How To Deal With Naughty Children In The Thai Classroom

[thequietman]

I haven't read through the replies but I got this advice from a fellow teacher a few years back and it has held me in good sted since then.

Put the kids into teams and let them pick their own team names ( it makes them feel more in control)

Do whatever lesson plan you have decided on. Example first flashcards, 'what is this?' It is a ........ Correct answer gets the Team 10 points. Worksheets, they do as a team effort. They all have to complete their own individual worksheet but when needed they can ask for assistance from their team. First team to finish gets the highest mark and so on down to the last team who get the lowest score but a score nonetheless.

There are penalties for certain things and here is where the naughty student comes into play. Running around, talking out of turn, leaving the team area and so on, loses points for the Team. You will find that if one kid is generally being naughty all the time and losing them points, the other students will step in and warn him to behave. This works for younger and older students. Try it and you will be amazed at the results.

123certificates will allow you to print out certs for the best team. At the end of each month, the winning team with the highest score gets a certificate and their photo taken. the photo is then put on the wall to show everyone. If you can put it on the outside wall so all students see it, then even better. This is huge face for students and they will want to win and they won't tolerate a wayward student who keeps losing them points.

You can also make the naughty student the captain of the team with instructions that If he misbehaves, his team gets extra homework. If his teams misbehaves he gets extra homework. They will keep him/her in line for you and him them, leaving you time to teach and improve young minds.

Good luck and dont give up.

[LucidLucifer]

We have in the classroom a ''naughty student chair and desk so as work is not interrupted, the offenders peers decide whether the offender sits or stands and I review the situation every 5 minutes or so via a show of hands as to whether the punishment time period is over or not.

OMG. That's just wrong on so many levels.

I completely agree.

And it's not the only piece of advice on this thread that is bad practise.

This isn't the place to debate though, that would derail the whole thread. I just hope the OP chooses wisely which advice to follow, and which to ignore.

[siampolee]

I taught in the U.K. for a number of year prior to coming to Thailand via another couple of countries and teaching in those countries too.

Been teaching here for some twenty one years and it works,no P.C.

Watch children when they play and see how they deal with the rascals even my /our own kids did

when they were younger.Parent and teacher the system works.

As an aside please tell us all why such a practice of peer judgement is wrong, please share your knowledge with all of us so as we may benefit from your experiences and ideas and practices..

Edited June 4, 2012 by siampolee

[LucidLucifer]

Where is the consistency in it for a start? Popular child A gets a lighter punishment than child B because they have more mates/the other children are worried about voting against them. Potential repercusions abound later in the playground.

Have you never observed how many children, of the age the OP is talking about, look around to see what their mates are voting before raising their own hand? Are they able to make a reasonable judgement about what is suitable?

Why are you interrupting the teaching of and learning of your class to bring attention back to the problem child? A large part of the time that is the kind of attention they are looking for, all eyes on them. You are feeding that.

Remove them to a separate work area, good, but they get the attention they crave when they are ready to join back in with the rest of the class.

And above all, it stinks of public humiliation. That is massively counter-productive.

I know with certainty that if I had employed such practise at any of the UK schools I have worked in, I would have been seriously questioned by management, and god knows what would have happened had the parents ever got wind of it.

[markg]

Kinda thought we'd got rid of this back in the late 50's..........

[LucidLucifer]

Kinda thought we'd got rid of this back in the late 50's..........

Not quite, Siampolee didn't leave the UK education system until about 21 years ago.

[Scott]

I think we can give input into dealing with naughty children without attacking other posters or their methods. I do know teachers who take input from students on punishment issues and it seems to work for them. If it doesn't fit or work for you, then don't use it.

[LucidLucifer]

Scott, I am certainly willing to offer my apologies to that poster if it is perceived as an attack on them. It wasn't meant as anything personal, more a strong critisism of a particular methodology.

We are, after all, talking about about a rather important issue. I would hope that all professional teachers hold the child's welfare and their academic, emotional, social and physical welbeing at the heart of their thinking, and all that they do.

Physical punishment has quite rightly been outlawed in the whole of western Europe and many other developed countries. Humiliation is in the same vein.

In any other part of the forum, if someone was to offer outdated and old information, it would be rebuffed. Rather than lead any teacher who is inexperienced in the profession down the wrong path, surely it is better to advise them away from such practises.

Taking input from the children as to what they think a suitable sanction is is good practise, absolutely. This should be done as a learning conversation between the aggriever, and then a separate conversation held with the aggrieved. It is all part of the process of having them take responsibility for their actions. It should not be done in the form of a kangaroo court in front of the rest of the class.

If you, as a teacher were openly taken to task by management for something in the staffroom, and all the other teachers then voted on what they think should be done about it, how would that make you feel? Not good, I am sure. Children have the same set of emotions and feeling as we do.

So, my apologies to you Scott for having to step in, and my apologies to Siampolee for the harsh critisism. As I said though, it was aimed at improving practise, rather than as a personal slight.

[siampolee]

Strangely enough children have a very sense of right and wrong and believe you me popularity stakes do not enter the judgement equation, as I stated the system works, I've never seen an emotionally disturbed child as a result of peer judgement..However I've seen many emotionally disturbed children as a result of parents losing their grip with other parents and school staff sad to say by becoming too involved in their children school squabbles.

Society has rules and if you break those rules there is a consequence,, a fine. probation, community service orders, or finally prison.it's called justice, rightly or wrongly.

I know with certainty that if I had employed such practise at any of the UK schools I have worked in, I would have been seriously questioned by management, and god knows what would have happened had the parents ever got wind of it.

The scenario above is indicative of why the teaching profession in the U.K. has become a minefield in my opinion.Teachers it seems now have to be politicians rather than teachers.

I went to an old fashioned long established Grammar School, Samuel Pepys was one of our old boys I am happy to say, as was the regicide Oliver Cromwell, sad to say.

I attended school from mid 1949 until mid 1961, indeed I think that period was the end of a golden era in education personally, My primary school teachers were and still are my role models as were and still are my old grammar school teachers, sadly now all have gone to the staff room in the sky...

It all began in a little village school with an amazing academic record. Miss Griffith, Miss ivy and Mrs Wilson lit a fire in me there as did Mr Tatham, and Mr.Beaver did later in grammar school. Teachers who cared who could teach and could understand how our young minds worked. They made us want to learn

After my eleven plus exam went to our local and happily old fashioned traditional long established Grammar School, Samuel Pepys was one of our old boys I am happy to say as was the regicide Oliver Cromwell sad to say.

Our teachers were fair minded and we had to defend our actions, the swish ( the cane) was rarely employed in my years at school and prefects, I being one of them as well as a house captain kept some semblance of order.

School uniforms were worn with pride both at our grammar school and also by the local secondary later comprehensive school children

It worked, teachers were respected by parents and students alike,we students were respected by our teachers all of whom had a positive effect upon my life as did.our peers at school likewise the local community at large as were the children attending non grammar schools in the town

.

Was I upset by your comments LucidLucifer ?

No I was not, I've dealt with many an irate parent and staff member in my time, had to fire as well as hire,, experience comes in many ways as do peoples ideals. we should agree to differ on what works in any situation. Pax

Edited June 5, 2012 by siampolee

[teacher17]

Everyone has different ways of disciplining children in the classroom. My feeling is....use whatever works, as long as 1) you don't actually hurt (emotionally/physically..i.e. leave a bruise or cause actual pain) the child and 2) The children still like you at the end of the day (means you don't punish them too severely). Some days, when the kids are just so naughty and I am so tired, I will just give them a game to play on their own for about 10 minutes...some days are just like that. Anyway, I would still love to hear from more people...personal experiences are always good to hear!

[LucidLucifer]

Some days, when the kids are just so naughty and I am so tired, I will just give them a game to play on their own for about 10 minutes...some days are just like that. Anyway, I would still love to hear from more people...personal experiences are always good to hear!

May I ask please, which of the things you have read on here have you taken on board and tried, if any? This is not to critisise.

Can you relay some of your personal experiences, although admittedly, it is still very early days, and you may not have seen much of an effect yet, please keep it consistent and give it time.

[Ijustwannateach]

If punishments are truly done to shame a student, then yes, people will and should be upset...

but a lot depends on the manner of it. I've found that students will let you discipline them pretty much any way you try, as long as they know you're doing it because you care about them (like them). I've even done the one with the student putting his nose on the board- with M5's, of all people!- mainly as a joke about how antsy that particular student had been in that class, and also mainly because I had almost never had to discipline any of the ones in that class that way at all. It was mainly a joke, and very partly a reminder that he needed to focus more, and I think he and the rest of the class enjoyed it immensely. But it was because my tone made it clear that I wasn't actually looking down on him and wasn't taking it very seriously myself.

Discipline approached in this way early on and consistently can avoid the breakdown of relationships that leads to actual nastiness or rebellion.

[DavidSL]

I doubt I'm going to add anything to this topic that other people haven't already, but I'll pitch in with some of my experiences anyway. I've been working at four different kindergartens and one primary school, so I've had some experience with naughty students (though not THAT naughty, to be honest). Currently I run a Saturday class where the students are pretty crazy, but it's more just outbursts of energy than anything. The things I've learnt from my boss (a teacher herself), my assistants and other teachers are the following:

1. You can, to some degree, make the students look foolish. In a Country where loss of face is one of the biggest cultural no-nos, this works wonders. It's also an accepted method of discipline, without being that harsh. Don't try it in high schools, though! Basically make the student stand in front of the class, with one leg in the air, or something similar. It might not work if the naughty student has a lot of friends in the class (as they often do, being so confident), but it's worth a try. If it doesn't work, single out the naughty student to volunteer in front of their classmates to sing that song they are learning, or show the dance to the song. If they are anything like my students, they'll probably enjoy it, but at the same time at least they are doing something other than being naughty.

2. Ignore them. Simple. Just ignore the naughty ones. This can be hard, but I mean really ignore them to the point of pretending they aren't even there. When you play a game, pick the students to play but don't even acknowledge the naughty ones. They soon get the message when they see all their friends playing. If they start acting up or crying, keep ignoring them, it's a cry for attention most of the time. Obviously know the limit to this, don't let them get away with anything just because you are ignoring them - just stare at them, tell them to sit down, and get on with your lesson. There's only so much ignoring a child will take.

3. Make sure you have something that keeps them occupied. When I first started teaching here, I was dripping with sweat, not from the heat, but from being so nervous. Why? Because I was convinced that if I didn't have all the kids sitting down playing a game, listening politely and not talking, then all the teachers would hate me and I'd be talked about and mocked my whole time in work. When I realised that this wasn't the case at all, I started to really enjoy teaching. Sure, starting at a new school still terrifies me, but now I know my limits. So what I'm getting at with this point is this: when you play a game, try to play a game that keeps everyone happy. TRY. Not do, because you can't keep every student happy, no matter what you do. I know this, because I currently teacher three siblings on Saturdays, aged 14, 12 and 9. The 9 year old doesn't speak English, the other two are near fluent. The 12 year old, however, looks extremely bored in lessons until it is her turn to play the game. The 9 year old sits quietly and listens, and the 14 year old is attentive the whole time. Even with 3 students, one can still get bored (though the varying level here with the 12 year old being in the middle might have something to do with it)! A game I like to play is this: pass an object around the group (based on the current module) and get the students to say the object. Then pass it around again and say some grammar (if that is what they are learning). Then pass it around again and get the students to ask their friend the question, their friend answering, and keeping it going around the whole circle. But as you play this, make it faster and faster. Any students not quick enough get taken out of the circle. Those left get stickers. It's simple, but it does keep them occupied.

NOTE: No matter what you do, there will always be naughty students. Always. Especially at a young age. I have a couple of students who I cannot control, no matter what. I always need an assistant to help with them. Their parents know it, too, because they are naughty kids at home. Sometimes we cannot control them - we don't speak enough Thai, or they aren't scared of us (after all, a lot of the time we are friends more than teachers in class), or they just don't care. They are young, and they are all wildly different. We can try, and we do, but we will never be the equivalent of a Thai national walking in to the room and scolding them in their native language. I bet English teachers at home have the same problems, though. Sometimes you need another face to be the bad guy, the scary monster next door. I use one of my assistants as that person, because the students know she won't take any crap! Me, I'm like a big white teddy bear or something, who reads them funny stories and sings silly songs.

Good luck, though - I feel your pain!

[teacher17]

I doubt I'm going to add anything to this topic that other people haven't already, but I'll pitch in with some of my experiences anyway. I've been working at four different kindergartens and one primary school, so I've had some experience with naughty students (though not THAT naughty, to be honest). Currently I run a Saturday class where the students are pretty crazy, but it's more just outbursts of energy than anything. The things I've learnt from my boss (a teacher herself), my assistants and other teachers are the following:

1. You can, to some degree, make the students look foolish. In a Country where loss of face is one of the biggest cultural no-nos, this works wonders. It's also an accepted method of discipline, without being that harsh. Don't try it in high schools, though! Basically make the student stand in front of the class, with one leg in the air, or something similar. It might not work if the naughty student has a lot of friends in the class (as they often do, being so confident), but it's worth a try. If it doesn't work, single out the naughty student to volunteer in front of their classmates to sing that song they are learning, or show the dance to the song. If they are anything like my students, they'll probably enjoy it, but at the same time at least they are doing something other than being naughty.

2. Ignore them. Simple. Just ignore the naughty ones. This can be hard, but I mean really ignore them to the point of pretending they aren't even there. When you play a game, pick the students to play but don't even acknowledge the naughty ones. They soon get the message when they see all their friends playing. If they start acting up or crying, keep ignoring them, it's a cry for attention most of the time. Obviously know the limit to this, don't let them get away with anything just because you are ignoring them - just stare at them, tell them to sit down, and get on with your lesson. There's only so much ignoring a child will take.

3. Make sure you have something that keeps them occupied. When I first started teaching here, I was dripping with sweat, not from the heat, but from being so nervous. Why? Because I was convinced that if I didn't have all the kids sitting down playing a game, listening politely and not talking, then all the teachers would hate me and I'd be talked about and mocked my whole time in work. When I realised that this wasn't the case at all, I started to really enjoy teaching. Sure, starting at a new school still terrifies me, but now I know my limits. So what I'm getting at with this point is this: when you play a game, try to play a game that keeps everyone happy. TRY. Not do, because you can't keep every student happy, no matter what you do. I know this, because I currently teacher three siblings on Saturdays, aged 14, 12 and 9. The 9 year old doesn't speak English, the other two are near fluent. The 12 year old, however, looks extremely bored in lessons until it is her turn to play the game. The 9 year old sits quietly and listens, and the 14 year old is attentive the whole time. Even with 3 students, one can still get bored (though the varying level here with the 12 year old being in the middle might have something to do with it)! A game I like to play is this: pass an object around the group (based on the current module) and get the students to say the object. Then pass it around again and say some grammar (if that is what they are learning). Then pass it around again and get the students to ask their friend the question, their friend answering, and keeping it going around the whole circle. But as you play this, make it faster and faster. Any students not quick enough get taken out of the circle. Those left get stickers. It's simple, but it does keep them occupied.

NOTE: No matter what you do, there will always be naughty students. Always. Especially at a young age. I have a couple of students who I cannot control, no matter what. I always need an assistant to help with them. Their parents know it, too, because they are naughty kids at home. Sometimes we cannot control them - we don't speak enough Thai, or they aren't scared of us (after all, a lot of the time we are friends more than teachers in class), or they just don't care. They are young, and they are all wildly different. We can try, and we do, but we will never be the equivalent of a Thai national walking in to the room and scolding them in their native language. I bet English teachers at home have the same problems, though. Sometimes you need another face to be the bad guy, the scary monster next door. I use one of my assistants as that person, because the students know she won't take any crap! Me, I'm like a big white teddy bear or something, who reads them funny stories and sings silly songs.

Good luck, though - I feel your pain!

Thanks! Good advice. It is slowly, but surely getting easier...mainly because I am figuring out who the naughty students are, how to deal with them, etc. Giving one student who did exceptionally well that day a sticker actually does work pretty well...especially giving it to them at the end of class (it's a great way to get attention.."now who wants a sticker? You have to be sitting nicely if you want a sticker.") I have observed the Thai students with Thai teachers...and they listen to the Thai teachers very well....I really don't understand (even after observing them teach) how they get the students to be quiet. I don't do much different from them (besides the fact that I really don't hit the students). I just feel like Thai teachers don't play any games with the Thai students, and since I play games with them...the students don't think they need to listen as much. Or it could be because I am a falang...no idea.

I should mention though, that I AM strict with the students when I need to be and that I'm no pushover. Today one boy was crawling under the desks and got stuck...haha...literally...and I had to pull him out. The students at my school can be very naughty....I teach at a rural school (don't know if that makes a difference or not....)

Thanks to everyone who gives advice!