Korean Job Discussion Forums

marsha marsha marsha · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 11:43 am Post subject: "Slowest student you ever had"

Tell me about the "slowest" student you ever taught. I had one that couldn't understand how to color! I kept trying to show him and he saw all the other kids doing it but he just couldn't get it! ECC woudn't even let me kick him to a lower level cause they wanted the money from his folks. So sad so sad.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2003 4:01 pm Post subject:

I have a mentally handicapped kid in one of my classes. I give him a task, he starts doing all sorts of weird things to avoid the task, I just let him get away with it.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I had one in every class. But there was one boy who was about ten who just sat there and yawned and picked his nose no matter what was going on, even when we were doing something the other kids thought was exciting. One day his mother ambushed me after class and demanded in perfect English to know why her son wasn't doing better in my class. I was totally taken aback. I SHOULD have asked her, had I had my wits about me, why she didn't speak English to him at home, since that was clearly what was needed. Or maybe I should have asked her why she didn't use birth control and save everybody the trouble.

itchy · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Location: Busan

A boy who played the game with those plastic pocket monster things that you throw, one against the other, to try to flip them over and win the other person's plastic pocket monster thing. He did this all class. Never opened his book, never listened, never participated. I used to check him for a pulse every so often.

Arthur Fonzerelli · Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon

You never know what's going on with some of these kids...Some could be autistic, bipolar, have ADD, a slew of mental/psychological/emotional problems and disorders...

Yes, some could be "slow", but you should never rule out other factors...

The Fonz

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

If there are "other factors" in play then they don't belong anywhere near my class with (semi) normal kids who can actually learn something!

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

I had a student who was very bright, but seriously, literally, extremely slow. He was a kindergarten student and talked like a tape player that was running out of batteries. He did everything in slow motion. He was a great student and I get my friends who still work at that hakwon to give me updates on how he's been doing.

Good on slow kids!

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

I had a pre-schooler who should have been at elementary school... he was more interested in hopping around the room on one leg, jumping off the table onto one let, jumping off chairs onto one leg than learning english... you get the picture.

I know this is getting off the topic... but it does seem to raise another topic - strange behaviour in class. Personally, I hate those irritating little hand held computer games that the kids shake... fighting pets or something like that... little guys sticking them in their pockets, under the table, shake shake shake... at first I thought I had a class of little masterbaters Shocked

marsha marsha marsha · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2003 11:23 am Post subject: other issues

Yes, it sucks when you know the kid has issues other than just being annoying. The partner teachers, who supposedly have the training, don't know jack about learning disabilities. I had one with dyslexia and my partner, a korean, wouldn't believe me.
Brings to mind a good question that came up quite a bit when I was teaching, is it possible to be dyslexic in English and not in Hangul? I taught a friends son and thought he was but I saw his Korean work and it was perfect. His mom just thought he was lazy but I disagreed.
I think it can happen, what do you guys think?

william beckerson · Guest

Me:"Tony, stop fighting with Kevin please."

Tony: "No"

Me: "Tony if you dont stop, I'll send you to see Mr Kim."

Tony: "No"

Me: "Okay Tony, if you're not good, I wont give you a sticker."

Tony: "No"

Me: "You dont want a sticker? Okay Tony."

Tony: "No..... (Brain fires up)....yes. Sticker please."

Tony was in Kindergarten. He had pretty good english for someone who can barely speak his own language, so that coudlnt be his excuse.

Crazy Oz · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Ilsan, Korea

I've got one at the moment; let's call him "Harry", whose main functions on this planet seem to be flatluence and ignorance. This kid has totally ignored every lesson, by me and the Korean teachers, since his arrival six months ago. His Mum has been to visit many times for the counselling sessions, and left with her head even lower than with which she came. I suspect that Harry is the same everywhere he goes, and she now just wants him somewhere but home. This kid has had extra lessons, intensive lessons, one on one lessons, group sessions.....everything....and still manages to maintain his command of four words in English. I live in hope that Harry is foxing, and will one day spew forth the combined efforts in a barrage of English.
I am no expert, but have worked in the disability field (with kids and adults), and am POSITIVE that a number of kids that I have taught (and am teaching) do have ADHD, Tourettes, Conduct Disorder, and various other forms of distress. THats besides the ones who like to kick, punch, bite or otherwise stick it to teachers.
Maybe it's just too much sugar and red food coloring, who knows, but damn it makes it hard at times.
I know I was glad when my last kinder class graduated......swear they were all ADHD........aaarrrgggghhhh.

Still crazy, still here.

ExpatriateJoe · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

"MRS. Bluntly lacking compassion", please.

Sheesh, while I'm busy judging people, a sense of humor wouldn't hurt you a bit.

jsmac · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Gangwon-do

thinker · Joined: 10 Feb 2003

i've asked koreans before if they've even heard of ADD, ADHD and other learning disorders and they say (in total denial) that doesn't exist here, and i think westerners only have that kind of problem> > >and as far as those "other factors" exlcuding the kids from regular classes> > >just where should they go? a special school buried deep within the mountians?!? or just keep them out of school all together, why bother!?

even schools in north america aren't properly equiped with programs to suit people with learning disorders, so what would you expect of korea where the there is obvious discrimination against people with disabilities (mental and physical) and lack of even proper indentification of what the problem is!

ever notice how most of the panhandlers and homeless of korea are either physically or mentally disabled? there is a clear lack of compassion for these and any people who aren't exactly normal, even people with freckles are made to feel as if they have a skin disease!

So big deal, this kid disturbs 2-45 min classes out of your 25 or so per week!!! show some empathy and compassion! you just have to deal with it a couple of times a week for a year!! while this kid has a terriblely difficult life ahead of them, in which they may never be perceived as normal in their own society, and may eventually even lead them to be outcast by their own family!

a little sensitivity can go a long way~