Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tomato]

Here are some of my favorites.
What are some of yours?

■ If all the students don't recite, recognize those students who recite.

If only two students are reading the sentence aloud with you, say, "Thank you, John. Thank you, Suzy."

Betcha you will get more cooperation on the next sentence.

■ Make a seating change.

"Timmy, here are five beautiful girls sitting over here. Wouldn't you just love to sit with them?"

"You wouldn't? Then I hope it won't be necessary."

■ Dismiss the perfectly behaving students five minutes early.

I have statistics to prove that this technique works.

At 5:00, I have a class of 10 kids who at first threatened my sanity. For each session, I keep a list of those students who hangukmall. If a student lasts the whole 50 minutes without hangukmalling, I let that student leave early.

This past week, I broke my own record twice. One day, 5 students earned the privilege of leaving early. The next day, 6 students earned that privilege.

Be sure that those last five minutes are not spent on anything entertaining. Reviewing the textbook is the most boring activity I can think of, so that is how I spend the last five minutes.

■ If a student interrupts an activity, repeat the activity until that student stops interrupting.

TOMATO: Let's read the sentence at the top of page 59: "What do you want? I want milk."
OTHER STUDENTS: "What do you want? I want milk."
PATRICK: 토마토 바보.
[OTHER STUDENTS laugh.]

TOMATO: Let's read that again and see if Patrick will join us: "What do you want? I want milk."
OTHER STUDENTS: "What do you want? I want milk."
PATRICK: 토마토 바보.
[OTHER STUDENTS ignore PATRICK.]

TOMATO: Let's read that again and see if Patrick will join us: "What do you want? I want milk."
OTHER STUDENTS: "What do you want? I want milk."
PATRICK: 토마토 바보.
OTHER STUDENTS: Patrick, 야!

■ If a student falls asleep, wake that child up with a gross motor activity.

A younger class probably needs a gross motor break anyway.

Have the class sing:



Repeat the stanza, using the words "hop," "run," "dance," "stamp," and "tiptoe."

If the student doesn't get up to perform the action song with the class, pick her up by the armpits and hold her up.

In my 3:00 class, I have had trouble with Lina falling asleep in class. My director heaped ashes on my head because I had this problem on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when the Korean teacher didn't have this problem on Tuesdays and Thursdays--or at least she didn't report it. The Korean teacher must be a much more stimulating teacher than I am. Why can't I be like her?

Heaping ashes on my head didn't solve anything, so I tried this approach.
It worked.

■ Approach the student who misbehaves.

While the class is reciting and Jake is misbehaving, move uncomfortably close to Jake and continue reciting with a little extra emotion.

Does Jake hate you? Good! This is a chance to put that hatred to good use.

[poet13]

I use the repetition also. It works well as the students dont like to repeat very much. If they really are getting out of hand, I will announce that it is obvious that they are not advanced or mature enough for this section (boys 13-15), so we will go back to the last section. That sobers them up pretty quickly. I also use "baseball". three strikes in any class and they lose game day on friday. game day is vocabulary games (NOT hangman), etc.
All in all, I have very well behaved classes.
I think the keys to classroom discipline are fairness and consistency and I dont know what to call it, but when i discipline is finished, it's finished. The disciplined child is not made to feel bad or shamed beyond the actual moment of discipline and certainly not carried over to the next class.

I know I should be slammed for what i guess you would call 'negative reinforcement', but I havent learned yet how to use positive reinforcement very well. I have watched some of the tapes (someone posted the link here a week or so ago) from some british super-teacher, and learned some from that.
I would aslo love to hear suggestions on positive reinforcement and the rational behind the methodology...

[plattwaz]

[stakay]

[poet13]

I will try that. I do do some positive I guess. I tell them when they have done something well, and when we go around the room (small classes) doing repetition, I try to find something good to say about even the most mangled sentences and diction... My kids also look to me for "the smile".
When they have finished reading or reciting, they look to me for approval. usualyl they get it, and its great to see them light up with pride to know that they did well.

[flotsam]

[jacl]

Provide a shocking moment. Repeat. Stay on top.

The new teacher asked after she was checking out my class, "How do you get them to listen?" I said, "I don't know. Hitler?"

[stakay]

[some waygug-in]

Thank you all for posting your helpful ideas.

I need all the help I can get.....and then some.