What to do if two teenage boys are fighting in the classroom?

[markclover]

Most sources say ''call security'' but this school doesn't really have any.  Other sources say ''remove the child'' but I want to know where does the child go?

 

Do they just walk around the hallway or go to an office.  Most of the offices here are empty.

[Olav Seglem]

Call parents and let them come to take him home.

Guess they will provide punishment ????

 

[jaiyenyen]

Be careful with fights/pushing around, in the classroom. They might grt out of hand.

I had two M3 students squaring up to each other. Just as I was moving towards them, one got out a knife and stabbed the other boy twice in the gut.

Kid with the knife ran out. The other boy just stood there shocked. I carried him to the school nurse, then went back to the classroom to calm the other kids down and reassure them about their friend.

No Thai teachers in sight.

Shock, and the seriousness of the situation was starting to set in as I got back to the teachers room.

The boy spent three days in ICU but thankfully, he recovered.

The one who stabbed him was allowed back in the school after his parents paid the medical bill.

After a couple of weeks, I was told that the director was grateful to me for not talking to the authorities about the incident.

 

Let's be careful out there.

[Callmeishmael]

In the not-too-distant past the Thai teacher would pick up a bamboo stick and let them both have it!  Fortunately, that sort of discipline is largely a thing of the past.  Unfortunately, most schools have not introduced an organized school-wide discipline policy to replace it.  An American school principal visited my school a few years ago and when he asked about the normal discipline steps - warning - detention - suspension...  the Thai admins just looked at him like a bunch of goldfish.

 

Discipline begins and ends with the classroom teacher in most Thai schools.

[kingstonkid]

Had this problem with a class next to mine Thai teacher just kept on teaching.

Number 1 do not try to stop the fight too much of a chance of them hitting you either on purpose or by mistake.

 

My suggestion in this case is to send 2 students to find the director or your department head.  Move all the other students out of the way and let them beat the <deleted> out of each other 

Make suer that everything is on video.  for protection

 

You are not Thai so therefore any action youtake could come back to haunt you.

 

I agree schools here were a hole lot safer and more controlled when the bamboo was still in force.

Parents are more interested in their kid just attending they really do not care what they do at school.

Contacting the parents is only going to get you Your problem not mine He is a good boy for us.

 

[Don Chance]

I think Thai's find fighting to be normal behavior, part of masculinity and nationalism. 

I saw two kids, a sister and brother kicking each other in the park, i alerted the parent near by, he looked at me like i should mind my own business. 

[tandor]

...chuck a bucket of water on them!

[poyai111]

2 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

Had this problem with a class next to mine Thai teacher just kept on teaching.

Number 1 do not try to stop the fight too much of a chance of them hitting you either on purpose or by mistake.

 

My suggestion in this case is to send 2 students to find the director or your department head.  Move all the other students out of the way and let them beat the <deleted> out of each other 

Make suer that everything is on video.  for protection

 

You are not Thai so therefore any action youtake could come back to haunt you.

 

I agree schools here were a hole lot safer and more controlled when the bamboo was still in force.

Parents are more interested in their kid just attending they really do not care what they do at school.

Contacting the parents is only going to get you Your problem not mine He is a good boy for us.

 

I fully concur with this action. Take the remainder of the class outside for their own safety and to reduce the chances of others joining the fray. Without an audience, the adrenaline rush would lead to early exhaustion and the intervention of a small posse of teachers should convince them that a wai and handshake would hopefully end the dispute. My two bob's worth.

[Bangkok Barry]

I grew up in what was supposed to be a rough part of London, the East End, yet never once in my 10 or 11 years at school was there a classroom fight. Only once or twice in the playground. I remember I was disciplined when I took a box of matches to school. Now people carry knifes into the classroom. What has become of people? How did it happen? Why so much violence now?

[scorecard]

First semester (new intake) at my uni, farang professor colleague started the class, quickly there's 2 girls punching <deleted> out of each other in the back row.

 

Teacher told all the other students to leave the room quickly but wait outside.

 

Teacher is quite a big guy, fairly quickly he separted the 2 girls realizing they were in serious dispute.

 

Bottom line, it's 2 tomboys who had agreed before class started that each owned half the room (invisible line down the centre of the room), and if either tomboy stepped across the line there would be war. It happened.

 

Further checking by the director discovered that both tomboys had a large girl gang at their previous high schools and there had been violence many times.

 

Police were called and didn't know what to do. Parents called, didn't know what to do. Both parents left the campus with their errant daughters in toe.

 

Farang goes back in the class room with an admin. staff to take notes, talks to the rest of the students with a series of questions:

 

- Stand up if you want to graduate with a degree. About 30 in the class stand up, 2 didn't.. Farang told these 2 to leave the room and never come back to his class. Names taken.

 

- Stand up if you want at least a B+ overall grade for the whole program (4 years). 5 didn't stand up. Farang told them to stand in a line across the front of the room, then asked each student 'what grade would be OK for you? First one says loudly 'you can't try to tell me what grade I should aim for, and C+ is fine with me'. She's told to leave the room and never come back to teahers courses. Name taken.

 

- Four more just walk out. Names taken.

 

- Admin snr lady now speaks and says, all the students just removed are banned from all classes forever at this uni and their names and students numbers will be reported to the Ed. Ministry later today and I can tell you the Ed. Ministry will cancel their student status forever.

 

- Admin lady talks privately to the farang professor for a clouple of minutes then says 'Class will finish now for today. Tomorow morning I will have a letter for each of you to sign to promise that you will behave like a sensible adult in the classroom and on the campus and be serious about your studies. If you don't want to sign the promise letter don't come tomorrow or ever again but your name will be added to the list to be sent to the Ed. Ministry.

 

Two didn't turn up. The rest signed the letter and no further problems. 

[swm59nj]

It depends on the seriousness of the situation. Every situation is different . You will have to seize up the situation quickly and use your judgment. Either you can diffuse the situation yourself if possible.  If not you will have to try to get other staff members to help if possible.  
Hopefully there are other staff available. Because when they are separated both students should be taken to separate locations and monitored to prevent additional issues.  

 

[Jai Dee]

A couple of reported troll posts have been removed.

[puchooay]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Admin snr lady now speaks and says, all the students just removed are banned from all classes forever at this uni and their names and students numbers will be reported to the Ed. Ministry later today and I can tell you the Ed. Ministry will cancel their student status forever

No. That didn't happen.

 

File it in the Fiction section.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, puchooay said:

No. That didn't happen.

 

File it in the Fiction section.

Oh yes it did, all uni students have to apply to the ministry for a uni student reg. no, including exchange students. Unis are well aware if they don't inform the ministry of serious situations they will be asked 'why?' And students (very small numbers) do get banned.

 

In some situations the ministry has indicated 'banned and any previous grades cancelled and banned student cannot ask for his/her grades to be transferred to another uni'. 

 

 

[puchooay]

23 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Oh yes it did, all uni students have to apply to the ministry for a uni student reg. no, including exchange students. Unis are well aware if they don't inform the ministry of serious situations they will be asked 'why?' And students (very small numbers) do get banned.

 

In some situations the ministry has indicated 'banned and any previous grades cancelled and banned student cannot ask for his/her grades to be transferred to another uni'. 

 

 

Not for suggesting they only want a pass and not a high grade. 

[Scott]

I was always surprised at how little in class conflicts occurred in Thai schools.  I and a few teachers ran into it infrequently.  I instructed teachers that if it was safe to do so to break the fight up AFTER sending another student to get one of Admin or Thai teachers for assistance. 

 

Ours was a private school and classes were somewhat smaller and we tended to know the students reasonably well.   The students usually stayed with the same group for many years, so there was less fighting in the classroom.  Most fights took place between students from a different class and that usually took place outside the classroom.  

 

Whether you physically intervene or not depends on a lot of factors.  Do you think you can do it without getting hurt?  Are they simply pushing and hitting each other or are they armed in some way or throwing objects -- chairs, bags, etc.?  Is there a good chance that you can break them up without actually getting involved?  The dynamic changes quickly and the consequences get more serious if the teacher ends up hitting or physically harming a student.  

 

These are always dicey situations that require quick action. 

 

 

[Grumpy one]

Sell tickets to the fight

[Callmeishmael]

In about 20 years of teaching in Thailand I have seen or heard about 3 fights. 

1.  Two boys in M3 or M4 liked the same girl.  One of the boys got 6 of his friends (not from the same school) and tried to ambush the other boy.  The ambushed boy managed to run back to the school and the attackers didn't try to follow him in.  The boy who arraigned the attack was expelled from the school immediately.  His mother tried to get him back into the school a few months later, but was refused.

2.  A tall, athletic boy bullied a fat bookish boy until the fat boy just exploded and tried to attack him in the school canteen.  Admin talked and wrung their hands about this, but didn't have to do anything - the fat boy's parents immediately pulled him out of the school and found another one.  There were zero consequences for the bully, but he decided that he preferred to hang out with his friends to going to school and dropped out after M5.  His father bought him a degree from another high school and entrance to some university.

3.  Two boys in M2 had a scuffle - one of them had been bullying the other.  They were moved to different seats in the classroom and there have been no further incidents since then.

 

I have noticed that when a bullying victim loses his temper and fights back, Thai teachers tend to be more sympathetic to the bully rather than to the victim!

 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Callmeishmael

[Inter Student Thailand]

Not sure that teenage boys fighting is a Thai disease. Pretty universal. 

 

Firstly, every school has a teacher who has a stick and is known to hit the hardest. Make it a mission to be their friend, and that students know that he / she is your friend. I'm not suggesting that you get that teacher to hit the kids for you, but the possibility is a deterrent and will make your life easier. 

 

Secondly, leave the classroom to find someone, and don't go back until you find someone. Your job is to teach. There is nothing to be gained by wading in. 

[Scott]

10 minutes ago, Inter Student Thailand said:

Not sure that teenage boys fighting is a Thai disease. Pretty universal. 

 

Firstly, every school has a teacher who has a stick and is known to hit the hardest. Make it a mission to be their friend, and that students know that he / she is your friend. I'm not suggesting that you get that teacher to hit the kids for you, but the possibility is a deterrent and will make your life easier. 

 

Secondly, leave the classroom to find someone, and don't go back until you find someone. Your job is to teach. There is nothing to be gained by wading in. 

It's not a wise idea to leave a class unattended for any length of time, that is especially true if there is an on-going incident.  Send a student for help.  Most schools and classes have a class leader and that might be the best one to get assistance.  Most teachers know at least a few students who are helpful and reliable. 

 

I fight between two students could easily grow to include more if they are left unattended.  There is also the possibility of other students getting injured by objects thrown etc.  

 

A teacher bears some responsibility for the safety of the class. 

[jackcrawford]

On 12/15/2022 at 10:10 PM, jaiyenyen said:

Be careful with fights/pushing around, in the classroom. They might grt out of hand.

I had two M3 students squaring up to each other. Just as I was moving towards them, one got out a knife and stabbed the other boy twice in the gut.

Kid with the knife ran out. The other boy just stood there shocked. I carried him to the school nurse, then went back to the classroom to calm the other kids down and reassure them about their friend.

No Thai teachers in sight.

Shock, and the seriousness of the situation was starting to set in as I got back to the teachers room.

The boy spent three days in ICU but thankfully, he recovered.

The one who stabbed him was allowed back in the school after his parents paid the medical bill.

After a couple of weeks, I was told that the director was grateful to me for not talking to the authorities about the incident.

 

Let's be careful out there.

Wait, they let the kid who stabbed the other back into school!!!??? 

Ridiculous. If not juvenile detention/jail, at least should be expelled from school.

WTF!

[herfiehandbag]

During one of my assessed teaching practices on my TEFL course two boys P12 started fighting, rolling around on the floor. I grabbed them, holding them at arms length and plonked each down in separate corners of the classroom. When it came to the practice phase (worksheet) I spent a bit of time with each of them, to help them with it.

 

After the lesson the assessor said " Funny, but those two did exactly that last time as well."

 

"Well thanks for warning me!"

 

I didn't actually say that, she was a French Canadian with absolutely no sense of humour!

 

Mind you, she gave me an A for classroom management.