::A Geek in Korea::

This is the first full week of the “No Homework, Detention” policy. I’m still going to classes that have yet to be made aware of the change since last week. Now when I walk into class, students that have had me previously this week have their homework out, ready to be check. Students that haven’t yet seen me in class get defensive, argumentative, and then need to bring in outside confirmation that I’m not just lying about the change.

Today, I had to explain to one of my classes that has rampant homework problems why all but two students would be staying in detention. Students gave me a long list of excuses why they should have to stay after.

“I forgot my homework.”

“Detention.”

“I didn’t know what the homework was.”

“Check the website, read your notes, check with other students. Detention.”

“I have classes after this. I must leave exactly at this time.”

“Detention. Talk to the Director about changing the class time.

The student that started this last argument is usually just an annoying, noisy student. He never does his work, but never wants to be punished. I told him if he got the homework finished, he could avoid punishment. He then filled his entire paper with nonsense and tried to say he had completed it. I erased all of his answers, told him he had detention, and wouldn’t hear another appeal.

He started to cry.

This is something my class is used to, because another student in class, Test Anxiety Boy, usually cries once a week for some period of time in class. The student crying today was Test Anxiety Boy’s friend. He started crying, sobbing, and slobbering all over himself. The students next to him complained they couldn’t study with me because he was so noisy. I knew he was trying the sympathy card, so I sent him out to talk to the director.

The director came in and absolutely crushed any appeal. She said to the students, “The teacher in class has the absolute last word. Do not try to get out of what they say. If they say you have detention, you are staying here. I’m not going to disagree with what they tell you, so don’t even bother.”

Awesome. She had my back 100%.

So, the crying, wailing, and moaning about the detention continued by this single boy for another ten minutes. He was entirely over the top, but had worked himself up to such a degree he couldn’t stop. The waterworks were really flowing. Test Anxiety boy was laughing at him. “Ha ha, why are you crying so much? It’s only a detention. You’ll be fine. It’s not worth crying about.”

I was astounded that a boy that will cry over missing a single question was admonishing his friend about crying. I told him he should probably stop speaking that way. The secretary entered the room and seconded my concern. She said, “Of all the people to talk, you can’t be saying this! Everyone knows you cry all the time! Why would you be so mean to him?”

She had entered the class with the students vocabulary tests. Failing the vocabulary tests results in a detention as well. The secretary then read off all the students that failed their vocabulary tests. In a karmic twist of epic proportions, Test Anxiety Boy failed his test by one question.

When the secretary read his name, everyone in the entire class took a deep breath and turned to watch the student break down. He had already covered his face and had balled up his fist. Everyone in the class was like, “No way! He’s going to start crying now too!? What’s going on!” The girl sitting next to him was trying to comfort him, but it was too late, he had already started bawling.

Test Anxiety Boy showed his friend how to REALLY cry. He started hyperventilating, and then had to run out of class to dry heave in the bathroom. Twice. He came back with blood red eyes from the heaves. He couldn’t sit in his chair because he kept bending over as he sobbed. Between the two students, no one else could learn a damn thing, so I packed up the class early and let them prepare for their detention. In total, 90% of the class was going to stay behind. Only one student escaped detention. It was a new record.

It was easily the worst class I’ve had at the school in a year. No one got anyone done, and I was being held hostage by a crying child. Even sending the students out of class wouldn’t work, because they just didn’t stop. It was a total disaster.

The next class was only moderately better, with only 50% of the class going home on time, and another big fight about homework needing to be clarified to the lazier students. It’s getting pretty ridiculous.