Discipline

[moolooman]

My JTE just called a kid up to the front of the class, grabbed him as above and gave him the big STFU!!
Crazy. Any other craziness out there?

[Otaku]

Moolooman, are you a JTE? Nothing that crazy at my school, I mean, besides a kid getting up in my face the other week and me shoving him sending him over a couple of desks. Haven't had a problem with him since.

[moolooman]

Seems I was until you pointed out that I was. I am now a humble ALT again.

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

I love JTE's who take no bull.

I had one kid who was talking the whole time I was talking. It was annoying but I was louder so I just kept trucking. My male JTE wasn't having it. He slowly walked up behind the kid who was sitting down. Gave him a modified vulcan death grip on his left shoulder, and with the meanest look on the JTE's face, teeth bared and grinding away muttered "Shut ...up... right... now" in his ear. It worked the 2nd year boy just turned and did what he was told.

From what I have witnessed, humiliation, a little violence (without leaving a mark) goes a long way in disciplining the really "bad" students.

[GETAK]

Something you wouldn't believe happened yesterday.

This one kid who I've never seen in class decided to give it a go today (he's not a new student). Maybe his parents decided they might look bad if he doesn't show up once in a while.

He was being loud and obnoxious the whole time, saying weird nicknames for the teachers. It boiled over with him saying, over and over, things like, "you're ugly" "hey grandma" "your face is pretty unfortunate, huh?" and finally "well, I can't have sex now, but maybe you can do something for me..."

He eventually just grabbed his bag and left. Which was his motivation all along.

It was pretty hard to watch. If he got violent, I would have stepped in, but otherwise I'm actually not sure what my position is in situations like this one. I assume it's best to leave it to the teachers. They know their threshold better than I do, and it's their class. What do you folks think?

[Otaku]

Personally, if the kid is acting up and disturbing the class to the point neither teacher can teach, you could always try a passive aggressive approach and remove yourself from the classroom.

[moolooman]

I think you should be impressed with his grasp of English. My kids can`t cuss anywhere near that bad.
But seriously, it sounds like classic attention seeking. He was playing up trying to get everyone to look at him. Was he being ignored? If he was I put that down to his early departure.

[GETAK]

Well, I've heard about that happening in my area and complaints arising. As long as the kid is not violent, I leave it to the teachers. I have no authority and it can cause trouble for everyone if I intervene, I get the feeling.

If the class is being disturbed by sensible humans, I'll give them my mind and tell them how frustrated I am.. that usually puts some sense into them, but this kid was a different kind of animal. Such a waste.

[GETAK]

Sorry, that kid was talking all in Japanese.

[himitsu]

This morning I was witnessing a great (comedy) show for about 2 hours in my JH teachers' room.
Our "bad gang" of about 4 boys (sometimes also a few girls) kept coming and hanging around in the teachers' room because of the ac. Then every time 1-2-3 teachers were trying for about 20 minutes to get them out of the room (always saying the same thing, like "you have class now" or "you are not allowed here"... like they didn't know..!), finally made it, and 5 minutes later the gang was back. And then the same thing for another 20 minutes, and so on..
I'm not sure if I've ever seen anything as pathetic as that.. And I wasn't sure if I should just laugh, ignore or get mad and kill everyone...

[azuhlLt.]

This morning I was witnessing a great show for about 2 hours in my JH teachers' room.
Our "bad gang" of about 4 boys (sometimes also a few girls) kept coming and hanging around in the teachers' room because of the ac. Then every time 1-2-3 teachers were trying for about 20 minutes to get them out of the room (always saying the same thing, like "you have class now" or "you are not allowed here"... like they didn't know..!), finally made it, and 5 minutes later the gang was back. And then the same thing for another 20 minutes, and so on..
I'm not sure if I've ever seen anything as pathetic as that.. And I wasn't sure if I should just laugh, ignore or get mad and kill everyone...

Sounds like it's time for a bollocking. I would not stand for blatent defiance like that. Just explode and slap one or two RIGHT IN THEIR FACES!

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Insolent wretches. I am so glad I wasn't like that at their ages. Year after year my tolerance for such insolence errodes more and more.

Can just imagine how bad it is in the school systems in the west. Surpised there aren't more teacher suicides. Or teachers checking into the funny farm, like there is here.

[himitsu]

Sounds like it's time for a bollocking. I would not stand for blatent defiance like that. Just explode and slap one or two RIGHT IN THEIR FACES!

A student or a teacher? The problem is that they are not really evil kids, they are just lazy and stupid. Also they are actually always friendly to me. What annoys me much more are the stupidly nice teachers and this stupid system that takes all power from the teachers, so I don't even know if it's their character or just that they are not allowed to be strict, so I'm not even sure how far I can blame the teachers too..

Can just imagine how bad it is in the school systems in the west.

Really? Is it even worse? I don't know, but where I come from something like this would not be possible. If you behave bad, you're thrown out of the school. Problem solved.

[moolooman]

I taught in the school system in 'the west'. It is all about school culture. If the desired behavior is clear, consistent, and known from the beginning, and praised; such dickheadary won't rear it's ugly (dick)head as much as it does over here. The older students are allowed to do what they want. The younger students watch and learn, and the system perpetuates. Maybe if the classes weren't boring as MEXT chalk and talk in 30+ the students would have more desire to be in class, and part of the education system as a whole.

[moolooman]

Sounds like it's time for a bollocking. I would not stand for blatent defiance like that. Just explode and slap one or two RIGHT IN THEIR FACES!

A student or a teacher? The problem is that they are not really evil kids, they are just lazy and stupid. Also they are actually always friendly to me. What annoys me much more is this stupid system that takes all power from the teachers, so I'm not even sure how far I can blame the teachers too..

Stupid kids? The world's (now) third biggest economy didn't grow from utter waste (end of WWII) with 'stupid' people running all over the place. The students are merely showing the manifestation of the subconcious frustration of being treated like computers to be programmed, rather than individuals exploring. The are taught to absorb facts, not look for solutions. They are fed old knowledge, not prompted to co-construct their own new knowledge. That is the kind of learning that will stick. FFS, I just stood through an hour long class today where the teacher had them rote (verbal) practice a text passage out of New Crown for 50 minutes. They aren't stupid, they just aren't being allowed to succeed. (n.b. There are a few who are undoubtably as stupid as a post, but they are the minority).

[himitsu]

There are a few who are undoubtably as stupid as a post, but they are the minority.

That's the ones I'm talking about here. I'm not sure that those dyed hair-dirty old clothes-lying on the floor of the teachers' room and screaming nonsense-punks are that eager to succeed in anything... except vegetating.

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Really? Is it even worse? I don't know, but where I come from something like this would not be possible. If you behave bad, you're thrown out of the school. Problem solved.

Guess I am just comparing say Osaka, Yokohama, Tokyo or any inner city schools to what it would be like in the capital cities of say England, and North America.

Not only insolence but more cases of violence, and verbal abuse. Haven't done my homework here...just going on my perception of aggression levels in the west.

[Paul]

Insolent wretches. I am so glad I wasn't like that at their ages. Year after year my tolerance for such insolence errodes more and more.

I have found myself going the opposite direction, my tolerance, or should I say, my ignoring of their insolence, has gotten to the point that unless it directly involves me personally or a JTE in class with me, I find myself letting it go more and more.

It's not like I don't care, but have found that for many of these so called "tough-guys/girls" the bad ass response is expected and taking a softer path to talking with them works better. They also all know my hammer is always there if they want to get funny, so in the long run I have saved myself a lot of upset ranting days.

I also realize the limits to what I can do and act accordingly. I don't sleep with these kids, they don't live in my house, so I do my damnedest now-a-days, to not take them home, figuratively speaking, with me at the end of the day.

[himitsu]

This morning we have one of the stupid gyaru girls (the one I hate most; she's 13-14, not really grown-up, more still a bit like a child) just behind me (unfortunately my desk is right by the students' entrance), apparently her class has PE, but as she "doesn't like sweating", she just stays in the comfortable teachers' room and keeps talking (i.e. distracting and keeping from work) to teachers. And she's whining around (I'm so tired (at 9 am!) and sleepy and stressed, and it's so hot... oh yeah, and there is a cool guy I really like, and he's so cool! Oh my God, is he coo!!) with that stupid bitchy voice... I know, I should just not care, as it's / she's not worth it, but it's so hard to ignore this extreme urge to punch her right into the face...
The other day she kept bursting bubblegum bubbles right behind my back for about 20 minutes.. when I told her off, she just remarked that it's her habbit and she can't help it.. my head was just about to figuratively burst like her bubbles.. but as that would have had the consequence of her head physically bursting like her bubble, I could just control myself. Few days later we had a party with the English teachers and the BoE person in charge, and when I told him about it and asked what I could do in that situation, he said I could only leave the room until she's gone!! WTF!!!!!!!!! I'd rather throw her out the window than leaving the room

[Otaku]

Nah, throw the English teacher out first! MEXT that shit!

Personally, I lure her out of the room. Once out, I would run back in and slam the door in her face.

[himitsu]

That wouldn't stop her from coming back right away. If I lock the door, I'm sure a teacher would be quick to tell me I can't do that. Or she might bang on the door until we open it again. As stupid Japanese education places all power in stupid kids' hands, what can you do..
Now I have like 5 of them (including that one) right behind my back sitting around and chatting with each other and the school nurse. It's also her fault (as they often come to talk with her), that Super-Jesus, with her super-sweet-soft-friendly voice (even if you slap her in the face she wouldn't change).. Maybe I should ask them "how about some coffee? And maybe some cake?"... FUXX, that's a BLOODY SCHOOL, not the town's coffee shop!!!

[moolooman]

You can turn a blind eye. A wise man once told me (might have been a woman actually, I can't remember who it was) to choose my battles. You can't win them all.
You don't have to take them home, and your dealings with them is throwaway stuff. I wouldn't let the man get me down.

“Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established.”
- George Carlin

[himitsu]

So you would just stand it? Having those 13-year-old female rebels right behind you chatting bullshxx for more than 30 minutes?
I just exploded, they were finally leaving and my "fav" who was sitting on my co-ALT's chair rolled out of the room on the chair, and as yelling at her once didn't help, I angrily forced her physically to get off the chair. puh, that felt good... wonder if I'm gonna get told off by some teacher, but I don't really care for now.
For them school really is just a big playground... more boring than Disneyland, but more entertaining than the rest of the boring town.

[moolooman]

Go for a walk bro. Play Sudoku on your phone. If these little treasures see that what they are doing is riling you, they will continue it cause it's fun. Just think, you could be working in a retail menswear shop. See. Shit isn't so bad after all.

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

Wow, my teachers would put those punks right. I am so lucky with my lot of schools this year. My favorite is a kendo-bu hardcore budo guy.

He just yanks the kids around puts em up against walls and lays into them like an army drill instructor just screaming at the top of his lungs, spit-o-flying the whole deal until they breakdown and cry. (punk boys especially) LOVE LOVE LOVE him!

That being said, if the teachers allow that in your staff room then you have to allow it too. So take a walk.

[Paul]

Welcome to another installment of life in Japan's dysfunctional family known as compulsory or Junior High School Education.

[Otaku]

...just another typical hot day in the Super Biz Land.

I'd simply put headphones in, listen to music and surf the net.

[himitsu]

That being said, if the teachers allow that in your staff room then you have to allow it too.

I don't know how much it is about "allowing", it looks more like they don't have the guts to do anything about it. So I hope they follow my example next time (but I know it's probably wishful thinking..)

Yeah, I know I should just try to ignore it, but being an idealist, it's quite hard...

[Richard_BenoitEnglipedia Drone]

I don't know how much it is about "allowing", it looks more like they don't have the guts to do anything about it. So I hope they follow my example next time (but I know it's probably wishful thinking..)

If you get a sense that they are lacking in fortitude then I think you are right to lead by example "freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeedooooom!"

That's not so say that you will become a martyr for what you believe...just sayin....you never know.

[himitsu]

Few weeks ago, our JHS biggest furyo ran amok again. Two (normal) football club students had a fight (actually one, who was crying, was hit with a broom stick by the other one) and were in the teachers` room where some teachers were talking with them, and suddenly our baddie (also foorball club) slams the door open, rushes in screaming at the victim(!) and trying to attack him. 3 male teachers tried to stop him and were dragging him through the room towards the other exit, on the way he was kicking and hitting everything in the way and yelling at the teachers that it`s not their business (apparently it wasn`t his either, he was just using it as an excuse to freak out). After they finally managed to get him out of the room, you could still hear him for about 20 minutes hitting and kicking school inventory. Just another normal day in our madhouse..
Few days ago I asked a teacher if that incident had any consequences for him, but as suspected she said no, it can`t be helped. When I asked how teachers manage to keep their calm when he scream at them in their faces and freaks out like that, she said that they decided not to use violence against him (it`s not like they ever do with any student), because he often gets hit by his uncle. Talk about "trickle down effect".. you hit me, I hit him, he hits her.... how fair, everyone gets his share..
When I asked what about the other students, wouldn`t they be scared or disturbed, she said they understand that he is different and ignore him. Ok... I`m not really sure that a 13 year-old girl who sees a big violent student beating teachers, students, destroying things, will think "he`s different, I`ll just ignore him and everything`s fine"...