What do students do that used to make you mad, but you gave up on it?

[jaysoon17]

Somebody started a thread venting how he got in trouble for disciplining a student for defacing school property. This type of thing used to infuriate me a long time ago when I came to Korea for the first time, but it happens so much that I don't really take notice anymore. I don't want to be angry on a daily basis, so I gave up on battling students with certain things. I was wondering if there anything else students do that used to makes you super angry but no longer doesn't?

For me, it's the following:

1. Writing on the desks.
2. Students using the middle finger.
3. Students cursing in Korean.
4. Students tearing pages in their books.
5. Boys slapping each other on the head or face. I wait and see if it gets out of hand (look at #6)
6. I'm 50/50 on this one, but the boys who scream in each others' faces. I just stand there and watch them, and they'll stop most of the time if they notice me looking at them. I step in if I think it gets out of hand, but I no longer yell at them.
7. I used to step in and yell at the boys for this, but now I just grab the boys and pull them aside for a few minutes when they get in the face of the girls and seemingly threaten them.

[twitch]

8.  Students being late for class.  This one used to really annoy me, but I've come to realize that when the bell rings, there is NEVER more than half the class ready to go.  As I stood in the doorway, day after day, scolding those who late, I realized that the teachers get up to go to class AFTER the bell rings. 
I've accepted that it's a little thing that is the norm here and it's beyond my control.  I'm much happier for it.  :)

p.s.  I refuse to give up on #1 though.  Writing on the desks is just unacceptable.  If I see litter being tossed about or writing on the desks, then when we play our game at the end of class the losing team must clean the desks and litter up before they can leave.  :)

[SBracken]

9.  Students sleeping in class.

(and a ditto on #3)

[yeti08]

Definitely given up on many things.

Students cursing in Korean unless they're cursing at me.
Not doing their homework
Not bringing their books
Boys hitting each other, I too ignore unless it gets out of hand.
Saying "pinishee"
Throwing trash on the floor (because I got lectured for not giving candy to a class because they'd always toss the wrappers on the floor)

[mkelso6514]

Wow. It sounds like you have been having a hard time with discipline.

I teach at a private elementary school. We teach 32 students in a class and I teach grade 6. I used to be really strict when I first arrived here in 2008 but I realized it wasn't going to make my class environment any better. So I let some things slide like:

1. writing on desks (like you)
2. drawing pictures instead of writing words/ reading (usually I try to crack down on that but it's hard with 32 kids)
3. small chatter that doesn't interrupt the class too much
4. running in the hallways (doesn't seem like anyone cares about that)

[Hoosier_Jedi]

When I was subbing back homes kids sleeping in class really bugged. Then i realized a sleeping kid was one less in a state a cause me problems and started letting 'em sleep through class if they wanted. As a sub I always had plenty else to deal with.

[kimchikiwi]

The sleeping used to bug me, now I get upset when they bring pillows and eye masks to class...
Oh and girls putting make-up on as I'm teaching.
I just ignore it and go on but how disrespectful to bring pillows and eye masks to class! (On a seemingly daily basis)

[Spongeblob]

Never give up.  Never surrender.  :D

I found a partial cure for desk writing.

Tell the students not to write on the desk.  If they write swear words, use marker or pens, draw dirty pictures etc. (you know the stuff I do on my teacher desk) then they get to erase all the desks.  It's a great way for students to spend their break time.  Works like a charm for me.  Desks are 90% clean and students are more focused.

As for being mad, I'm always grumpy, I'm a teacher after all. 

[ovid]

The sleeping used to bug me, now I get upset when they bring pillows and eye masks to class...
Oh and girls putting make-up on as I'm teaching.
I just ignore it and go on but how disrespectful to bring pillows and eye masks to class! (On a seemingly daily basis)

It's a common occurance because so many of them are in cram schools.  Those desk pillows were created for a reason.  It's still rude, I guess.

#10: Students using their cell phones during class (not all of them put their phones into the "cell phone bag"; I realized some students were actually finding translations to some of the stuff I was saying in class.

#11: Students talking to each other while I teach - I realize again, some students don't understand what I say... and instead of asking me, ask their friends.  It irks me sometimes, but I let it slide since it's not really an issue most of the time.

[dahknee]

I don't care if they write on the desks, or litter in the room or whatever.. that's affecting the school, not me. If they use their phone, whatever, I don't care, just be discreet.. If you're sleeping.. then make sure you're not sitting in the front row sleeping in front of me while I'm talking (this one is kinda unavoidable.. but whatever).. just PRETEND to be awake haha.. it IRKS me when a student right in front of me doesn't have his book out while I'm lecturing and he just sits there looking around the room. THAT makes me more angry than them scribbling on the desk. Blatant acts of disrespect really make me mad. I don't think I can give up on acts of disrespect.

In a culture that boasts about their respect, the utter disrespect that I get from some students fires me up. I really hate when I'm explaining something and a smart ass student just keeps blurting, "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, yeah, yeah" WHILE I'm talking. Grrrr soo annoying. Usually when you say "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh" to someone, it shows them that you understand what they're saying, but in their case, I know for a fact that they don't understand and just doing it to be obnoxious! And you don't wanna say "uh huh, uh huh, uh huh" to your teacher, that's freakin rude.

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

I've recently discovered by accident a new method that is working for me.  I didn;t even plan to do it, it's like it was an evolutionary leap within me or something.

Rather than tell them to do or not do something in class now, i've just started being silent and using gestures.

It's way more powerful.

Kid rocking on their chair, a rye smile, shake of the head and point downwards with the finger.

Kids talking over you - stop dead still and stare right at them (not looking angry, but with a confident smile) and do the 'zip it' gesture over your lips.

Kid making a lor of effort, look at them, smile, wink, and give a nod and a thumbs up.

I swear it's made classroom management so easy and they just seem to cotton on really quick, it's like by bypassing words and not engaging the argumentative part of their brains, they just react on a different level.

It's like if you say somethign to them, your words are heard by the whole class and thus it's a classroom affair and the kid can then pander to and / or get a reaction from the whole class - but if you get that one kid's attenttion and make a gesture, it is just you and them.

So I spend no time talking for discipline now, I just reserve my voice for teaching.

Maybe there's already a name for this technique, but I just found myself doing it last week after 7 yrs of teaching and have been astonished at how quick and efective the results are.

Hopefully they wont prove short lived!