Korean Job Discussion Forums

[I_Am_Wrong]

What are some of your techniques for classroom control in a middle school?

I've had no problems with the grade 1's at my school but I've having some trouble with a couple of the grade 2 classes and could use some ideas/advice.

[crazylemongirl]

Greade 2 middle schoolers are a pain in the butt. I tend to never smile, give death glares and when I yell atention, they yell it back until the class is under control. I send bad kids to the back and they get to complete the day's work at the break time (which they hate).

Be a hard ass with thm and then ease off on the classes you don't need to be one with.

[Mills]

One word, "pain", both physical and emotional. One of my favorite games, I'll pair up good students with bad. Student A is partnered with Student B; Student B didn't do his homework/failed a test, Student A gets some pain! I yell at Student A, "Why are you letting your partner fail?!" Student A will then take great pains to ensure that Student B is doing his homework and studying.

My rational, the best way to learn is to teach... Student A (though he/she is already a good student) will be learning that much more by helping Student B and the peer pressure/social responsibility forces Student B to try to become a good student.

If that fails, hit them with a stick.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

YEah, I completely agree about the grade 2s. I just had my grade 3s this morning and I can't understand how taking the same kids from my grade 2 classes last year and putting them in a room with a 3 above the door makes them that much calmer.

As mentioned above, be a hard-ass at first and then you can back down later. It helps to plan many different activities. If you can learn their names it helps so much. Give them heaps of praise when they do even the simplist things right and once you have the majority clearly on your side everything else is so much easier. If that doesn't work just try our a variety of punishments and find out what works best.

[ilovebdt]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[ilovebdt]

[taekat]

Pain Paper. Whatever you are planning to teach that day right it on the board. If it's phrases, words, whatever ... do this everyday. If a student misbehaves make them right out the words/phrases 100x/each. For every minute they are quiet take 10 off. Continue teaching. If it's alot of students then make the whole class do it.

Aaron

[I_Am_Wrong]

some good ideas. It's just weird because the grade 1's are so enthusiastic whereas the grade 2's have no enthusiasm and lots of them have this attitude that they could careless.

I've clearly set out the class rules and the punishment for breaking these rules based on 3 strikes. I haven't had time yet, but I plan to institute a class point based reward system.

It just seems weird because I'm trying to teach them communicative English and I feel like I shouldn't have to punish them into it...of course I don't have any other choice. I'm just trying to stay enthusiastic about my grade 2 classes and trying to keep a positive attitude towards them when i teach them. I'm trying to keep my lessons as interesting as possible but it can't and won't be all fun and games. I don't know, I guess I just find it hard sometimes.

[I_Am_Wrong]

some good ideas. It's just weird because the grade 1's are so enthusiastic whereas the grade 2's have no enthusiasm and lots of them have this attitude that they could careless.

I've clearly set out the class rules and the punishment for breaking these rules based on 3 strikes. I haven't had time yet, but I plan to institute a class point based reward system.

It just seems weird because I'm trying to teach them communicative English and I feel like I shouldn't have to punish them into it...of course I don't have any other choice. I'm just trying to stay enthusiastic about my grade 2 classes and trying to keep a positive attitude towards them when i teach them. I'm trying to keep my lessons as interesting as possible but it can't and won't be all fun and games. I don't know, I guess I just find it hard sometimes.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[inspector gadget]

I just had to give a second year middle school girls class a lesson on behaving.

They were crazy hyper, 27 students, I warned them once had an advancd student explain in Korean, went to help a couple low level students and 5 minutes later they acted up again. Stopped the class, wrote the rules on the board and gave them the baseball analogy of three strikes and you out.

Seemed to work but again after about 10 minutes they started up again.
I stopped class again and made them put there heads on there desk and told them that I wanted absolute silence for 5 minutes. Slowly I began to tell the better behaved students that they can sit up. After 5 minutes was up I said they can all sit up but be quiet. They didn't like that and it seemed to do the trick but I'll see next week I guess.

I then told them that they were now going to get homework so I am making them write out the 4 rules of my class and it must fill two entire pages in there note books with no spelling errors.

Funny thing is that normally this class has been really well behaved, perhaps they had too much sugar at lunch.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[inspector gadget]

Ya, thats what I figured was the reason, White Day, strange thing is, there are no boys to give them the candy in a girls middle school.

[UncleAlex]

If you decide to be the hardass, then don't be surprised when your school
rejects a contract renewal at the end of your term because your co-teachers
complained to the principal you were "unkind to the students".