Korean Job Discussion Forums

[vaticanhotline]

I was teaching a highschool first grade class today, and I thought I heard one of the students say "screw you" (apparently, she only said "screw", but I'm getting more used to the Korean accent and I'm pretty sure that they don't add on a sound like they do with teach-ee). Anyway, I raised my voice a decibel, and said "What?", and she started crying. Not just a little lip-tremble, tear jerk either, but full on bawling. She even went to the co-teacher (who doesn't stay in the class for more than five minutes after it's begun) after the class.

I thought these kids were used to getting beaten (and I've seen some of the Korean teachers carrying around sticks). Am I missing something here? I've never appeared annoyed before this week, in any of my classes. Could there have been some kind of shock factor? If so, why run wailing to the co-teacher? Are NET's not supposed to have discipline in their classrooms?

[Teddycakes21]

[The Gipkik]

[Manuel_the_Bandito]

[Rteacher]

I've found that if I yell very loud when I'm really angry it pretty much destroys the learning atmosphere, but if I do it sans anger - in a calculated way just to quiet them down and bring some order to the classroom - then it's appreciated by most of the students as positive teacher conduct.

Yelling as a result of uncontrolled anger naturally will be perceived as negative conduct - especially when done by a foreign teacher.

Definitely stop short of hitting students unless you're willing to risk losing your job and possibly getting deported.

(Admittedly, I've punched a couple rowdy students in the shoulder, but I was able to bribe them with enough candy to keep it 'em quiet, ...)

[DrugstoreCowgirl]

I'm not a fan of yelling. If someone is being bad, I will walk over to them and tell them "don't do that again". If they do it again, I will look at them and raise my finger. Sometimes this works but I have 2 or 3 kids that are always really bad and they don't pay attention to me. I bring it up with my co-teacher who says that they are alway bad and their parents don't care. I said that next time I am going to make them stand in the back of the classroom as punishment and she just looked shocked and said "but they are like that always". It's really frustrating because maybe they would be better if people stopped making excuses for their bad behavior. I feel like if I did try to do something to punish these kids my co-teacher wouldn't back me up on it.

[The Gipkik]

[nomad-ish]

i've seen teachers hit the back of the girls' legs, pull hair, pull ears, hit their palms, and do a colourful variety of endurance punishments. there is corporal punishment in some schools, and yelling in a lot of them.

the student might just not be used to the foreign teacher yelling. students are taught to believe the foreign teacher is funny, nice, and laid back and that our classes should just be fun and games. the kid was probably shocked and scared that she made you mad.

[Fishead soup]

I'm like "Spok" I show no emotion. I think it works.

[nomad-ish]

now i tend to smile meanly and ask questions to the offending students in english at my normal pace. i usually embarrass (or confuse) them into obedience!

[thoreau]

[calicoe]

I'm leaving the public school system over this crap. I've had quite a week regarding discipline and being blamed for my "oversensitive" and "too strict" standards. We are like sitting ducks. I'm fed up.

[shifter2009]

[Meenam]

[andrewchon]

I'd call 4 mile run 기합 but you gotta know that teddycakes is at a private school. Public school discipline rules don't apply there.