SYEP. Mis-demeanors Policy and Procedures.

Misdemeanors Policy

Students will maintain a high degree of ethical behaviour according to Thai culture. The Thai culture expects students to show teachers a high degree of respect. Students are expected to be engaged in their learning and abide by the rules of good manners.

Procedures

Like all young people and some old they will try and push the limits of what is acceptable. This is a natural part of growing up. Most problems are rare, except for computer games, talking and late to class.

Remember; it is against Thailand Law to strike a student and or cause any form of physical pain. (if done with a ruler or book it is perceived as using a weapon). In Writing that I can not think of a single reason in 7 years of teaching here as to why I would want to use striking as a discipline measure.

Keep in mind some students start their day very early (4 - 5am) and do not get home till late a (8 - 9pm). Many also do evening lessons and extra classes on the weekends. Occasionally they will be performing below par and will need understanding rather than discipline.

Firstly check your environment?

Is it too hot or too cold?

Are the students relatively comfortable?

Are the displays neat and tidy?

Is the room clean?

Secondly check your curriculum.

Is the work too hard?

Do the students understand what is required? (Language is a big issue here)

Is the work relevant?

Have the students been introduced to the topic?

Thirdly use class room management techniques.

With a low level misdemeanor be sure to use low level management techniques it is very important to keep the reaction to a misdemeanor at an appropriate level. Loud strong emotional reactions at this time will be inappropriate and will make the teacher loose credibility. Remember what works in one culture does not always work in another.

Examples that do not stop your class room delivery. Breaking your delivery can sometimes get other students unsettled. (there are many more possibilities)

Pointing but not breaking step with your classroom delivery.

Holding hand out to pick up mobile phone without eye contact while talking to class. If it is not working then use eye contact.

Examples requiring eye contact and a more stern body language. (there are many more possibilities)

Use appropriate humour to make a joke of the issue and then get on with class activities. Inappropriate humour or behaviour management techniques, contains sarcasm and put downs.

Using eye contact, with a slight shake of the head.

Give a direction by pointing while maintaining eye contact.

Mimic the behaviour, laugh and say something like 'most likely not appropriate in a class room'.

The Three Step Procedure may be needed on very rare occasions.

This has proven to be highly successful if procedures are rigidly maintained.

First warning is. 'If you keep doing this behaviour, I will shift you to another seat'.

Second warning is. 'You have elected to keep doing this behaviour, so you must shift to another seat'.

Third warning is. 'You have elected to keep doing this behaviour you must leave the room and sit with a staff member in the office'. (no staff member then sit outside the room) Exit should be for about 10 to 15 minutes and is a time of reflection for the student. Student then makes up the lost class time during lunch breaks.

Finally if these do not work for you and the student is still creating issues for you inform the Thai Teachers and discuss with colleague teachers. The current Thai teachers are very good at making student behaviour problems go away.

Some examples of misdemeanors are;

Not doing homework.

Warning. - Keep students in at lunch time to finish work. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Being late with assignments.

Warning. - Keep students in at lunch time to finish work. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Continuously talking.

Three step procedure. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Playing with computers at inappropriate times.

Warning - confiscate computer till end of lesson. longer on repeat offences - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Rude comments. (very rare).

Three step procedure. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Refusing to do an activity in class. (rare)

Warning - Three step procedure. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Late to class.

Warning. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Too long at the toilet.

Warning. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Mobile phone out in class.

Warning. / Three step procedure. Confiscate phone till end of lesson. longer on repeat offences - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

Eating in class.

Warning. Three step procedure. - Keep students in at lunch time. - repeated offences, Thai teacher or supervisor talk to and/or email home to parents, office staff have addresses.

A note from Kru Brett - I found teaching these students very rewarding. With the few issues I had to deal with I discovered they were very easy to rectify and dealt with nearly all issues at a class room level using body language and humour. In many cases I had to tone my western behaviour management down as it was too intense for the situations. Some teachers resorted to the Three Step Procedure on rare occasions and the problems were rectified with little stress.