Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jdog2050]

So, I have a student who literally can't sit still. He's a good kid, but he just *has* to move around when reading, etc. I've asked him about it, whether or not it feels like he *has* to do it, or he gets itchy/tingly in his legs or whatever, and he said he does.

Anyone know specifically what this is?

[jdog2050]

edit: I'm hesitant to jump to concluding that it's ADD/ADHD until I observe him more.

[RACETRAITOR]

It's something for a doctor to diagnose, not a teacher.

[jdog2050]

[kimchi_pizza]

About the best and only thing you can do is ask about his diet. I've noticed that alotta my wound up youngsters are strung out on sugar
or caffeine. Ask him what he usually eats and drinks. Could be he's drinking too much flavored drinks/milk, tea or coke. Even those little
yogurt drinks makes'em hyper with all the sugar they contain.

I had a similar problem and found out a student was strung out on
chocolate milk. I talked to the mother, cut off the supply of chocolate
and it was like I had a whole new, calm and wonderful student.

I've noticed that even 11-year-olds are buying cans of coffee! That'll sure as the sun rises give'em the twitches.

[Bibbitybop]

The US drug companies are now selling meds for "restless leg syndrome." WebMD it.

The boy probably isn't eating enough kimchi.

[RACETRAITOR]

[pest2]

dude, better watch that shiat! The kid is like a time bomb waiting to explode.

[anyangoldboy]

The only way to get a kid off Ridilin(spl) is to give them Ridiout. Sorry bad joke.

I have a hype student. He throws knives and stuff out the window so me and the Korean teacher in the elementary school rough him up a little but he just smiles and does it again without remembering the bruises we just left on his body.

Please don't take that seriously. But we do have a kid like that where we have to stand over him the whole class so he doesn't go running over the other side of the classroom to smak some kid for no reason.

[Jellypah]

I've had a couple of kids with ticks. One boy needed to stretch his mouth open wide and roll his eyes back in his head. It was like watching a sleepy lion take a big yawn- but the kid wasn't yawning.

I've got one now who's a very bright student - but usually two or three times in a class he rolls his head around around, snapping it quite sharply to one side on the last turn. If I happen to be looking at him I can tell when it's going to occur, as he'll always raise his eyes up toward the ceiling before it happens.

Another little boy does this sharp, almost coughing sound - like he's forcefully trying to clear his throat. "Huh. huh, HUH!" I initially thought he was sick, but this has been going on for a few months now.

I've asked the Korean teachers about these students - and most times they haven't even noticed what's been happening. And when they do catch the ticks, they say "Oh - it's his habit."

Actually- it reminds me of David Sedaris's description of himself in "A Plague of Tics" (from "Naked.")

According to [my teacher's] calculations, I had left my chair twenty-eight times that day. "You're up and down like a flea. I turn my back for two minutes and there you are with your tongue pressed up against that light switch. Maybe they do that where you come from, but here in my classroom we don't leave our seats and lick things whenever we please. That is Miss Chestnut's light switch, and she likes to keep it dry. Would you ike me to come over to your house and put my tongue on YOUR light switches? Well, would you?"

Maybe it's OCD. Pehaps our students - my sleepy lion, rolly-head, and barky seal as well as your jumpy little frog feel compelled to do what they're doing.

David Sedaris writes that his nervous habits eased up once he discovered cigarettes. Maybe less sugar, more smokes for our students?

[Muffin]

I know tics (that's a parasite maybe it's ticks?) can affect all nationalities but I am wondering if they are more common in the Far East. A few years ago I taught at an international junior language school in the UK and a few Japanese boys had tics like the ones described on this thread.

Actually the kids were great and all took no notice of the involuntary grunts etc.

Tourettes syndrome is another possibility. There is no cure for it but some sufferers find music helps them control it better.

[djsmnc]

[crusher_of_heads]

[jdog2050]

[jdog2050]