Did I Just Make a Prison Analogy?

Grading papers…and I came across one that I literally had to stop what I was doing to share.

First, a little back story.

I am insanely lenient and indulgent with my classes…mostly because they are really fantastic kids, smart, sweet.  But last week was not good for two of my classes.  They were not on their best behavior and, what's worse, is many did not even try the assignment.  I really like when my classes come in and are talkative and energetic (I know, I know, that is not the Korean way to conduct a class), but I love the good energy that my students bring.  And really, the only thing I ask of them is that they try their best.  They don't have to be perfect or write epic prose, but I just want the effort.

Anyway, I didn't get that from two of my classes last week.  So, I decided that before it gets out of hand I would have hold a (as we say in the South) "come to Jesus meeting" with them.  I made list of the things I wanted to talk about and took to my co-teacher to ask for help talk to them.  He took the list and said he would take care of it.  I meant for it to be combined effort, but I can't complain.  Whatever he said put the fear of God into them.

They were so good this week!  I mean seriously GOOD this week.  Some even apologized for being naughty.  They looked so sad I had to tell them that I still love them and this a was a second chance and we will start over from here.

But to drive my point home, I made those two classes re-do the assignment from last week.  Not exactly fair to those who were good and did the work, but effective.  One of my students wrote:

      "Actually I write on this letter twice because a lot of my classmates do not conduct this work therefore foreign teacher seems to be angry.  I'm really sorrowful to her."

So sweet!  And that is one of my best and favorite students.

Apparently teaching is like prison…errr, I've never been to prison, but I have been told that if I ever go to prison on the first day pick a fight with the biggest, meanest person there to gain respect and have others leave you alone.  Teaching school you have to be mean and strict the with biggest, worst behaved class to get all the others to fall in line.