Korean Job Discussion Forums

NCdan · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Location: Bucheon

I've been getting darn tired of having no real authority in my classroom due to my institute not letting teachers have any authority, so I've decided to start creatively disciplining my kids. There are two boys in my main class who always are fighting, arguing, saying how much they hate each other, etc... I just couldn't take it anymore today, so I grabbed one of the TKD belts that never gets used and tied them together while hugging each other for about three minutes. They were screaming most of the time, and one of the kids threatened to punch the other children once I released him, but after about 5 minutes he started to behave perfectly and did so the rest of class. Did I finally break the little monster?

So, I'm curious to know what other creative disciplinary measures you have come up with that have worked well. Sticker charts, candy, dividing the class up in to teams and what not is only so effective.

kiknkorea · Joined: 16 May 2008

Not too creative, but I put troublemakers on clean up duty.

If they misbehave, they get to stay and sweep, straighten the desks, etc.

It works best to wait until the class lines up to make them start. That way while everyone else is on the way home, they're stuck cleaning up after everyone.

After a time or two, they really don't like the idea of staying after!

apocalyptic_tea · Joined: 04 Oct 2009

My co-teacher made a couple of our first-graders stand on their desks and write their names in the air with their butts. They really hated it, and I think older kids would just flat-out refuse to do it, but you could just use it as a threat.

I'm no Picasso · Joined: 28 Oct 2008

winterfall · Joined: 21 May 2009

I've been pasting together story books for leveled readers that DD posted on Ning. So I just make the trouble makers help me do that after school or off to side during class. If your gonna discipline them, make sure its productive. Cool

buckeye101 · Joined: 09 Nov 2009

stimpleton · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Location: Suwon

I also have a chair, named 'Mr. chair'. The students don't like the idea of sitting up there in front of their friends, and naming it has led to interesting variations, like 'Mr. Pizza'. Alternatively, I have threatened (and carried it out) to get students in front of the class singing and dancing.
For some reason, they seem to calm down almost immediately... Twisted Evil

I know it's not the best for their emotional development, but when I'm teaching, shame is my friend.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 18 Jul 2006 Location: Home sweet home

I you have young kids, I used to tell my kindergarteners to put their hands on their head for about two minutes. The other kids would point and laugh, not the best I know, but they calmed down.

Bribing them with candy or games works too.

ddeubel · Joined: 20 Jul 2005

NCdan · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Location: Bucheon

3DR · Joined: 24 May 2009

I like the special chair idea.

This is what I do (I'm in a public school)...

I always have a few rowdy classes so what I do is I either have a timer around my neck or on the computer screen if I'm not using it for Power Point, video, etc.

Whenever they start getting loud, fighting, etc while I am talking or trying to explain the lesson, I start the timer and when they stop talking, I stop the timer.

Whatever the time has been run up to at the end of class, that's how long they have to stay in class after the bell rings.

This works great because they really love that 10 minute free time they get in between classes and I have let it run up that high and made them sit there during the whole break.

After they got the message they definitely calm down before or once the timer starts and they even tell their other classmates to shutup. I only use this for the more rowdy classes though. And I can't take credit for this...a teacher used this method at a demo lesson I went to.

Kikomom · Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:20 pm Post subject:

I've suggested this before, but since you ask...

On the first day of class, teach them all to do The Worm. They'll have fun learning it and loosen them up to get ready to learn. Then, when the time comes, use it as punishment for the ones who get out of hand, growling "WORM" and pointing to the ground when you want them to drop and do it in front of the whole class.

Some will probably be embarrassed and lose face to be singled out while being laughed at. One or two may end up being extroverted enough to enjoy it (and show some talent), but may cheer them out of their bad behaviour. But the point is to get them on the floor grovelling.

Perceptioncheck · Joined: 13 Oct 2008

NCdan · Joined: 17 Apr 2009 Location: Bucheon

DosEquisXX · Joined: 04 Nov 2009

I am for more constructive punishments.

For example, I'll make a student do 20 push-ups (boys only) and he has to count each push up he does in English. I will have students write down a page out of an English textbook or dictionary. I may have him/her write a letter of apology to me. Maybe they write down some English sentence 50 times or something like that.

I have also found that discipline is more effective when it is predictable. If you set some standards for the first day of class and follow them properly, things seem to work out well.

Or I could just send them out of the room into the freezing cold hallway.