who was clearly the �alpha male�. I physically moved him to where I wanted him to go�kind of lifted him out of his desk by the armpits and fortunately he didn�t resist. Then I told the �little devils� that there were only two rules��no talking while the teacher or other students are speaking� and �be respectful�.

They participated quite well and turned out to be a fairly bright group. Since I ask students to do a lot of individual speaking exercises disguised as games, sometimes a student struggles with what he/she has to say and it takes a bit of time before we can move on to the next student. That�s when the others started to talk among themselves�.more than I was willing to tolerate.

I gave them two warnings. After the third �offence�, I handed out a test that I hadn�t planned to give them that day. I knew some would find it difficult because it was a little beyond their current level. I explained that since they couldn�t control their talking, I was giving them a test and that whenever they didn�t obey the rules, they would get a test. You could have �heard a pin drop� for the next 15 minutes and that took us to the end of the class. I also told them that I usually give out prizes to students who participate well in class but there would be no prizes for anyone that day.

On day two, I asked them to change seats again. They pleaded for �one chance� and I agreed but emphasized that there would be only one chance. Things went well for about 20 minutes but then AM and his friend just couldn�t control themselves. So I asked them to change seats, which they did without a fuss. The rest of class was great and I gave them a lot of praise for everything�good pronunciation, quickly catching on to anything I explained etc. etc. They all got their participation prize. (I know it�s shameless bribery but I don�t care.)

Today, on day 3, I really enjoyed the class. They were well behaved and judging by their participation and general attitude, I think they had a good time.

So, I just wanted to let those who repeatedly take the time to post helpful advice know that it has already made a difference for me. It�s not my nature to be �tough� with students and I knew classroom management would be one of my greatest challenges.
But some of you really sensitized me to the importance of not taking any #$@%. Now I have a lot more confidence about being able to handle future problems. So, thanks again!

I�m not sure I handled the situation in the best way, but it seemed to work in this one instance. If anyone wants to share how they would have handled a similar situation, it might be useful for others�.. or for me to try next time.

[Sina qua non]

Hang in there!

[Qinella]

Sounds great. Those fifth graders can be hell on iceskates sometimes.

Keep up the good work~

[Ya-ta Boy]

I see nothing at all wrong with the way you handled things. Kids know there are limits and boundaries and appreciate clear explanations of where those boundaries are. The only real way of establishing that is by having clear rules that are consistently and fairly enforced.

Switch your terminology re 'bribes' to 'rewards'. Also, there is an unspoken reward: improved English. Handing out pieces of candy is immediate and concrete, improved performance is more abstract, intangible and incremental. Nothing wrong with helping kids at their level of maturity reach a difficult goal.