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Q: How can I punish my students?
I teach Senior 1's, average age is 14-15 years old.
Sometimes they're unbelievably unruly, what with 45 of them in the same class. For the most part it's simply bottled up enthusiasm that they release in the 'fun class', and most of the time it's positive energy, however sometimes it's over the line.
What methods have others teaching used to punish students?
For example, one of them threw out the F bomb in class. What should I do next time?
12 years 43 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
If one of them has dropped the F bomb, the best thing to do is ignore it. Kids that age are just saying it to get a reaction; they know it's a bad word in this foreign language, and don't quite understand the implications it has. They will learn with time.
However, if a kid (or kids) repeatedly say it and it starts to disrupt the lesson, just get them to leave the class. My policy is 'You mess about, you get out'. I've not got the time or patience to teach kids who don't want to learn, so they can get out of my classroom.
Whatever you do, don't do this:
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTY1NjAxNzk2.html
The "phone book" method is the best, according to acquaintances in Abanam, Iowa. It is more suitable for less than 13yr old kids, though.
Or you can try and threaten to falcon punch them (of course you would never do it 
hihihi), it should scare them enough to stay calm.
Remember, teaching is all about mutual respect. You're here to teach, not to waste time on getting their achtung. You need to be swift and efficient on that part. You're not there to make friends, you're there to halp them become better in english.
cool video. Chinese kids are cool when it comes to making issues
1=SET THE RULES:
you need to set some standards and rules in the class. you make a chart clear stating each rule and with each rule broken or disobey write some punishments. make sure every student can understand it easily and they know what you mean exactly. make them understand in their own language.
2= ENFORCE THE RULES:
as far as you are teacher so you do have some authority in the class and in the school. if the students disobey with out any fear punish them and tell them which rule they have broken. make it a lesson for other student as well. let the other student know it what happened exactly.
3= MODEL YOURSELF:
you are a teacher. teacher are the only people who make and change the character of the students. so present your self in such a manner so that they can respect you. do not make them to respect you by force or by extra punishing. this will create negative personality in the students. so present yourself as a role model.
4= CONSISTENCE AND PERSISTENCE.
you should be consistent and persistent about every rule and punishment. be positive whenever you think the situation is getting out of control. keep yourself calm. the most important believe yourself that you can DO IT and you can make the change.
take a test or have some questions from the naughty students, punish them for not giving you correct answers if possible the entire class for it. from the student you need to do emotional black-mailing with kids in positive way but in a real cool way so that they can not get what exactly you want to do.
The old "make everyone pay for 1 person's offense" works wonders. The students might not think it's fair for everyone in the class to write 100 times "I will not use profane language in class", just because one boy said "F**K", DO it anyway. You can bet the next time one of them uses a word like that, or breaks another rule...and you threaten the writing again, they will keep each other in line! Self-Governance! I did that all the time in all levels of school... No one like to write lines. So if someone is acting up.. just start writing the proposed sentence on the board.. and they usually straighten up really quickly!
Just keep showing up for work, that should be punishment enough. lol
Just set the rules early on!
Don't be too nice when you first start teaching, keep a little distant and impose the rules, show that you mean to go by them!
If your boat doesn't sink during the first 2-3 weeks, they should have the hang of what to expect afterwards...
if you're past that, allow the ones in the back to do something else as long as they shut up and let you teach the ones you truly are motivated to learn!
If that fails, report them to the director...nothing worse for those kids than being punished by their own parents!
Take out a long ruler and ask them for there hand - Whaaaacckkk!
Wow, Ludovico's video is a little scary...
thanks for the advice people! I've started implementing some of them, and so far what works best is punishing the class when someone does something really stupid. It's worked very well so far, to the point they yell at each other if one of them is out of line!
