Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ThingsComeAround]

I got class today- everything is running smoothly.

Second class in, I get word that one of the students "doesn't like English" or whatever the hell that means. The homeroom teacher let this student stay in the room while the rest of class was with me.

Toward the end my co-teacher disappeared. I thought he had to pinch a loaf. Anyway, he came in and told me he was talking to this student that was given leave. He made him promise that he wouldn't stay out again, and asked if I would visit him also before class let out. I did, and it was a huge waste of time. The boy was a lil @$$, looking at his Starcraft comic eating cookies. Not even facing me until his teacher sat next to him and told him to respond to my questions. I've already thought about changing his seat (from the back) but I doubt it would have much effect.

How would any of you deal with this situation?

[Easter Clark]

Get rid of your coteacher.

[Juregen]

[Captain Obvious]

[ThingsComeAround]

wasn't I that gave it to him. I'm guessing it was the homeroom teacher.

And no, my co-T and I have a balance. we make suggestions to each other on how to improve things. I told him that will never happen (visit to a brat) again.

[detourne_me]

if he's a 'special' student i would make an exception, but if he's fully functional I would have to say that English is a compulsory school subject and the student must try to complete the schoolwork. I doubt any other student gets such treatment if they dislike science or math.

[reactionary]

He doesn't want to be in your class and the homeroom teacher allows this? PERFECT. One less problem you have to deal with.

I don't see what the co-teacher did "wrong" in this case. Just cares about the kid's English "education" more than I would have.

[Fox]

One day last year when the co-teacher was away at a meeting during class, a few kids tried to read comics during class. When asked to stop they like to either pretend they didn't understand, or put them away and pull them out again later. So I just started taking kids comics away, telling them they could get them back after class. It went fine.

Don't be afraid to take a strong stance. I've taken things away from kids, moved kids into other seats, made kids stand up in front of the class, and so forth as needed. I even threw a kid out of an after school class once; his parents complained, but the school took my side.

Don't let the kid read comics and eat chocolate. If he doesn't want to participate, he should be sitting there not participating, enduring every boring moment of his choice. You're not doing him any favors by letting him dodge out of a class he doesn't like.

[Fox]

[ThingsComeAround]

I've seen slower "special needs" children that needed to be outside.

This kid was not one of them. He didn't have his comic/candy in my class because he would have lost it.

The student had it in his homeroom, and the teacher there was coddling him. She is a n00b from 3ey0nd, but its weird- she kind of likes my co-teacher and probably wanted an excuse to see him

[nobbyken]

Just focus on the rest of the class, ignore everything with the student unless you can get questions at his level which may motivate him. They're probably in for a very difficult life in Korea, the other teachers know this so have sympathy, it's no big deal to show some sympathy.