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seoulman1
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Location: Jamsil
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 Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:47 am Post subject: My students are EEEEVVVIIILLLLLLL... |
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Ok they are only seven years old but when I saw them in the Korean teachers class they were behaving like little angels as opposed to devils in my class (i.e. wiping off things on the whiteboard, not listening at all and talking to each other, screaming) one girl even walked up to me and intentionally coughed in my face to get a laugh from the other kids. I instantly sent her out of the room.
I like to be down to earth and genuinely want the kids to have a good time while learning english so dont like to punish them but im seriously considering giving up teaching them because I feel depleted and abused after every class.
I guess I gotta way up my peace of mind with the weight of my wallet (the money is 40,000 per hour for 6 hours a week). Does anyone have any suggestions to prevent a mental breakdown here? |
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merkurix
Joined: 21 Dec 2006
Location: Not far from the deep end.
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:14 am Post subject: Re: My students are EEEEVVVIIILLLLLLL... |
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| seoulman1 wrote: |
Ok they are only seven years old but when I saw them in the Korean teachers class they were behaving like little angels as opposed to devils in my class (i.e. wiping off things on the whiteboard, not listening at all and talking to each other, screaming) one girl even walked up to me and intentionally coughed in my face to get a laugh from the other kids. I instantly sent her out of the room.
I like to be down to earth and genuinely want the kids to have a good time while learning english so dont like to punish them but im seriously considering giving up teaching them because I feel depleted and abused after every class.
I guess I gotta way up my peace of mind with the weight of my wallet (the money is 40,000 per hour for 6 hours a week). Does anyone have any suggestions to prevent a mental breakdown here? |
How much longer will you have these kids for? I no longer teach small children, but when I did I tried the following:
1.)Report the problem to your supervisor or another stern teacher and have them give them a tight-faced scolding in Korean about behaving.
2.) Don't take no crap. For the next 3 weeks, you may have to be Draconian and if you were a goofy Mr. Niceguy from day one, it's time to really tighten the noose. Punish anyone who misbehaves. Sending them out is what they want. Have them stand on a corner with their hands up (and for added effect, make them hold up their own chair in the air for 5 minutes--it is dreadfully eternal, but if they can't calm down, this will exhaust them into not misbehaving--lest they want to do it again).
3.) Set some ground rules and make sure they understand. But remember to go back to your own rules in order to be taken seriously.
This worked for me, and I had angels toward the end of each term. But as the old saying goes "Different strokes for different folks." |
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heeckan
Joined: 10 Sep 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:19 am Post subject: |
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merkurix is right... you've got to set them straight. Have your screamin' voice ready, and next time you sense the class is starting to spiral... SHOUT loud enough to startle them. You've got to make sure that however you punish them, it is something unpleasant (though not harmful). Just sending them outside, might not be unpleasant enough. If you have to squat down and get in one of the culprits' faces... do it.
If they behave nicely for the Korean teacher, your last resort could be to have a Korean teacher come in a chew them out. |
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babtangee
Joined: 18 Dec 2004
Location: OMG! Charlie has me surrounded!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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Group reward system. Positive reinforcement really does work best.
Give the class a sticker chart. Give them the opportunity to win five stickers per class. Tell them that when they have 50 (or 150 - depending on how much money you want to spend) stickers, you will treat them all to fried chicken, or pizza or whatever you/they like. For half a class all they will have to do is sit around gorging themselves. It's a short term goal worth aspiring to in their psychotic little minds.
Whenever someone gives you lip, plays the jackass, speaks Korean, minus one sticker. Garauntee the class will police itself once they have recieved the award once (and realise the value of those stickers). You'll never have to raise your voice again. They'll do it for you. At the beginning of each class I invariably hear one student announce to his classmates, "No speaking Korean!" |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd say first drop the hammer down on them. Let them know that you aren't one to mess with. After you establish that you own the classroom, then you can start positive reinforcement. |
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drkalbi
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| bring a big stick into class and slam it on a student's desk and tell them the next student to do something bad gets it! |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:49 pm Post subject: |
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| drkalbi wrote: |
| bring a big stick into class and slam it on a student's desk and tell them the next student to do something bad gets it! |
Bad idea. Direct threats are asking for trouble. If you do something that explicit ("If you talk, I'll hit YOU next time instead of the desk") you're inviting someone to test you. Unless you're prepared to bash some kid with a stick, don't make the threat. Someone WILL test you, and when they do, if you don't follow through, you're showing them that your threats are empty and you're not the one in charge. |
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seoulman1
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Location: Jamsil
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
| drkalbi wrote: |
| bring a big stick into class and slam it on a student's desk and tell them the next student to do something bad gets it! |
Bad idea. Direct threats are asking for trouble. If you do something that explicit ("If you talk, I'll hit YOU next time instead of the desk") you're inviting someone to test you. Unless you're prepared to bash some kid with a stick, don't make the threat. Someone WILL test you, and when they do, if you don't follow through, you're showing them that your threats are empty and you're not the one in charge. |
ok what to do? |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Get you or your Korean friend to write a nice letter describing their behavior, sign it and give it directly to the parents. |
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Scotticus
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| seoulman1 wrote: |
ok what to do? |
I'm not saying to not threaten them, but leave it to their imagination. If you have your stick and slam it on their desk, just give them a look. Making an explicit threat is giving them something concrete to test you on. I posted in another thread today that a withering death-stare is generally a good way to cut a kid down without actually doing anything physical. Nothing makes a Korean more uncomfortable than someone looking him straight in the face for a long period of time. Also, personally, I'm normally pretty quiet, so I cultivate that image, so when I flip out (which I do, if pushed far enough) it scares the ever-living bejezus out of them. These are all things that have worked for me. Sadly, every teacher is different.
The biggest thing with classroom management, I think, is consistency. If they know they have you on the ropes (you keep changing your methods), they'll never adjust. You have to find a system you like and let them know that you're sticking to it, whether or not they like it. |
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poet13
Joined: 22 Jan 2006
Location: Just over there....throwing lemons.
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:00 am Post subject: |
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DAMMIT!!! How many times do I have to say this?
Mods, please make this a sticky, and have any question that refers to discipline auto-redirect to the following....
ASSEMBLE THE STUDENTS. SELECT ONE. SET HIM OR HER ON FIRE. THE REST WILL BEHAVE.
Thus endeth the lesson. |
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seoulman1
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Location: Jamsil
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:08 am Post subject: |
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| Scotticus wrote: |
| seoulman1 wrote: |
ok what to do? |
I'm not saying to not threaten them, but leave it to their imagination. If you have your stick and slam it on their desk, just give them a look. Making an explicit threat is giving them something concrete to test you on. I posted in another thread today that a withering death-stare is generally a good way to cut a kid down without actually doing anything physical. Nothing makes a Korean more uncomfortable than someone looking him straight in the face for a long period of time. Also, personally, I'm normally pretty quiet, so I cultivate that image, so when I flip out (which I do, if pushed far enough) it scares the ever-living bejezus out of them. These are all things that have worked for me. Sadly, every teacher is different.
The biggest thing with classroom management, I think, is consistency. If they know they have you on the ropes (you keep changing your methods), they'll never adjust. You have to find a system you like and let them know that you're sticking to it, whether or not they like it. |
ok sounds like your dedicated but what happens when you scare teh shit out of them and then you have to play games with them? Doesnt these two things clash? |
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ddeubel
Joined: 20 Jul 2005
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 3:05 am Post subject: |
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I'm glad that someone let the dogs out and elsewhere, teachers are safe and sound................
DD |
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Rteacher
Joined: 23 May 2005
Location: Western MA, USA
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:18 am Post subject: |
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Back when I worked in a hogwan with elementary kids, I found that "yellow card" (actually two yellow cards...) warnings followed - if necessary - by a "red card" (meaning that I'd escort them out of class to the director who would more-or-less scream at them till they cried...) was pretty effective...
I also gave out a lot of candy (and stickers) and played a lot of games so the kids would like me - but too much of that and the parents complain...
Hitting kids (like some Korean teachers often do ..) is not a good idea because Korean parents in general won't tolerate their kids being hit by foreigners, and the kids usually report to their parents whatever the native English teacher does in class...
If more than a few kids act up because the class is too boring, it's up to the teacher to make it more interesting by keeping a lively pace with fun activites (including lots of drawing...) |
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seoulman1
Joined: 02 Feb 2007
Location: Jamsil
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| Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| do you mean photocopies for the students to draw on or drawings on the whiteboard? How do I prevent students jumping up and wiping off pictures I have drawn? |
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