Teaching Kids

[Johnlogic121]

Teaching kids can be a challenge sometimes. A few kids have behavioral problems, and some children have attention deficit disorder or hyperactivity. In simpler terms, some kids just misbehave and goof off in a karate class. They enter the dojo before bowing in and try to sidekick their classmates and pull the hair of the prettiest girl and punch everybody and so on and so on. How do you deal with misbehaving kids? This is a very open ended question, since the specific behavior can be as simple as not paying attention when giving instructions or as bad as actually fighting with other people inside or outside of class as a bully. Do any instructors have horror stories they can share? Does anybody have a helpful advice for keeping the undisciplined ones under control? How do you tell an earnestly concerned parent that 'little Johnny' is just plain disruptive? Have you every been forced to expel somebody under ten from the dojo? What if repeated words of correction seem to get no response from a kid who just wants attention, even if it is attention from being bad? Thanks, -JL

[Throwdown0850]

I got one, DONT train anyone under 16.. thats what my Judo instructor did.. but then of course, if it was like that for all places, they would probably lose half or more of their students...

[Dobbersky]

I find that 7 is a good age to begin its when they begin to acknowledge what they are doing needs to be treated with the respect it deserves.

Teaching children is an excellent reward, especially when you grade them or they come and tell you they stopped a bully using a technique they'd learnt in class.

The age that lacks most input I feel is the 14 to 17 age group, they're all too busy getting drunk smoking and getting into trouble (well they are where I live)

I think Martial Arts should be part of the high school curriculum as I am sure it would instil respect, which is missing in today’s culture.

Osu

[ps1]

I think there are just some people that can teach children well...and some that can not. In addition, not all kids respond well to the same things. Tony Rinaldi, the owner of the school where I currently train, may be the best children's instructor I've ever seen. That's in 23 years of training. But I never understand how.

Here's an example of what I mean: He teaches 3 and 4 year olds as well. In that class, a little kid was kinda making some noise while someone was performing their kata. I think the kid was sitting beside the mat and was slapping it. Anyway, Tony looked over at this little four year old and says, "If you slap that mat again I'm going to cut off your arm and keep it."

Most kids would probably cry about that. The kid just smiled and stopped. He wasn't upset...he just did what Tony said to do. Young children aren't usually able to understand sarcasm. But Tony says things like this all the time. He just understands them. If he wants them to line up properly and two kids are standing too close together, he'll look at the offending party and ask if he's trying to hold her hand. The kid moves away much better than if you told them to move over a little.

Anyhow, people like Tony are very rare. I think many people can work with kids. Very few people have the ability to work with any child that walks through the door.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

I've had pretty good success in teaching children. I actually like teaching them better than the adults. I have had very poorly misbehaving children, adhd children, add children, and mentally disabled children. You have to tread lightly when punishing the mentally disabled ones, but you have to make it look like you're not treading lightly so they don't get insulted or so other kids don't notice.

Usually the first time someone's being disruptive i usually say their name, and then say knock it off. or i address the class as a whole if a good portion of kids are doing it. sometimes i'll just stop all together and stare at them until they are finished and then proceed when they stop. This kind of brings an embarassing factor into for them without really truly embarassing them.

I find that physical punishments usually don't work, because kids always make a half you-know-what attempt at everything it usually isnt as physically grueling as it's supposed to be. Every now and then i'll do push ups, but only when i know they'll work. I have had to sit kids in the corner before for being spoken to multiple times. I've never had to expel anyone or talk to parents, but i've been close, recently actually. I don't think many instructors have had to come to that.

[ninjanurse]

Patience and perseverance.

[bushido_man96]

I find that keeping them focused and active is one of the best ways to avoid acting up. Of course, there are times when you just have to set a kid down, and then play a game with the rest of them, so that they learn a little bit.

[Rateh]

I've had pretty good success in teaching children. I actually like teaching them better than the adults. I have had very poorly misbehaving children, adhd children, add children, and mentally disabled children. You have to tread lightly when punishing the mentally disabled ones, but you have to make it look like you're not treading lightly so they don't get insulted or so other kids don't notice.

Usually the first time someone's being disruptive i usually say their name, and then say knock it off. or i address the class as a whole if a good portion of kids are doing it. sometimes i'll just stop all together and stare at them until they are finished and then proceed when they stop. This kind of brings an embarassing factor into for them without really truly embarassing them.

I find that physical punishments usually don't work, because kids always make a half you-know-what attempt at everything it usually isnt as physically grueling as it's supposed to be. Every now and then i'll do push ups, but only when i know they'll work. I have had to sit kids in the corner before for being spoken to multiple times. I've never had to expel anyone or talk to parents, but i've been close, recently actually. I don't think many instructors have had to come to that.

I do use push-ups. But I stand and watch them and every time they do a poor push-up I say "that one didn't count". I don't have to do that very often though, because once the students see that I won't let bad push-ups slide, they do them right. I've only had one parent complain that I was being to hard on their kid, which was rediculous because she behaved so I very rarely had her do push-ups outside of warm-ups. Most of the parents have been very happy with the discipline used in class, they LIKE their kids having to do push-ups for misbehaving, and having to do them correctly.

I think the main thing with kids is being very clear and consistant on the expectations, boundaries, and consequences.

[NewEnglands_KyoSa]

Yes, that is very true. I don't think i have the time or patience to stand over them and watch...so congrats on that!

Nor do i like the vision of me standing over a kid as they do push ups. I'm very careful with what i do because all the parents can see in, and lets just say i would not put it past all my parents to say that im being ridiculous, i don't have to make them repeat their crappy push ups, there's not need to stand over them, etc. and all that crap. granted i love most of the parents, some...ehhhh not so much.

But i wouldn't say i completely don't use them, and i do keep a watchful eye as they do them, and they must count loudly in korean, which is half the battle.

[Rateh]

Well I'm a 5'3" petite female....so I'm rather UNintemidating It would probably be different if I was a larger male. Then again I've seen some students respond automatically to larger males, where as I have to show them I'm serious by my actions before some of them will listen.