Uncontrollable students

[DDB83]

I'm a male kindergarten teacher in China with 14 years experience. I'm TEFL qualified but have no teacher training experience.

I'm the most experienced teacher at my school and it's apparent that my school, in their wisdom, gave me the naughtiest class again with the more 'important' parents.

I have a class of 40 students, 26 boys and 14 girls. The majority of the girls are angels and a pleasure to teach. I have a few boys who are also a pleasure as they want to learn and enjoy being in school.

However, the rest of the boys are making my life a living hell. It seems all the want to do is be the class clown, disrupt class and disrespect me. I respect my co-teachers as they can control the class. However, when they're not around and I'm alone with the students they see it as party time and find it hilarious when I'm losing my cool.
Furthermore, my co-teachers are reluctant to speak with their parents about it as they're 'important' and not to be upset.


I accept that that my failings as a teacher is my biggest issue and I'm trying to improve. However, it's starting to affect my health now as I have crippling anxiety, cannot sleep, miserable and I'm constantly angry.

Is anyone else having similar issues? Thanks.

[Wendy1969]

I'm a male kindergarten teacher in China with 14 years experience. I'm TEFL qualified but have no teacher training experience.

I'm the most experienced teacher at my school and it's apparent that my school, in their wisdom, gave me the naughtiest class again with the more 'important' parents.

I have a class of 40 students, 26 boys and 14 girls. The majority of the girls are angels and a pleasure to teach. I have a few boys who are also a pleasure as they want to learn and enjoy being in school.

However, the rest of the boys are making my life a living hell. It seems all the want to do is be the class clown, disrupt class and disrespect me. I respect my co-teachers as they can control the class. However, when they're not around and I'm alone with the students they see it as party time and find it hilarious when I'm losing my cool.
Furthermore, my co-teachers are reluctant to speak with their parents about it as they're 'important' and not to be upset.


I accept that that my failings as a teacher is my biggest issue and I'm trying to improve. However, it's starting to affect my health now as I have crippling anxiety, cannot sleep, miserable and I'm constantly angry.

Is anyone else having similar issues? Thanks.

I have these types of problems too when teaching Chinese students of other nationalities outside China as recent as few years ago. It had put me off teaching to them. I can understand your predicament. First and foremost, Asian culture or specifically Chinese workplace culture can be extremely abusive and oppressive. I was one of their victims. I was inexperienced, timid and subject to abusive outbursts from other more senior or more experienced Chinese teachers. It was a nightmare. Till today, I still have nightmare thinking about it. At that time, I did not know that their Chinese culture can be extremely cruel to us who were not important part of their system. At that time, I was financially struggling and and they saw it and saw my desperate need to earn a pittance as a way to bully me to the max.
Now, I just avoid Chinese, regardless whether they are Chinese Australians or whatever nationalities, I kind keep a fair distance from them due to my horrible experience with them in many parts of Asia and other parts of the world. I think the rise of China contribute to their abusive mess and contempt for us who were not as well off as them. I was shocked because I grew up among their Chinese's communities and though I did have many bad experience in their Chinese communities, the worst experience was during teaching them English.
Now, it too gave me constant anxiety and feeling constantly angry about it. I was also harassed by some extremist Chinese who saw my criticism of their horrible Chinese communities as unacceptable.

[Wendy1969]

Addressing uncontrollable behavior in students requires a holistic approach, encompassing understanding, communication, and support. Cultivating a positive and inclusive learning environment, promoting open dialogue, and implementing effective discipline strategies can empower students to manage their emotions and contribute to a more harmonious educational experience for everyone involved.

I agree with that - but, many a times, Asians, specifically e.g in an a culturally challenging Chinese infested environment where the Chinese students, who (with their ‘rise’ of China and their so-called economic ‘superiority’) think they have an upper hand in bullying and intimidating a disadvantaged. poor. timid, female teacher, i.e. myself, it can be a futile exercise and frustrating trying to communicate with them. Furthermore, many a times, I noted they only understand very fierce Chinese language from their own Chinese speaking teachers.

[ashvaganda]

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[Aarna785]

In challenging cultural environments, such as those heavily influenced by Chinese students who may perceive economic superiority, communication hurdles can be daunting.story saver As a disadvantaged, timid female teacher, I've faced frustration in attempting to engage with them. Often, they seem to respond only to assertive communication in their native language, highlighting the complexities of cross-cultural interaction in educational settings.

[Wendy1969]

In challenging cultural environments, such as those heavily influenced by Chinese students who may perceive economic superiority, communication hurdles can be daunting.story saver As a disadvantaged, timid female teacher, I've faced frustration in attempting to engage with them. Often, they seem to respond only to assertive communication in their native language, highlighting the complexities of cross-cultural interaction in educational settings.

Yes, indeed. It can be even made worse if one is inexperienced or if one have to teach in a chaotic, mixed level group of primary students who may have very little exposure to English when they were younger, or having to engage students who come from a totally different culture/background and expectation.
One also have to consider the fact that many of them think their first language (eg Mandarin) is much more important to them and are only merely learning English, not out of real interest or shared heritage. Many of them may also resent having to learn English, which is not their native language. I think every TEFL teachers need to research further on this matter.