Korean Job Discussion Forums

[freethought]

I need to know what other public schools do with their retarded kids, because I have a couple of classes that are now almost unteachable due to this issue.

(I don't want to hear ANYTHING about the use of the word retard--- it's a clinical term)

The major issue that will play a role in the classroom is the retarded students they keep putting in to normal classes. I have 3 classes with at least one student who suffer from major 'issues'. The first kid I thought was bad. He talks to himself and makes noises all class long. Both the speaking and the noises are extremely high pitched. He also gets up and walks around from time to time. I think he may have some form/degree of autism.

Then there's the class with the kid who just grabs the hair and tries to bash the heads in of those who sit around him. He's violently retarded, and I figured he would be the worst one. I was wrong.

Yesterday a girl was escorted in by an office worker and was sitting at a table by herself. I thought she was a new girl and that's why she was sitting alone. Then the co-teacher arrived and moved other kids to that table. Then the class started, and boy did it start.

This girl starts rocking back and forth and clapping her hands really loudly. Then she starts to make more sounds, sing a bit, then back to the hand clapping. Then she starts walking around the room clapping her hands and then goes to the window and stares out for a bit. Then starts walking and clapping again. Then starts crawling on the floor.

At this point the co-teacher escorted her out of the class and brought her somewhere.

She was placed in what is without a doubt the highest level first year class I have. My admin is totally fucked in the head. I wouldn't be so critical if it wasn't for the fact that I've volunteered on a few occasions to teach a class for the 'special' students.

It sounds mean, but having any of these kids in the class makes it virtually impossible to teach. The kids are in a second language environment to begin with, and the behaviour is tough to control at the best of times. A distraction like these students in a high level class means you can't do anything, and in a low level class it means the other kids are even more out of control. If this is literally all the admin can do, I have total sympathy for them. If on the other hand this is all the admin is bothering to do, they should be fired and fined. They are compromising the quality of education for every other kid in the room by sticking these 'special needs' students in regular classes.

Is this how it is in your school???

[Yu_Bum_suk]

It's interesting that you bring this up. My school recently got a grant for special education, and we now have three special ed teachers (for about as many students). So far retards in the classroom hasn't been a major issue, but I guess I've been lucky that the ones I've had are more mildly retarded and usually non-disruptive.

Without a doubt one of Korea's few tangible improvements over the past decade has been its disposition towards the handicapped, and this is truely laudible. However, as in the west, integration may not always be the best solution, especially in the case of something like a foreign language class taught mostly in L2. This year I haven't had one in my classroom yet and I do hope it stays that way.

Oh, and this morning I was told that at lunch the special ed teachers want to take photos of me with the retards. I can't imagine why they would, but oh well...

[aldershot]

believe it or not, the mothers of these children more than likely think that there's nothing wrong with them. in fact, they probably believe the oppsite.

[formerflautist]

I actually have a student who is retarded but his English is better than the vast majority of the students. The only problem is that he likes to talk too much. The other ones are quiet or sleep.

[JeJuJitsu]

Hey! Korea's progressive in this regard. They are "mainstreaming" the 'tards in your school, which is the same end result they've arrived at (finally) in the West as being best for the retards. Tens of billions of dollars have been spent on this very question--to separate or integrate.

Teach the 'tards Fast Food lingo, as they tend to be the most competent fast food workers, often known for their enthusiasm and zeal in bagging your fries and mopping spills.

"Would you like fries with that?"
"No onions? No problem, sir!"
"How many extra ketchups?"

Jinju & Urban Myth: did they Mainstream you when you were in school, or keep you two in the Special Ed room, separated?

[Toast and Kimchee]

Actually this phenomenon, known as "mainstreaming", has been going on in U.S. schools for many years now. The idea, I think, is that these students will develop confidence and social skills by forcing them into an environment with "normal" students. Unfortunately, the behavior of these in the classroom often ends up distracting other students. Also, teachers wind spending more time and resources working with these individual students, thereby taking quality instruction time from others.

I realize how unfortunate it is that some children have to go through life with such deficiencies and I agree that they deserve special care. Should we, however, set up these situations in which we are forced to devote our resources to the few at the expense of the many?

[poet13]

I don't have any truly special cases at my boys school, but at my alternate school, I have two 1st year kids, a boy and a girl who are more "special" than any I've ever had. The boy is a full on leg-humpin-knob-grabbing-arsehole-poking-climb-the-teacher-like-he's-a-tree nut job. He mostly snuffles, grunts and squeaks (think drunk guinea pig noises), but he may the happiest kid I've ever met. When he was introduced to me, I was the first foreigner he had ever seen. His smile was so pure in it's joy it blew me away a little. Awesome kid! Could turn out to be my all-time favorite. The girl is somehow related to him. I think my vice-principal was trying to describe second cousin, but I'm not sure. Apparently these two grew up together. Nobody has ever heard her speak. This is a small school (58 students), so the vilage is small, and everybody knows everybody. She apparently does school work of a sort, but very little is impressed upon her, and almost nothing demanded.
Gonna be an intreresting year....

[TheUrbanMyth]

[jdog2050]

[ilovebdt]

I have 6 children with learning disabilities this semester.
They are not really disruptive. The girls are quiet, one boy waves his fingers around a lot and one spends a lot of time looking around the room. One boy, doesn't know any English, but he is very aware of what is going on around him and likes to chat to me and the other students in Korean.

I had none for the last three semesters, but I have seen the learning disabled students around school and spoken to them.

I am not quite sure what to do with the either. I don't know if they even know any English words. I was thinking about creating a different worksheet for them because I don't want them to think they are not part of the class.

What are you guys doing?

ilovebdt

[steroidmaximus]

They don't put the tards in with everyone solely for the tards' sake; it's also so that the rest of the population can learn how to accept and understand that tards are also a part of society.

In this respect, kudos to Korea; for too long Korean society has shunted away it's social 'detrius', concealed them in back corners and hidden valleys.

In my case, working in the public schools exposed me to several situations similar to what you describe. One little middle school girl was in peril of becoming the big easy for several of her male classmates; I mentioned this to her special ed teacher, and she was transferred to another school shortly after. Another boy was constantly being instructed by several others to say "Fuc.k you" to me whenever I called his name; giving the ringleader the Stare of Utter Contempt and Pity put an end to that. Another boy got along fine because his homeroom teacher had properly prepared her students to form a buddy system, where rotating classmates who were his friends would calm him down and help him when he needed it. This happened in a coed school, and most of his friends were female and did an awesome job of helping him. A boy got in on it because he liked one of the girls haha. Another girl was completely ostracized and taunted mercilessly by her classmates, and those that helped her faced the same treatment.

What does all this boil down to? How you as the teacher handle it. Get off your horse of Whine and learn something about special ed and roll up your sleeves, pilgrim. You have all that time sitting at your desk, search and browse the particular problems your students have; find that out by talking to your special ed teacher or co teacher. Get involved. Find ways to integrate your class, by using student volunteers to help or by conferencing with your coworkers. Again, do some research and earn your keep.

[crazy_arcade]

Are most of you still living in the 50's??

[ilovebdt]

[rawiri]

I have a retarted girl in my 5th grade elementary class. She talks a bit, is continually looking round and smiles all the time. it's nice that she's not segregated, whenever she gets too rowdy her friends are able to quiet her down. I think everyone benefits from having her in class, she does by interacting with her peers and the other kids do by learning that not everyone is the same.

[freethought]

I have ADD, so I'm aware of 'special needs', and though most of the time I waste my time at my desk, I haven't taken this lightly, and frankly i don't like being accused of taking it lightly. I'm not whinning either, I'm wondering what other schools do, hence the post.

To be clear, my school is the lowest school in the city. These 'tards' are the worst cases. It doesn't include the students with learning disabilities, and much milder disorders. These are three students who are literally out of control and cannot be physically restrained without serious disruption and or threat to those who try to restrain them calm them down. With the physical one a teacher had to stand beside him and remove his hand from another boys hair no fewer than 5 times during a class.

I would say my offer of a special class for these kids goes way beyond the call of duty, seeing as that I get paid nothing for it, and would mean a lot more work and stress.