Korean Job Discussion Forums

[aaabank]

So, I teach at a high school and have been here ~1.5 years. I've slowly been coming to the realization that having the students 'like' you isn't a great thing for classroom management. They don't respect people that they like. I see other teachers here with sticks and I hear from the students that they are hit occasionally (typically on the hand) as a form of punishment. Although I don't condone this sort of punishment, I do see the results from it. The students will do what that teacher tells them to do. Period. There could be room for an argument about whether the long-term effects of this system are harmful to society but not in this post.
I have been instituting the "sit-down, stand up" form of physical punishment in my classroom. (I now teach at an boys high school and so other levels and girls schools would obviously use differing forms of punishment)

Overall, I am asking this: If you can't have both equally would you rather have your students like you more or respect you more? (Ignore the grammar problem with this sentence Grammar Cops)

[Pak Yu Man]

Even if they like you they'll still act like little shiats and do nothing constructive. If they respet you as a teacher they might work a bit.

[spliff]

both

[aaabank]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

ODERINT DUM METUANT!!!

[ttompatz]

[aaabank]

[spliff]

[spliff]

[sadsac]

Respect any day of the week. The way these kids vasilate between like and dislike, who cares if they like you.

[spliff]

Really, it doesn't matter whether they respect or even like you: Many Ss don't like foreigners to begin with and quite a few don't understand the meaning of respect or don't even respect themselves. What IS important is that as a teacher you respect and engage your Ss w/ lessons that capture their attention, imagination and teach w/ the utmost of professionalism. I see too many teachers concentrating on co-opting their Ss rather than actually teaching them.

[Freakstar]

If I can't have both equally? Then definitely respect over like.

I only taught for 3 weeks, but I made sure to establish respect the minute I stepped into the classroom and I had zero problems with my kids acting out of line - granted, it was only 3 weeks. Send a clear message and they will respect you - it shouldn't matter whether they like you or not IF they respect you. You're not their friend, you're the teacher. My favorite teachers back in high school and college were the ones that I respected.

[The_Eyeball_Kid]

[Voyeur]

Mostly liked with enough respect to get the job done.

At a hogwon, to SOME degeree, yo are their playmate IMO.

[shaunew]

It's just like jail, take out the leader and you will earn the respect.