Korean students are pains in the butt - Page 3 - Ajarn Forum

re_fuse · 4th August 2008, 21:42

^ Your naughty

Killing Me Softly 101 · 5th August 2008, 02:29

Peer Pressure.

These delinquents need to pressure each other to act appropriately.

One acts out. Put the keys (money, tickets, etc.) in you pocket. Tell them that in order to do B they first have to do A. NO A=No B.

Then you say something like I am going to sit over there. When you guys work it out. Come and get me. Then disassociate. Wait them out.

They will first try to negotiate with you.

Once it is obvious that you are immovable.

They will try to determine exactly what the problem is.

Then they will "enforce" their decision on the offender.

Scenerios go something like this:

Kid won't shower. You say, "I am not going out until he showers." You leave some soap and a towel. Call me after he finishes. You leave.

The group then strips and throws offender into the shower. They all magically appear with him showered (and possibly bruised) in a few minutes.

So you are driving along. Someone acts up. You pull off the road, (Starbucks would be nice.) Tell them that you are going inside. That you cannot drive with Ringleader acting in (very specific way). Leave. Tell them when they solve problem, you will drive again. ETC.

This is a method used in "Group Treatment" Centers in USA for delinquents. It is fairly effective. If it really gets to a crisis point.

(Either he goes or I go.) Then quit if he does not go. (Use only as last resort and anticipate getting fired.)

Fired beats "Charged".

Umbuku · 5th August 2008, 05:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Killing Me Softly 101

Peer Pressure.
These delinquents need to pressure each other to act appropriately.

That has already begun after the lock down came into place.

I am hoping that they will now understand that I am their doorway to having such restrictions lifted or relaxed and act appropriately. I'm actually not empowered to lift the ban but I can take them on activities that circumvent it somewhat.

phuketbound · 10th August 2008, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umbuku

The Sunday trip was uneventful but in the morning before we departed on the bus the tour coordinator told me that two of the boys had pushed one of the others into the schools pool after classes on Friday afternoon. They shouldn't have been near the pool, it's for the residents, and they should have been supervised by Mousey, they weren't.

In a meeting the director decided that this was enough and a martial lock down is now in force with them. They are not to be unsupervised at any time while on the school campus and must take all their breaks and lunches as a group under the eyes of the Mouse and a teacher from the school. Anyone who disobeys this instruction will be denied the privileges of going on the excursions. Any further infractions after that and their parents will be called and as a final resort they will be sent home to Korea if they continue to misbehave.

They were like whipped puppies for the afternoon class today.

I've organized with the Mouse to take them outside for the final hour of days they have an afternoon class so they can visit the Asian grocery store nearby to buy snacks and noodles and then to play a bit in the nearby park. This is a privilege that is under my control and I can deny them if they don't behave.

So far so good.

Sounds like the director took the bulls by the horns which was needed.
Korean kids hate when you threaten to call their parents, or threaten to send them home. They are afraid of their parents. Last year, as soon as I threatened to call their parents, the student changed their behaviour in a jiffy. Good luck with them. Be fair, but strict. Sounds like you have a fun summer ahead. Korean students can be extremely good for the most part. I hope they smarten up and you enjoy them.

Umbuku · 11th August 2008, 10:07

They have been pretty good for me for over a week now, and no serious infringments of the rules or stupid and dangerous activities. However, all of my efforts with them might be about to fall apart as I will only see them on two days in the coming week.

Wednesday is a public holiday and our summer school study tour season is coming to an end as the kids return to the northern hemisphere for their real schooling. As a result class numbers are dropping and classes are being merged, so I will be back teaching adults again for two days this coming week.

My replacement has been fully briefed on the group he is taking over and is therefore forearmed and knows what to expect. I am unsure how much contact I will have with them over the next few weeks but I feel that mixing up the teaching staff for them is not going to help keep them under control and I expect a relapse into their previous truant behavior.

Thanks everybody for your words of advice.
They helped immensley even if only for the knowledge that others understood my concerns and sense of despair.
Cheers all.

bcqcboy · 18th August 2008, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Umbuku

I'm currently teaching a study tour group of 15 Korean teenagers ranging in age from 11 to 15. They are visiting Brisbane in Australia for 6 weeks and lucky me, I have the job of teaching and guiding them around. There are 7 girls and 8 boys.

The girls are no trouble, only a little dour and insolent at times but the boys are starting to make my blood pressure rise and my hands shake, and those who know me know that I am not an easily angered guy. They are flat out defiant, dangerous little monkeys. I give them a direct instruction, they nod and say "Yes teacher" and then continue doing what I have told them not to do.

In the classroom this is not a big problem, I can pull out the grammar worksheets and deny them privileges as punishment, or send them to a higher authority that will call their parents in Korea. But out in public this is a serious issue as we have to cross busy streets, keep the group together and safe and make sure we don't lose anyone.

The other day we were at a wildlife park and two of the boys were banging on the glass of a caged Taipan snake. Only the world's most dangerous and venomous snake which can kill you within 20 minutes. I told them to stop, explained the foolish and dangerous nature of their actions, they understood, I turned around to deal with other students and they were at it again.

Is this typical Korean boy behavior, or do I have a crew of social misfits sent on holiday to give their parents some peace?

Any ideas or techniques about how I can win their respect, short of leg sweeping them and putting them in a choke hold?

I took a group of 8 Korean students (age 15-17) to Canada and it was no problem, as they were already my students back in Korea. In fact it was one of the highlights of my teaching career. I did have a couple I sometimes felt like putting a leash on when we were out in public and they kept wandering off.

The problem when it comes to Korean kids is that they need to be shown that you're a legitimate authority figure and that the same rules apply when they go abroad. I don't know what to suggest as I'm not sure what sort of authority you've been given. I would flat out refuse to be responsible for Korean kids unless I had a free hand in discipline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaanAlex

^

I am serious.

At least in Korea, it is usually perfectly acceptable. And if you don't hit them, i.e. the students,...they just think you're a fool to be trifled with.

This is Korea.

And I would do the same with Korean kids on a tour abroad. In such a situation, the students don't have the time or the inclination to do it our way (i.e. the egalitarian way)...so I will do it their way.

Hittin.

Why will I lower myself in their eyes?

The only rise they will usually get out of me is the rise and fall of the lash.

After it is just once swiftly and brutally executed on themselves or one of their peers you barely have to raise your voice to get them to settle their little asses into "learnin mode".

St. Fran wrote:

Who? The father?

In most cases the threat is enough. And when father's get contacted by teachers or academy's in Korea...most kids are in tears.

The majority of kids who get hit by their teachers will never tell their parents even; in their words, "If I tell my parents my teacher hit me, they'll hit me too."

No, in fact I DO make the decisions. At least the majority of the time. My bosses can't tell me shit.

They hired me to teach and I do it to the best of my abilities. And if they don't like it...they can find someone else.

There are fewer good teachers almost anywhere than available slots IMO.

When a girl seriosuly misbehaved in one of my classes and refused to leave...I hit her on her thigh with a stick. When a Korean teacher tried to intervene she was was told to pipe down or she can get some too.

Both got sorted and class continued without a hitch.

If either "won" in front of the class I'd have had loads of other students misbehavin and the management of the school thinking they could tell me how my classroom was run...

In reality...if you were overly strict with the majority of Korean kids...the parents would love you more. I can't explain it.

A very popular and well-respected academy here in Korea lost its "eminence" because they got slack on their punishments.

They didn't cow the kids into their studies to the extent that the kids regularly did their homework. Then, after catching the kids not having done their homework...they didn't punish them harshly enough.

The local parents revolted, and there was a mass exodus.

Harder is better here. As long as the parents feel that you are sincere in getting their kids to learn you could probably string their kids up like pinatas and go to town.

~Alex

Alex is absolutely right. It's amazing how a quick slap to the hands can prevent an exponentially growing pile of trouble. That's not to say it's preferable or always necessary with Korean kids, but I've long since given up on always trying to do things the politically correct way because in some cases it only leads for much bigger problems to be dealt with later.

Umbuku · 18th August 2008, 15:13

My colleague came down hard and strong on the whole group and scared the shit out of a few of them. So much so that many of them hugged me when I came back into class this morning. Even the troublemakers were compliant and behaved well today.

All this and I still haven't had to use any big stick discipline, metaphorical nor literal.