Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

This post is about hagwons, since it is where I teach currently.

I have noticed, as well as been told directly by other co-teachers, that a lot of classroom management (and satisfaction from students and parents) depends on brainwashing.

What I mean is, telling the students they are learning at the beginning and end of classes. What we call "games," we should tell them is "practice," so that they go home and tell their parents they are practicing rather than playing games.

Since we are hired to make the businesses of hagwons flourish, we need to keep parents and students happy, but how can we manage that without being stepped on or taken advantage of?

My situation is tricky, as I have definitely shown that I am indeed teaching the students (they feel they are learning and their scores in general are higher), but I find that I have to tell the students (middle school) not to speak Korea constantly, please get off of their cell phones, do not order pizza in class. They don't come in with their books or homework done. They swear and are disrespectful.

I can't find the middle area. If I am strict, they are mad. If I am more lenient, the minute they find this out, they take advantage of the situation. I am consistant in each class, but obviously have to adjust for each different grade.

I know it's hypocritical how the students want to be the best but do not want to work at it. And it's more of a popularity contest to keep the parents paying. I just wonder how to reach that middle ground, with keeping sanity!

[applesandshanana]

I currently teach in the States and haven't taken my trip to Korea quite yet, so I don't know how much this will help. There are several classroom management books that have helped me deal with disrespectful students in my classroom and the most helpful one has been Teaching With Love and Logic. If it's possible to find a way to have that shipped to Korea, I would really recommend it!

In a nutshell, what its main idea is that you have to have a relationship with students before you can discipline them. He compares it to a bank account - you have to have money in it before you can take it out. So, the students have to want to do/not do something before they will. After you have built a relationship (not by being nice all the time, but by not yelling/freaking out, complimenting them on the good instead etc.), you can simply ask them to do something for you and it works. Once you have enough "money" in your bank, you can quietly say to a student "Can you put that phone away for me?"

It's difficult to explain without the book, but this has worked wonders in my classroom.

[horang]

In my opinion, this thread has more to do with teaching skills. Most of the children go to scool not because they want to but because they have to. They are forced to attend classes. So you have to take control of the class. You have to show the students that you are really serious about the subject and you are the reason they are sittng in the classroom. You don't have to be mean or anything negative, but you have to be assertive and tryng to be the role model of the society. And they will respect you and follow your directions.

[Sody]

[Fresh Prince]

[dogshed]

teachers.net has Harry Wong

(Don't giggle. That's really his name.)

[dogshed]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Whatever my class is doing, I involve the students. Each student has a turn whether it be reading or answering/asking questions. I don't do the raise your hand thing. That way, you can keep your eye on everyone else and nip the problem in the bud. I'm very particular about students making noise or not paying attention. I attack the problem when it happens. If it continues then there's hell to pay and either the student smartens up or they eventually just leave.

[VirginIslander]

My students write three rules on my board when I come in because they have internalized the rules.

Speak English. Speak Quietly. Be Polite.

The problems I've really faced have been too much (Korean) speaking, being too loud, being rude to me or the other students or being apathetic.

I dont care what anybody else says, you cant allow students to use Korean in your class unless your using it in the lesson. For example, today my beginners converted won into dollars so it was acceptable. I would say the shirt cost 삼 만 오 천 원 and they would say it cost thiry five dollars (give or take a won).

Also, it is acceptable for the last five minutes if they are good or if one student is explaining something about English to another student.

Trust me, it cuts down noise by 90%. If they speak Korean three times, its outside for a few minutes next to the desk teacher or thirty push ups. If they speak five times, its a call home from the Korean Teacher.

Speaking loudly and being rude also has the same punishment. Kids can be very rude and its very helpful to know the bad worse in Korean and stop them from using them.

But the biggest problem I've come across is not the students but curriculum. If you are bored, they are bored. You have to make lessons educational and fun. Ask youself: What the hell would you want to do if you were a twelve year old at 8 O'clock at night?

They are there and there is changing that. They have to learn and there is no changing that. So its our job to make the lessons enjoyable, or at least tolerable.

For example, my beginner book is now covering numbers and prices. So this Thursday, after a week of doing conversations like "what do you want?" "how much is this?" "its too expensive?" we are going to play the Price is Right.

I'll break the class up into two groups of six. One representative from each team will go up to the board. I'll say a number in Korean and they'll translate it into American dollars or I'll say relevant spelling word like twelfth or twentieth and they will spell it.

After getting three questions correct, a team will send a representative to the Price is Right Board. The Board will have a bunch of different pictures on it ( a shirt, a radio, a computer, etc...) with three prices below it and they right price behind the picture

I'll say "How much does it cost?" and they have to guess the right price. The winning team gets a small prize.

The point is that many behavioral problems stem from curriculum. We can't change their lives, we cant change the amount of time they study, we cant cant change their bed time from 1 am to 10pm or give them a few more minutes with their family or time to play outside, but we can make their time in the class enjoyable and productive.

[Treefarmer]

it's not always possible. at the end of the day a high proportion of the kids don't take learning english seriously and their parents don't either. koreans spend more money than any other country on learning english but the kids are in general pretty rubbish at english, i don't think this is something that foriegn teachers can solve tbh. hagwon teachers aren't 'proper' teachers, we can't call home to the parents and say that their kid is being disruptive, we can't discipline kids to any degree. and most of the time our directors don't help us because at the end of the day the kids have as much power over lessons as the students because if they are unhappy they can join another hagwon easily.

i came here to teach not babysit, if kids are just going to sit and do their homework or play with their cellphones then i'm not going to stop them because i still get paid at the end of the day, I came here to teach, not babysit, I'm just sick of trying to deal with impossible problems, i'm just thinking about getting the money together to go and work in a country with a decent education system tbh.

I don't think I'm a bad teacher, but I'm not good enough to change a bunch of spoiled kids attitudes when i can't even speak their language

[Whistleblower]

You could always teach like this fella:

Monkey Teaching

This is the future of teaching in Korea. Love the bit at the end when the teacher notices from a student that someone is crying. This is the way to manage your classroom.

[kimchi_pizza]

Listen to VirginIslander. He/She (sorry!) knows what he/she is talk'n about.

It's mostly about planning and prep. If you have a concrete plan and objective and keep them busy and engaged individually, as a team or an entire class then you shouldn't have many behavioral issues.

BUT

You step foot in that classroom and decide to "wing it" with a couple of corny games with no well thought out lessons and you start for fumble about on what to do next or looking for time fillers then the students WILL EAT YOU ALIVE and throw in a little gochujang for flavor.

If you really have problems with your students then watch Nanny 911 (Ch 52, 10 a.m.). I kid you not! "Children thrive on structure, organization and discipline."

[some waygug-in]

Depending on the age you're dealing with,

you could try this for a really disruptive student. Threaten to phone their father (not their mother). Especially boys have an innate fear of having their father being informed about bad behavior in school. Perhaps mothers tend to take the child's side too often...I'm not sure. I know when I was growing up, I generally wasn't scared of mom...but I sure didn't want dad finding out if I had been doing something out of sorts.

Other than that, it's a really tough battle. Especially if the kids are used to having their own way. Unless the school supports you, it's not going to be easy.

[kimchi story]

[Sash]