Discipline problems
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
-
Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
These topics are never "old hat". What other job doesn't have its problems? That is why we have these forums and can discuss the things that happen to us and how we worked to sovle them. I agree that each person has their own style and has to stick to that to be comfortable but at what point does a strict style become damaging or a free style become chaos? In both cases there are some restraints put on by the reality of the situation. The students, parents, and school administration can become involved. I would just hate to have "the final solution" be the only thing that people would see when they view this thread so am arguing for acceptance of some frustration and tolerance for the students allowing yourself to grow as you obviously have Lliana.
I feel sooo embarrassed when I have to read a long sentence over and over and then split it into smaller parts and then wonder "Am I sure I know what it means?" This is by no means a joke and it becomes worse considering I'm an EFL teacher... That's for your last sentence Sally, which I must have read 6-7 times and still had doubts...
There's so much to be said about classroom situations. Sometimes I think that we devote more time and effort for our classes than for our after-school relationships. I'd better not start a monologue on my past, present and future thoughts and experiences. I don't pretend to be creative and imaginative. I work hard and try to learn from other people no matter if these are children, colleagues or seminar speakers. I consider communication to be a vital part of my job because although I'm usually the one who makes the "final decision", I'm very much interested in hearing others' advice and views. Given the fact my colleagues and I work in a rather discouraging environment without ever hearing a positive comment about what we do, I have faced some really difficult (but not impossible) situations. I still do actually. What Sally wrote in one of her messages summarises these "adventures" in quite a sufficient way: <Life is a growing process and I had to adapt as much as the students.>
I called a colleague this afternoon because I felt I needed to talk (again) about minor discipline problems in a class of 11/12-year-olds. It was about the way some students sit, about their offensive remarks, their indifference, the way they feel about their English classes, our attitude, shoulds and shouldn'ts etc etc. I've been in education since 1992 and I know now I'll never stop asking questions and I'll never stop reconsidering the way I see things. It's not only the English language that matters in this specific educational environment I happen to work, as it's not only maths or art or geography. I don't know how to explain it (that's obvious since I get confused with long sentences)
but it has to do with who you are and who your pupils/students are, where you are, why you are there, what your expectations are, whether it's just a job, how it affects your life and your well being, ... well, it's a vast area. Sometimes you may feel super creative, sometimes you're a flop. Sometimes you have a conventional grammar lesson and everybody's happy with it, the next day you bring fantastic worksheets and carefully prepared games and amazing ideas (and an unbeatable lesson plan) and you proudly present them to the little bandits only to be faced with yawns and arrogance... That's what happened today and although I'm not an easy or soft opponent and I do have my moments of shouting or preaching or calling a parent, I was a wreck when I came back home.
I don't expect to be loved by my pupils but I feel very happy when they show respect and interest.
There's so much to be said about classroom situations. Sometimes I think that we devote more time and effort for our classes than for our after-school relationships. I'd better not start a monologue on my past, present and future thoughts and experiences. I don't pretend to be creative and imaginative. I work hard and try to learn from other people no matter if these are children, colleagues or seminar speakers. I consider communication to be a vital part of my job because although I'm usually the one who makes the "final decision", I'm very much interested in hearing others' advice and views. Given the fact my colleagues and I work in a rather discouraging environment without ever hearing a positive comment about what we do, I have faced some really difficult (but not impossible) situations. I still do actually. What Sally wrote in one of her messages summarises these "adventures" in quite a sufficient way: <Life is a growing process and I had to adapt as much as the students.>
I called a colleague this afternoon because I felt I needed to talk (again) about minor discipline problems in a class of 11/12-year-olds. It was about the way some students sit, about their offensive remarks, their indifference, the way they feel about their English classes, our attitude, shoulds and shouldn'ts etc etc. I've been in education since 1992 and I know now I'll never stop asking questions and I'll never stop reconsidering the way I see things. It's not only the English language that matters in this specific educational environment I happen to work, as it's not only maths or art or geography. I don't know how to explain it (that's obvious since I get confused with long sentences)
but it has to do with who you are and who your pupils/students are, where you are, why you are there, what your expectations are, whether it's just a job, how it affects your life and your well being, ... well, it's a vast area. Sometimes you may feel super creative, sometimes you're a flop. Sometimes you have a conventional grammar lesson and everybody's happy with it, the next day you bring fantastic worksheets and carefully prepared games and amazing ideas (and an unbeatable lesson plan) and you proudly present them to the little bandits only to be faced with yawns and arrogance... That's what happened today and although I'm not an easy or soft opponent and I do have my moments of shouting or preaching or calling a parent, I was a wreck when I came back home. I don't expect to be loved by my pupils but I feel very happy when they show respect and interest.
-
Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
I am not suprised that you have trouble figuring out my sentences. I had to read that last one over as well. I am sorry that I only have such a short time these days and rush my answers. I think that it is great that you ponder your situation so carefully. A reflective teacher is what I dream to be as well. I wonder if you are working too hard to please the kids when they would be happy to create their own challenging work and get excited about it. At the beginning of the year I go through many types of activities that might help certain students learn and carefully tell the students the names of the activities and what I am trying to accomplish. I often make a poster of the names of the activities. Then I ask the students to do one or more or something they create themselves as part of their portfolio. They come up with boring and exciting ones too but learn along the way despite the way that they did it and learn other things as well. When researchers ask the teacher if the lesson went well, the teacher bases it on many things but can identify a lesson that they were pleased with. However, for that same lesson, the students react in as many different ways as there are students and professors or supervisors viewing the same lessons have different responses. So what should be our goals - please ourselves, please our students, please our supervisors? If something is bombing, you can stop and discuss how to make it better or why the students have this defeatist attitude and so on and it can turn into an exciting classroom because I love the discussion.
Ideas for teaching commands to high school students in Japan
Hi Everyone, especially you, Sally Olsen,
I have appreciated your ideas and have had success with them, too. I am working with a book that is really BORING. I am sure a lot of you are in the same boat with me.
I am working with a chapter, dealing with commands. My first thought was "Simon Says." But unfortunately, these students are Japanese high school girls, with not much interest in doing active activities. Getting them into groups has been a real challenge for me.
Anyway, any ideas on teaching commands would help. One idea I had was to have the students make their commands and have them call the commands for me to act out.
Anything else would really help.
Thanks.
Manuel Sensei
I have appreciated your ideas and have had success with them, too. I am working with a book that is really BORING. I am sure a lot of you are in the same boat with me.
I am working with a chapter, dealing with commands. My first thought was "Simon Says." But unfortunately, these students are Japanese high school girls, with not much interest in doing active activities. Getting them into groups has been a real challenge for me.
Anyway, any ideas on teaching commands would help. One idea I had was to have the students make their commands and have them call the commands for me to act out.
Anything else would really help.
Thanks.
Manuel Sensei
I have used story telling, i.e. I told them a short story (you decide about the level) and whenever they heard a command, they either hold up the relevant flashcard or actually did the thing. I didn't include commands such as "Go to the door" or "Fetch the ruler" though because it would cause chaos in the classroom..
For shy students I've used puppets or dolls (it can be a popular cartoon character) which were supposed to do the action but of course it was the student who was holding them.
I've also used flashcards which helped enormously and simply showed them to the kids and they said the right command. It took me a few hours to prepare them but the children were ecstatic with my (copied) stick men...They made their own flashcards after that and used them in other activities (eg the story telling one). They also did a colouring and drawing activity and made a kind of poster with commands they chose. That is, they drew a teacher, a board and a student and drew a bubble over the T's head which said, for example, "Come to the board". I also tried to use commands as much as possible in our everyday conversations in and our of the classroom ("Oh, Penny, please go to that classroom and bring the radio") especially when other children were present so everyone could hear that this was more than a game. It was sth useful in real life situations.
I'm sure there are a lot more but that's how far I've been!
For shy students I've used puppets or dolls (it can be a popular cartoon character) which were supposed to do the action but of course it was the student who was holding them.
I've also used flashcards which helped enormously and simply showed them to the kids and they said the right command. It took me a few hours to prepare them but the children were ecstatic with my (copied) stick men...They made their own flashcards after that and used them in other activities (eg the story telling one). They also did a colouring and drawing activity and made a kind of poster with commands they chose. That is, they drew a teacher, a board and a student and drew a bubble over the T's head which said, for example, "Come to the board". I also tried to use commands as much as possible in our everyday conversations in and our of the classroom ("Oh, Penny, please go to that classroom and bring the radio") especially when other children were present so everyone could hear that this was more than a game. It was sth useful in real life situations.
I'm sure there are a lot more but that's how far I've been!