When kids don’t want to be there

Mary says:

OK. So he doesn’t like English and he gets bored in class. What DOES he like? Why don’t you try to find out what he is interested in? You might establish a connection there… Does he play a musical instrument? Is he keen on anime? Does he like playing football? There are so many activities you might prepare (or find, the internet is just full of ready-made worksheets) using this information to your advantage (that is, the kid finally paying attention and participating actively). I had the same problem with a 10-year old boy whose face finally lit up when we did maths in English, he just loves numbers and everything that has to do with science, so I try to introduce some science funfacts or to do arithmetic every week. Good luck!

Lesley Koustaff says:

You have my sympathies! This is a tricky situation indeed, but one that can be handled. This is what I do and have had success with over the many years I have taught children. It involves a series of talks about acceptable and not acceptable behavior in class between you and the Ss, you and the parents, the parents and their children, and the Ss amongst themselves. I always set a few rules like: Don’t bother anyone. Respect things in the classroom. etc I say, “You are in my home. It’s important to respect my property. How would you feel if someone came into your room and messed with your things?” It is important that Ss understand the reason for the rules. Children are smart – they get it. Both parents and Ss need to understand that if they are coming into your home, then your property needs to be respected. This is not unreasonable. Also, once rules have been set, and they are understood by Ss and parents, I write them on a poster so they are visible in class. I then ‘enforce’ them with consequences appropriate to the infraction. As Ss know the rules, you can simply say “What rule are you breaking?” It is then between the rule and the S, not you and the S, so this reduces confrontation. An important thing in this scenario is that you are willing to walk away from a S who shows continual disrespect to you and the other Ss, thereby continually disrupting class. I always tell my Ss that I am there to help them, and the easier they make it for me to help them, the more I am able to help them. I also say, “We will be together for this hour every week, so let’s all do our best to behave well during this time together so we can learn. Isn’t it nice if you walk out of class knowing more than when you walked in?”
I have often found that this continual bad behavior is a cry for attention, and once the S realizes that the bad behavior brings no attention other than fleeting attention for the consequence, it stops. In one case I spoke to a child I knew was troubled. I told him that I knew there was a great little boy inside and i wanted to see him. I asked him why I never got to see that little boy. I asked him if the next week he would be willing to show me that little boy. I told him that would make me very happy. Next class when he came I told him I was looking forward to having him in class. Worked like a charm.
As I said, this is what I do and have done, and may not work for everyone. It also depends on what your thoughts are about speaking to Ss in their native language. For rule setting I use their native language as it is important that they understand what the rule was and why it is important. I have the rules written in both English and native language.