Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mindmetoo]

... into hellions.

You know typical stuff. First day you're the unknown and they're on best behavior. They suss out you're a nice teacher. They then determine your class is 40 minutes of play time. You then have to start kicking kids out...

I'm trying logic with this one group of kids who are trying to get into a foreign middle school:

1) You don't want to be here. I know that. You want to stay home and play computer games. I know that. I actually feel sorry for you.

2) You're not given a choice. You may be be able to switch schools but you will always be in some form of night school. You can't simply choose to stay home and play computer games.

3) If you have a bad teacher, you can't make him into a nice teacher by being good students.

4) If you have a nice teacher, you can make him into a bad teacher by being bad students.

So, item #4 is the only thing on this planet you can actually change at this stage of your life. You can spend every 40 minute class in the hall, us on the phone to your mother explaining why you're throwing $450 of her money down the toilet every month. In short, I can make your life hell in this class. Alternatively, if you make a small effort to put away the hand phones, not play with each other's feet under the desk, keep the talking down, stop bringing toys to class etc, your teacher can actively work to make these 40 minutes pass painlessly with games, food, and Friday class outside on a Red Mango patio.

It's your choice.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

That logic sounds far too western for them to be able to grasp, especially as it also involves thinking long-term. You don't shut up you get cuffed across the head or slapped with the ruler they can understand, but that's going to be a challenge to get across. The trick I suspect will be getting and keeping the majority on your side, which will probably mean not getting on too friendly terms with the good students. Once you're their friend you're toast in the classroom.

Ironically I think it's a lot easier to keep the majority on your side in a school class of 30 than a hogwan class of 10 or less.

[mindmetoo]

[Yu_Bum_suk]