How to manage/deal with this class, ideas?

[hydraides]

I'm new to teaching and find myself in charge of a very problem class......Girls are mostly fine but all the boys cause trouble (Early primary level)

 

I managed to get hired in an international school for my first job, so discipline in the classroom and actually making them learn something is very important.

 

Anyway the boys in the class (5 of them) wind each other up ALL the time, fight. The boys will then become emotional, get angry with each other (Break pencils, cry, storm out of their chair towards the door exit

 

How would you go about dealing with this...... Telling them not to do it is of course not going to work, it just reinforces their behaviour.

 

IF punishments, what type of punishments would you give for this childish emotional behaviour?

 

 

[CharlieH]

Have you tried splitting them up ? one to each of the four corners then they cant inter-act with each other.

 

Just a thought.

[hydraides]

Yes dosen't really make a difference too much.  They will still talk to each other and their behaviour mode for some reason is by default to make each other as mad as possible......they will turn to each other and say "he is saying.... im a naughty boy.....then they will start crying over it"......

 

honestly its pathetic behaviour for a primary class

 

Today i even had one of the boys get mad/cry because another boy was looking at him......

 

driving me and other teachers insane dealing with this class

 

 

Edited October 19, 2018 by hydraides

[CharlieH]

Off topic comment removed.

[Rhys]

Bring in a Thai Grandmother (teacher's aide) type as a reminder of purpose and responsibility

[hydraides]

10 hours ago, Rhys said:

Bring in a Thai Grandmother (teacher's aide) type as a reminder of purpose and responsibility

Thanks for reply. Its a good idea but that kind of out my control. My school are already very uptight about spending/giving supplies ......I doubt they will happy to learn they have to spend money to hire a helper because I cannot control the class

 

Does anyone have any ideas which would be in my control

[FritsSikkink]

"Telling them not to do it is of course not going to work, it just reinforces their behavior."

It will if you have any authority. Sit them as far away from each other as possible, punish bad behavior and reward good behavior.

[akirasan]

Give them something to do (not all at once).. Make one of them in charge of something. Or get them to assist you when you're teaching.

I found the really naughty ones act up usually because they've either got major problems at home or they're bored. Some classes I really had to vary teaching methods and make an effort to keep them entertained. They seemed to love competitions and games.

If they're really causing too many problems, is there any advisor you can speak to? Or the director? They may be able to help pull them into line (temporary). 

[Emdog]

Figure rewards for good behavior over punishment for bad. Seems they want some attention besides power. Perhaps brainstorm a rewards system with entire class (girls probably as sick of it as you). Doesn't have to be big reward either. Peer pressure to earn reward may do the trick...

give them some jobs to help out on... handing out papers, whatever. Point is to make it more rewarding to do right thing over current behaviors.

[otherstuff1957]

Try splitting the class into groups, like group Kangaroo, group Panda and group Pony.  Give the groups points for behaving well, answering questions, doing work on time, bringing their books to class, etc.. and subtract points for bad behavior.  At the end of each week, the best group group gets a reward, like erasers or pencils with cartoon characters on them.  If one group always wins, mix up the groups at the beginning of every month.

Edited October 20, 2018 by otherstuff1957

[Lacessit]

Set boundaries. You need to teach them actions have consequences, by depriving them of privileges. E.g. they are kept in at the lunch break for misbehaviour. Explain to them it will happen, then execute it.

When they see the girls going out the door, it won't take long for them to get the message.

Edited October 20, 2018 by Lacessit

[Thian]

17 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Have you tried splitting them up ? one to each of the four corners then they cant inter-act with each other.

 

Just a thought.

My teachers would put them right in front of his desk so he coul see/correct them very well.

[Proboscis]

Get the parents in. It is the only way. I would videotape them and show how badly the ringleaders are and show the parents.

When the parents are finished with them, I would look at some team-building with either a psychologist or some other expert - it is a private school and the parents or school should have the money.

 

Put the frighteners on the parents - tell them the truth that this kind of behaviour leads to really bad behaviour when they get older and invariably a lot of them will end up in jail or worse!

[Proboscis]

In Cambodia they have several places where they put teenagers with big social problems. The programs are run by ex military guys who take no shit from anyone. Sometimes the families become afraid of the teens as they get access to the drug culture and then gangs and guns. We are talking middle-class spoiled kids here.

[MaksimMislavsky]

33 minutes ago, Proboscis said:

Get the parents in.

1. Likely won't give a flying ...anything. Just get annoyed.

2. The kids will start seeing teacher as an enemy deserving retaliation

[My Thai Life]

I haven't read all the posts, so maybe you've answered some of these questions.

 

How many students in the class?

I think you said it's an international school. What language(s) do the students use among themselves?

Do the same students create the same problems with other teachers/subjects?

Do you speak their first language(s)?

Is their English good enough to have a conversation with you?

What grade are they?

[Pdavies99]

2 hours ago, Proboscis said:

Get the parents in. It is the only way. I would videotape them and show how badly the ringleaders are and show the parents.

When the parents are finished with them, I would look at some team-building with either a psychologist or some other expert - it is a private school and the parents or school should have the money.

 

Put the frighteners on the parents - tell them the truth that this kind of behaviour leads to really bad behaviour when they get older and invariably a lot of them will end up in jail or worse!

Absolute.ly the best way, and have a weekly report sent to the parents, show the child it first!

[ozmeldo]

Some excellent ideas here. First year is always hell.

 

"International" school 555, gotta ask...north of Bangkok??

 

 

Clearly, your'e not respected. That's an issue for everyone.

 

Learn every student's name, fast. Yeah I'm dead serious. Then it's not hey you um um stop doing that... It becomes HEY OAT, didn't we talk about wiping your boogers on Pim yesterday!

 

Learn some basic classroom management, fast.

 

What are your lessons like? Get them up off their asses and engaged. Second half, something fun in front of them.

 

The thing about punishment is that if they don't do the punishment, you've lost even more respect.

 

Have the admin call the students parents and tell them they are disruption in class one weekend. Then following Monday come in hard. But you've gotta have solid lessons or you'll slip immediately.

 

They may be gone already. Beginning you must come in hard, ease slowly especially if you're not one to garner respect assuming little kids actually respect and not simply fear teachers

 

Get them up and productive with an activity then the other half the class some game played in their seats. Bingo, stop the bus whatever.

 

You need to only get thru the next few months assuming you're not teaching at a real international school and follow Thai calendar. For yourself, learn if you just get thru the day, it will happen again. There are some great websites and information. Google up classroom management and discipline. Try Reddit.

 

 

Edited October 20, 2018 by ozmeldo

[My Thai Life]

4 hours ago, Pdavies99 said:

Absolute.ly the best way, and have a weekly report sent to the parents, show the child it first!

Oh yes, absolutely old chap. What language would you recommnd the teacher writes the report in?

[Pdavies99]

28 minutes ago, My Thai Life said:

Oh yes, absolutely old chap. What language would you recommnd the teacher writes the report in?

St...d question, its an international school!

[My Thai Life]

Just now, Pdavies99 said:

St...d question, its an international school!

I agree there is a certain amount of stupidity in this dialogue. Let me make the question easier:

 

What language(s) do you think the teacher is capable of writing in?

What language(s) do you think the parents are capable of reading?

What language(s) do you think the child is capable of reading? (I ask this because I believe you recommended the report be sent to the child too)

 

[otherstuff1957]

Actually, many parents who can afford to sent their kids to International Schools can read or speak English fairly well.

 

I teach at a bilingual school, which is about on par with a lower level International school and many of the parents of my students speak English quite well.  For the minority that don't speak English well, I have one of the Thai teachers or Admin translate.

[Cereal]

I've been teaching over 13 years: Korea, Laos and China. These sound like Korean kids to me and I have experienced this behaviour. 

 

I would plan fun games to play in class and count the bad kids out. They can't play. I'd completely ignore them and so would the rest of the class. These people are lost when they are ostracized from the group. They soon get the point and behave accordingly and my experience has been there's always one who starts and becomes the defacto policeman of the group keeping them in line. 

 

When the rest of the class are laughing and having fun and the baddies are being ignored they tend to straighten up. 

 

Not saying this is for you, but I've tried it and it worked for me.

[malt25]

On 10/20/2018 at 4:25 PM, Proboscis said:

In Cambodia they have several places where they put teenagers with big social problems. The programs are run by ex military guys who take no shit from anyone. Sometimes the families become afraid of the teens as they get access to the drug culture and then gangs and guns. We are talking middle-class spoiled kids here.

So you are suggesting the OP sends the bad boys to Cambodia ?

[simon43]

So you are suggesting the OP sends the bad boys to Cambodia ?

 

LoL, that's highly impracticable...

 

No, bring the ex-military guys from Cambodia into your classroom......

[BobbyL]

Any international school worth their salt should have a proper discipline procedure in place. If you're just left to 'deal with it' then that sounds like awful management from above. 

[onlycw]

On 10/19/2018 at 10:06 PM, CharlieH said:

Have you tried splitting them up ? one to each of the four corners then they cant inter-act with each other.

 

Just a thought.

Rotating seats does work. And who pays the piper, calls the tune. Sounds like little spoiled brats are well aware of their power... Can you engage them? Try to make interesting and relevant lessons!