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Post by hellndie on Mar 7, 2008 10:15:48 GMT 8
just had a 2nd year class today.. and hell they were so rude they pissed me off. First of all, they looked at us, the teachers... in a very mean way..like looked at you and then rolled their eyes! what the hell.. then they completely ignored the greetings.. I mean these are Japanese students.. and as much as I don't like the robotic response, I think its a respect to say good morning or greet the teachers or rather each other. Then we were playing bingos.. and the pt is for students to practice listening. Of course the teacher wrote EVERY WORD on the board.. i dont see the pt of "listening practice" anymore. Then the last part was me asking if the students have bingos, and if they do, I ask them to raise their hands.. no one did.. and then the JTE was like.. oh there are some kids who got it...over there. I was so confused how the hell did she know since they barely responded. So I asked again and I was like.. if you have bingos, just come to me and get a sticker... and no one got up. The jte was like.. oh over there, those kids got bingos. I looked at her confusingly and I was thinking... do i look like your mom who have to give and bring it to you!? hell.. so then i said in japanese bc i got so tired of the teacher translating every little word... . do you want it or not.. and no one answered so i took that as a no... and moved on with the word search. The JTE was like.. hmm but but.. I mean, if they cant even say yes or knod their heads .. then it just mean they dont want it.. if thats the case, I prefer keeping my stickers for students who want it. Then how dare the JTE tell me that these kids are "shy" . omg.. they talk when you talk.. they stared at you in a very mean way.. they want the prize and not do the work.. thats RUDE not SHY!
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Post by junkdna on Mar 7, 2008 14:13:14 GMT 8
I agree, I don't allow kids to be shy (unless they are otherwise shy to everyone). Just being shy to me is no excuse. It's flatout rude. I approach them and say, "you are supposed to respond". If they start looking around, I say "I am right here. Look at me." I often repeat my greeting to give them a chance. When they respond I give them a pat on the back and say good job. But I never let them get away with pulling "shy" bullshit.
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Post by hellndie on Mar 7, 2008 14:37:57 GMT 8
students in this class... dont respond to the teacher's greeting or questions either.. This JTE greeted this class TWICE before she gave up and asked me to greet the class.
You can tell if students are shy or rude by the way they look at you.. I think the students are only as good as the teacher. I am teaching with a lot of JTEs and she is by far, the one JTE I rather not have any TT classes with... espcially when she teaches, she just basically talk to the walls or rather, write everything out so students just need to copy. Then whenever we do listening practice activities, she would translate everything into Japanese..kinda beat the purpose of "listening."
My other JTEs are great.. sometimes they translate everything into Japanese but never during "listening activities" and they have the ability to control their classes so that students wont run into the hallways or talk when teachers are talking..etc.
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Post by junkdna on Mar 7, 2008 14:43:30 GMT 8
ill agree. can i ask you who the teacher is?
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Post by raindrop on Mar 7, 2008 14:54:36 GMT 8
I'm so sorry to hear that. That sounds really awful. They are just downright rude.
They're going to have a lot of trouble when they grow up. And sounds like this JTE has given up even trying to teach them. Many kids these days they just don't have energy for anything, it's really sad.
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Post by regi2 on Mar 10, 2008 7:39:12 GMT 8
I agree with the situation being a reflection on the teacher. This fact makes it more difficult as the Assistant, as it is not really our class, we're just visitors passing through. The kids don't want to let onto their teacher that they are really enthused kids trapped in the bodies of slaves to the 'talk and listen to the wall' phenomenom known as a 'lack in teaching skills'.
'It's not me... it's you'
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Post by hellndie on Mar 10, 2008 8:00:45 GMT 8
junkdna - sorry... i dont want to reveal any names
raindrop - As a teacher, she can't give up teaching b/c students' educations depend on it. Moreover, she is getting paid to do so, its her job and responsibility as a teacher! She may not need to go an extra mile to help these kids but it seems like she's not even trying to teach.. all the teachers in this school baby these kids as well but I've seen these teachers talk to the students about their bad/disrespectful behaviors instead of letting it go and think "shogganai"..
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Post by junkdna on Mar 11, 2008 13:06:10 GMT 8
hellndie, do i know this teacher?
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Post by hellndie on Mar 11, 2008 13:25:27 GMT 8
Just last week, I was teaching a class, that was classified as "the worst" class in the school. Reason is that the students in that class are really rowdy......in my book, they are really energetic. They are like 5 years old who are jumping around, talking every minute in class BUT they show you the respect that you deserve as a teacher or an ALT. The ironic thing is that I like that class more than I like the class with students who roll their eyes at you. The JTE for this rowdy class apologized to me every time after class saying that they are really bad because they are noisy. However, the JTE for the disrespectful class didn't bother to apologize at all.. probably because this JTE still believes that rolling their eyes and not responding are signs of "shyness." I really wish my Japanese is good enough for me to be able to explain to this JTE that there is a fine line between being shy and being rude.
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Post by dickflem on Mar 19, 2008 13:07:05 GMT 8
I have total sympathy for you Hellndie. I have a 2nd year class that's almost exactly the same.
I agree with regi that it is a reflection of the teacher, but also it is a reflection of the students social and cultural dynamics. I know in my class that there are about 6 boys who attempt to ruin every class. My JTE for this class is weak, lacks confidence and has no control or concern for his students.
Yesterday I almost went toe to toe with the ringleader of 'gang' of boys because he was walking around verbally intimidating other students if they tried to participate in the activity. he turns up late every week, mocks me in Japanese (which I can't understand) and attempts to stare me out acting tough and intimidating.
Yesterday, he had one girl crying while he sniggered at her from the back of the class. It took me a lot not to yell at him and my JTE.
I know you can only lead a horse to water, so I don't get too worked up if students don't want to learn. However, students who prevent other students from participating, or try to intimidate or bully other students (or teachers) should be dealt with.
A lot of these kids seem like a 'rebel against the system' sort of vibe. Why? I'm not in a postion to say with any authority, but.. for what it's worth; could be they feel resentment for the educational system which they can't or choose not to conform to. Perhaps they are just acting out of teenage angst. It could be their family upbrinning (or lack of it), their peer group, too much TV, E numbers... whatever. I know that it's probably not drink or drugs.
I come from a background of working with young people where drink, drugs and child abuse were common denominators. Some of those kids could pull themselves out of the spiral they were being sucked down into, but only after an intervention on a individualised basis.
In a society where we are told to "praise the individual, criticise the group" you are developing a system where some teachers don't have the skill (or the will) to be able to control a classroom with some 'bad apples'.
This kid scrunched up the worked sheet as soon as I gave it to him yesterday. Stared at me while he did it. I looked to my JTE for support he just fanned his face in the 'leave it, it doesn't matter' style.
If I could explode heads with the power of my mind the world would be a better place.
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Post by Otaku on Mar 19, 2008 13:21:57 GMT 8
You wanna put those students in their place, bully back! But, do it in the form of an English activity. Here's what you do, go to puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/ and make a 'hidden message' puzzle. However, the hidden sentence is about the student you want to bully. Make is something silly like, "Takumi has three big ear and four brown noses." When you handout the puzzle, tell the class the secret sentence is about Takumi. Then, sit back and smile cuz' 9 times out of 10 you will find that Takumi does the puzzle just to see what is said about him.
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Post by hellndie on Mar 19, 2008 16:18:39 GMT 8
sorry to hear that you have a student who purposely go to school to disrupt others... how about talking to the head teacher and have the head teacher deal with the JTE who just "fanned his face" like it didn't matter?
I have really supportive teachers at school... except for 1-2..so I don't know what to suggest to you, dickflem.... most of the times my JTE would just do something so that no 'bad' kids are disrupting my class.
Sometimes I find that ignoring the ones who purposely do things just to get your attention would shut them up. I mean, afterall they are just teenagers who are dying for attentions.
One student from my last class used my worksheet to fold a paper airplane and then he went around 'stabbing' his friends with it . So I went over, took his airplane and flew it into the air. Then I told him that airplane is meant for flying not stabbing. That student, for some reasons, unfold his airplane, went back to his seat and finished the activity. I didnt mean to make him do his work... I just wanted him to fly the paper airplane and not stab his friends with it.
Another incident happened a while back .... a group of 2nd year boys came up to me and asked me what the F word means .... at first I was very confused because I thought they were speaking in Japanese. I told them I dont understand what they were trying to say and if they can say it again slowly. Then they somehow thought it was funny to say it really fast and all at the same times... all 5-6 boys ... and I just kept saying I dont know what they were trying to say. I was really trying to understand them until the JTE came over and sorta pushed them away. Then my JTE apologized and explained that they were asking me about the F word. The ironic part is that from then on, they would randomly throw english words at me (mostly Hi.. my name is ... nice to meet you.. or whatever word they learned that day) & then act cool and walk away. Half of the times I dont even think they know what they were saying.
I guess thats the advantage as an ALT in a Japanese school.... you can always play dumb & no hard feelings.
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Post by dickflem on Mar 21, 2008 9:43:23 GMT 8
I thought about talking to the head teacher, but I have already made waves by having a serious sit down with the JTE's at that school. I am gonna write up a detailed account of the problems I've had there, the steps I have taken to try to rectify them, and the extent to which they have made a difference.
I'll give this kid a chance next year, I feel he is smart, but just has a chip on his shoulder. Apparently his older sister was a model pupil, on the national Kendo team and went to Tokyo university. Smells a bit like negative attention seeking.
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Post by junkdna on Mar 21, 2008 9:52:03 GMT 8
sorry to hear that you have a student who purposely go to school to disrupt others... how about talking to the head teacher and have the head teacher deal with the JTE who just "fanned his face" like it didn't matter? I have really supportive teachers at school... except for 1-2..so I don't know what to suggest to you, dickflem.... most of the times my JTE would just do something so that no 'bad' kids are disrupting my class. Sometimes I find that ignoring the ones who purposely do things just to get your attention would shut them up. I mean, afterall they are just teenagers who are dying for attentions. One student from my last class used my worksheet to fold a paper airplane and then he went around 'stabbing' his friends with it . So I went over, took his airplane and flew it into the air. Then I told him that airplane is meant for flying not stabbing. That student, for some reasons, unfold his airplane, went back to his seat and finished the activity. I didnt mean to make him do his work... I just wanted him to fly the paper airplane and not stab his friends with it. Another incident happened a while back .... a group of 2nd year boys came up to me and asked me what the F word means .... at first I was very confused because I thought they were speaking in Japanese. I told them I dont understand what they were trying to say and if they can say it again slowly. Then they somehow thought it was funny to say it really fast and all at the same times... all 5-6 boys ... and I just kept saying I dont know what they were trying to say. I was really trying to understand them until the JTE came over and sorta pushed them away. Then my JTE apologized and explained that they were asking me about the F word. The ironic part is that from then on, they would randomly throw english words at me (mostly Hi.. my name is ... nice to meet you.. or whatever word they learned that day) & then act cool and walk away. Half of the times I dont even think they know what they were saying. I guess thats the advantage as an ALT in a Japanese school.... you can always play dumb & no hard feelings. I always respond to the F word in that way. I know exactly what they are saying, but I get them to say it for me several more times, and each time I give them a puzzled, but honestly trying to understand what they are saying look. It never fails. They never bother to ask again.
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Post by junkdna on Mar 21, 2008 9:54:49 GMT 8
I thought about talking to the head teacher, but I have already made waves by having a serious sit down with the JTE's at that school. I am gonna write up a detailed account of the problems I've had there, the steps I have taken to try to rectify them, and the extent to which they have made a difference. I'll give this kid a chance next year, I feel he is smart, but just has a chip on his shoulder. Apparently his older sister was a model pupil, on the national Kendo team and went to Tokyo university. Smells a bit like negative attention seeking. Sounds like you have the right idea. In the end though, don't waste too much energy on him. He is not your problem. If he gets worse, walk out of the class and when the teacher follows you out, explain calmly that you refuse to teach a class where the students are disruptive, and BE FIRM. Call your Supervisor right away, explain the situation and tell him/her the same thing. You have rights too. Assert them.
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