Hello everyone. This is my first time posting, so I hope I can get some help. I'm an Engish teacher at a private school in Zhengzhou China and I teach children from the ages of 2-5. I understand the principles at work as regards introducing languages to children this young...I am not teaching, so much as playing and encouraging English usage. It's not formal instruction, but graduate development. That being said, I am having a terrible time with one class where I feel like pulling my hair out. I have taken over for another teacher who has gone home unexpectedly because of health reasons. This teacher also replaced another teacher who left abruptly about six months before she left me in charge. I teach these children for a half day, 2 1/2 hour period, wherein they recieve a bassic lesson which involves a story and an activity, with lots of play time and interaction.
This one class is incredibly badly behaved. Many of them throw, hit, scream, cry and run around or specifically, away, when I attempt to bring them over to have their snack/lunch/water break. Some cry very easily and whatever I do to try and help doesn't work. One child, Sarah is her English name, does have social issues with other children and often plays by herself or cries when she wants to play with other children and they ignore her. As you can guess, this results in crying and wailing. Today drove me to the breaking point wherein an activity was completely a bust becuase one child decided to reach across the table and ri[ up some others cut outs. I am good at maintaining my composure in class, but I tell ya, I can't wait to go back to my classes in September. Does anyone have some ideas for me? I'm really at the end of my rope here.
Cheers
Frustrated in China
This one class is incredibly badly behaved. Many of them throw, hit, scream, cry and run around or specifically, away, when I attempt to bring them over to have their snack/lunch/water break. Some cry very easily and whatever I do to try and help doesn't work. One child, Sarah is her English name, does have social issues with other children and often plays by herself or cries when she wants to play with other children and they ignore her. As you can guess, this results in crying and wailing. Today drove me to the breaking point wherein an activity was completely a bust becuase one child decided to reach across the table and ri[ up some others cut outs. I am good at maintaining my composure in class, but I tell ya, I can't wait to go back to my classes in September. Does anyone have some ideas for me? I'm really at the end of my rope here.
Cheers
Frustrated in China