I can usually spot the students who attend private institutes as the more studious ones try to do their hagwon homework in class and the naughty ones finish the textbook material beforehand and then slack off. ( As a personal tangent, I'm a positive person but I'm motivated to write about problems and negative things)
What irkes me are some of the students who are generally disrespectful and disruptive in class toward foreign teachers and Korean teachers alike. I have some students that complain constantly, even for PPT games. *I also suspect that some students have behavioral disorders or are emotionally unstable, but parents don't want the mental health stigma for their children* Often some of the naughty boys will complain until my coteacher yells at them for over several minutes at a time until we have class timeouts. You know, just to get under her skin.
Then the troublemakers sit it the back with a huge grin and communicate in body language to each other while some students take advantage of the timeout to take a cat nap. All this is taking away from valuable instruction time. All the calls home, all extra homework assigned doesn't do anything to change the bad behavior.
I even had a six grader punch me in my private parts because I wouldn't let me leave the room until he finished his inclass homework. No letter of apology, no call home, just a firm "Don't do that again" from my co-teacher.
I even had a kid at my former hagwon take his hobby razor knifes that they carry out in class, extended the blade, proceeded to cut his book and make stabbing motions at me intreputing my class and seriously scaring the s*** out of me. In the states we have zero-tolerance policies for this sort of thing. I told my director about it and he took the boy's knife away and told me that I shouldn't be upset at students because it's bad for business. *This really happened, btw not an exaggeration*
So, yesterday some of the worst of the worst students were placed in a computer lab where I think they are getting some kind of ALC ( Alternative Education). It looked to me like they were just dicking around in the computer lab unsupervised. Appeasing bad behavior and hoping it will go away....historically that didn't always work well did it?
Let me get to the point. Some students need discipline and know that they are boundaries that have to be set for their behavior. In Korean public schools it seams that there really isn't a clear system wide guideline of behavior: or one that isn't understood by the students and their teachers. This is evidenced by the absurd students/ teachers poll results. Negative reinforcement needs to be reintroduced into the classroom including corporal punishment as the last resort when all other options to change behavior have been exhausted.
That doesn't mean Mr. Johnson can't deck little johnny in the face for not doing his homework one day. Or catfights between female co-teachers and middle school students etc. Use discretion.
The kids have to learn how to live in an society, which has boundaries and expectations. As professionals we are partially responsible for their development.
If they don't learn or we fail to teach them they could fall through the cracks and end up in prison (Ultimate Corporal Punishment) later in life.
this goes BEYOND corporal punishment, but do remember that in any setting...if you are attacked, especially with a weapon and especially by an older student (high school) you have every right to defend yourself. that said, i agree the school i teach at is a disgrace and I have kids who like to walk around with those tool knives (box cutters). the deal is this: when they hire us they know we are coming from another country/culture. and no matter if were American/British/Australian whatever, our cultures are much more in line with each others than we are with theirs. so as much as WE have to be understandign of them THEY have to be understanding of us. i am used to this balance act. im American, my wife is originally from Philippines. when we get in a fight I hear "well, you married a filipina"...which means I have to alter my beliefs to conform to her country's norms regarding family, money etc. Just remember, be firm, be fair, be consistant, be a leader, a mentor, someone the kids can look to and trust and feel respect for. its just a difference of philosophy.
I like having an engaging and fun classroom, however I do not tolerate disrespect. Many times i have turned desks over with their contents on the floor because a student is being rude and disrespectful. ive thrown them out of my class as well. you cannot be their buddy AND their teacher. Be one or the other. And considering we are employed as TEACHERS...but i feel this is a difference in people. Those of us who perhaps are trained teachers back home, or who have some formal education (not esl) training or real home classroom experience are a very different breed than those who worked at barnes and noble for 4 years in college. its just a different outlook
