Thanks for all the hugs, love and thoughts yesterday.
I spent time by the sea last night.
I’m not cut out for dealing with problem students. I don’t have patience with students who disrespect and disrupt classes. I strongly dislike bullies and find it hard to find any compassion for them. I know that they just need to be reached but I don’t know how to do it and they make me too angry to be able to reach out effectively.
Yesterday it was two smart-alec bullies who wandered around the room; ate during class; kept up a running commentary of insults about both teachers and students – then complained they couldn’t hear what was going on (no shit); told me to die; towel-flicked and pushed around Iwahashi-sensei; and on and on. My bile really rose when they started in on the other teacher. Even though I think she is too soft to be an effective teacher (especially in this school), I still got incredibly protective of her when they started in on her.
The hardest, most frustrating thing is that all I can do is talk or yell at them. I can’t give them detention, can’t send them out of the classroom (like they would obey anyway), can’t keep them in at lunchtime or even send them to the principle’s office.
I have absolutely no frigging power here. The students have all the power and they know it.
Out of 35 students, just 7 actually worked in class.
Two and half more weeks to go here. And I’m NOT teaching 2-3 again.
I know its a suggestion you probably wont like
Have you considered using your height to intimidate them? I’ve found that when dealing with problem sudents I have to stand up (not sit at my desk) and it is easier when you can stand over them and keep talking reasonably when they are being dicks… I realise language is probably a problem here, i have to speak slow and simply to get the point across to some of the arrogant chinese boys. But I will talk down to some students, not yell or get visibly upset and I will use my height when its students shorter than me) No one likes being told they are acting childishly. (of course i’m also talking uni students).
It may not be a good way, but it should acheieve some measure of power…
Of course I then usually break down in the tea room – or get bruce onto them.
*hugs to you*
In a nicer note
whale pics 🙂
http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Whales-wend-to-Warrnambool/2005/06/08/1118123868923.html
There’s no reason for you to put up with that kind of harassment, or waste your time on kids determined not to learn.
Where do you stand with JET about refusing to teach at specific classes/schools?
*long hugs, a nice hot cup of tea and a relaxing massage*
I have no problem in using anything I have going for me. Unfortunately one of the students is the same height as me, and huge (sumo in the making for sure!) The other is short but like one of those incessant yappy dogs, nothing intimidates him. I told him to shut up, he starting chanting ‘shutup, anpanman. Anpanman shut up’ (Anpanman is his insulting name for – as far as insults go it’s fairly beniegn, Anpanman is a cartoon character named after the sweet red bean paste buns I love). i took his towel off him – I had to full-on pry his hands from it, total tug-of-war.
Am trying to work out what to do. Already plan a sickie next time, but am trying to work out whether it’s worth negotiating…trying to get the bullies out of the class for me to teach or something like that.‘s balls.
This is where I need some of
I decided a couple days ago, in a class not nearly as bad as yours by the way, that I will call out the students like that in front of the rest of the class and let them know how horrible it is that people who actually want to learn are being kept from their interests because of those folks. I had an activity structured for pairwork but it was tied to a certain rotation. Unfortunately the JTE put the girls on one rotation and the boys on another, so the girls only ever talk to the boys (DO THE JTES EVER THINK ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL!!!??? ARE THEY ALL JUST FUCKWITS???) and every time a girl got to these boys they would beg for us to rotate so they got a new partner. Imagine that, a junior high school Japanese student begging to be able to practice English? It irritated me so much that I formalized a plan inside my own head to humiliate those few so that they’d be cowed enough to actually participate next time. Next time. Along with calling them out I will remove them from the activity and put them in separate corners of the room next time. That’s my plan, and if my JTE’s too weak to control her students next time she’s too weak to stop me!