Korean Job Discussion Forums

[nycgrl99]

I have one 5th grade class whose students are straight out of hell. 50% of the class is very very quiet. The rest are absolute monsters. They talk over me and my co-teacher, they scream, yell, throw things, run around the class and are just downright rude to my face. I dread teaching this class and today, I almost started crying. How do I deal with this?

I like teaching my other classes, but this one class just ruins my time here.

[livinginkunsan]

hogwon or public school?

[fromtheuk]

First of all, ask the students to put their hands on their head and close their eyes. Wait until everybody is quiet.

If they continue to misbehave, tell them you will give their teams minus points. If they don't have teams, warn the students they will be punished if they continue with their antics.

Next, ask the 'offenders' to stand facing the wall with their hands on their head. If this doesn't work, give them homework and ask your co-teacher to tell their home room teacher about which students were bad.

Make sure you have your co-teacher's support when dishing out punishment.

[nycgrl99]

[asams]

I have a few classes like this.

First things first, DON'T let them get to you. You need to stay firm. Try to mask your emotions.

With a few of my classes I will just sit down at the front and stare at them. It may take a while at first but they'll get the picture.

I wouldn't suggest using homework as punishment, but it's up to you.

You could always take a book in there and when they're loud just start reading loudly from the book. Make sure it's a college level book though. They'll be so confused they'll have to shut up.

If not, start sending kids home.

[nycgrl99]

[fromtheuk]

If your co-teacher will back you up, you can do it all.

They will laugh at you to begin with, but if you consistently enforce the rules, they will take you seriously eventually.

My co-teacher is new, but I hope in the coming months she will back me up.

[D.D.]

Try the put your head down on their desk and thumb up. Cant look up until teacher touches the thumb. I just leave the bad kids sleeping as after 5 minutes they will fall asleep.

If that doesn't work kick them out. If anyone complains to you tell them that it is not your job to do the discilpline.

Also don't be results orientated be process orientated. Results people have a dreamed up scenario and lose it when reality does not match their dream.
In reality kids have oodles of energy. Watching Bugs Bunny keeps them attentive.

Just had my first classes ever of 3rd and 4th grade as I only did 5th and 6th grade last year.

Was expecting Bugs Bunny to be too difficult and I was surpised that they did better than most of my 5th and 6th graders.

The trick is to make them forget they are having an English class. If you are watching cartoons soon class is over and they have talked heaps, laughed and had fun.

The trick is to stop the video lots and get them writing words as well as talking.


Lay down the law, but also ask why are they bored. Their teacher probably bores them all day and they need some interesting topics.

[dean_burrito]

Learn these two words, "get out."
I'm at a vacational high school and had to deal with fights, sleeping, silence, etc. for a good deal of classes last semester. I found the easiest thing to do was kick them out of the room. Some came back in and said they were sorry and managed to stay in class. Others were in the hall weekly. Usually the vice principle would see them and take some sort of disciplinary action. I tried to correct them in class but it was just ever couple of minutes people running around screaming. I was starting to feel more like a warden than a teacher. When you kick them out you don't really need your coteacher's cooperation either. My co-teachers didn't show up half the time anyways. And maybe yours dont' either or it doesn't bother them when the students act up.


This semester I've been pleasantly surprised. The students have been well behaved and participated in lessons. It really feels like I'm at a brand new school. I don't know if every school year starts like this and things digress to the dire situation I walked in on last year or if I just got a better selection of students.

[Katchafire]

I stand quietly and wait. After a minute, I write '2 mins' on the board ... after another minute '4 mins' .... I say nothing. The kids learn very quickly that for every minute they waste of lesson time, the entire class will stay behind double, after class. (Make sure whatever they stay behind to do is VERY boring. Eg - copying out of a Korean/English dictionary ... writing the 'expression' for that lesson repeatedly until the time is up.
Peer pressure is your friend.

It is also extremely EXTREMELY important to really praise the entire class, reward that entire class - when those particular kids are not playing up. Catch them being good, and give the rest of the kids the opportunity to feel rewarded too, seeing as they are being punished now and then for nothing they did.

[missty]

[missty]

double post.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Well look on the bright side: it's only one class, and obviously from this point on you can completely disregard any input from your 'co-teacher'. Consider this class an opportunity to experiment with disciplinary strategies and, if need be, let off some steam.

Get on good terms with their homeroom teacher, too!

[JJJ]

As Yu-Bum said, it's only 1 class...you got it easy compared to many of us. Move up to middle school and you will be pulling all your hair out.

Anyhow, kick some kids out, make them stand in the corner, do push ups, add time to the end of class (that works well), or if it's a lost cause, just play videos for every class. I've done all of the above in both elementary and middle school.

Or, as I am writing this, a K-teacher got about 5 bad boys in her class to come after class and scrub the black floor to it's original white in our teachers room. Gonna take a few days but they're doing a good job and hate every min. of it.

[moosehead]

Hey OP -

you need to talk to their Homeroom teacher - that's the teacher who's in charge of them most of the day - she/he just sends them to you and their other special classes.

all public schools have this policy - the HR teacher is in charge of behavior. for whatever reason, sometimes a co-t doesn't want to approach the regular teacher - who knows why.

try and work w/them even if their E is limited or lacking, chances are they can understand if you try.

give that some time and then if it continues, send them back to their HR when they disrupt your class. You might have to butt heads w/the Co-T about this but seriously, that's the K Co-T's job to maintain discipline - tho I've yet to see or read about one that did yet, go figure.

if things don't improve in time, next stop is the v-principal's office. sooner or later things will get better. the students will learn you mean business. they'll still be jerks but at least they'll sit down and be relatively quiet.

good luck and don't feel alone - we've all been there.