There are about four of my Matyom 1 classes that are complete nightmares. Individually, each student is the sweetest thing, but when 50 are combined, they unite into one deafening and untameable beast.
I had such a class yesterday afternoon, 1/8. My lesson was extremely basic, we were just going to learn some new vocabulary, do some choral drilling and then a worksheet.
I began the lesson as I had with every other class this week, and it was an utter cacophony. The spacing of the desks splits the class into thirds, and the third on the right is entirely made up of boys. They are literally unamanageable. Everything I tried simply did not work. I finally got fed up and kicked about 15 of them out. They all laughed and and thought this whole thing was a big joke. Every classroom has two doors, one near the front and one near the back. Of course they are all run down, and do not properly shut. So the moment the boys were out one door, they were running back in through the other door. In this kind of situation, I have absolutely no control. My voice is drowned out, every ounce of energy I put in is deflected and flies out the window.
Now I had had issues but never this many students being so disrespectful. So I grabbed the ring leader by his tiny little shoulders and brought him down to my office, where I found P' Ai, one of the most senior teachers. I told her that they were being completely disrespectful and he was the worst of them, screaming and shaking his butt in my face. Woooowee she layed into him with unabashed anger. After a few minutes of scolding, we all walked back up to the class, where she called up every single boy to the front. She had the girls point out which boys were not involved and she slowly wittled down the pile to about 5 (there were definitely more involved but I wasn't going to stir the pot anymore). She yelled at them some more, and had them literally prostrate themselves at my feet. They all bowed 3 times, like the full forhead to the ground kind of bow reserved for kings and priests.
After that, I thanked her and she left. Thinking this encounter should have shaken them up, I began telling them how they need to respect me and when I ask them to be quiet, that they must do it. And what do ya know, as I was saying this, i was interupted with "teacha, teacha!" And I said **** it, this is a lost cause. Fortunately most of them completed the worksheet, even the little hellions causing the main ruckus.
One of my coworkers who had heard the scolding, told me that P 'Ai had asked for the boy's parent's phone number, and he told them they had moved to Bangkok to find work and it all made so much sense. That little boy just wants love and attention from his parents, which he is clearly not getting, and seeks it out at school.
This is a reality for many students. Isaan is the poorest region in Thailand, and many people cannot make a living here. A majority of the sex workers in Bangkok come from North Eastern Thailand. I have a lot of empathy for that little turd, but he must learn that there are other ways to release his frustration, and being difficult during class is negative for everyone involved.
I had such a class yesterday afternoon, 1/8. My lesson was extremely basic, we were just going to learn some new vocabulary, do some choral drilling and then a worksheet.
I began the lesson as I had with every other class this week, and it was an utter cacophony. The spacing of the desks splits the class into thirds, and the third on the right is entirely made up of boys. They are literally unamanageable. Everything I tried simply did not work. I finally got fed up and kicked about 15 of them out. They all laughed and and thought this whole thing was a big joke. Every classroom has two doors, one near the front and one near the back. Of course they are all run down, and do not properly shut. So the moment the boys were out one door, they were running back in through the other door. In this kind of situation, I have absolutely no control. My voice is drowned out, every ounce of energy I put in is deflected and flies out the window.
Now I had had issues but never this many students being so disrespectful. So I grabbed the ring leader by his tiny little shoulders and brought him down to my office, where I found P' Ai, one of the most senior teachers. I told her that they were being completely disrespectful and he was the worst of them, screaming and shaking his butt in my face. Woooowee she layed into him with unabashed anger. After a few minutes of scolding, we all walked back up to the class, where she called up every single boy to the front. She had the girls point out which boys were not involved and she slowly wittled down the pile to about 5 (there were definitely more involved but I wasn't going to stir the pot anymore). She yelled at them some more, and had them literally prostrate themselves at my feet. They all bowed 3 times, like the full forhead to the ground kind of bow reserved for kings and priests.
After that, I thanked her and she left. Thinking this encounter should have shaken them up, I began telling them how they need to respect me and when I ask them to be quiet, that they must do it. And what do ya know, as I was saying this, i was interupted with "teacha, teacha!" And I said **** it, this is a lost cause. Fortunately most of them completed the worksheet, even the little hellions causing the main ruckus.
One of my coworkers who had heard the scolding, told me that P 'Ai had asked for the boy's parent's phone number, and he told them they had moved to Bangkok to find work and it all made so much sense. That little boy just wants love and attention from his parents, which he is clearly not getting, and seeks it out at school.
This is a reality for many students. Isaan is the poorest region in Thailand, and many people cannot make a living here. A majority of the sex workers in Bangkok come from North Eastern Thailand. I have a lot of empathy for that little turd, but he must learn that there are other ways to release his frustration, and being difficult during class is negative for everyone involved.
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