What to do with the kids' class Smart A*se?

angelica d · Orange Belt

Last Tuesday I was asked to teach several white belts, and I just wanted to share my experience and find out how the rest of you guys would have reacted.

I've only been doing karate for a year and a bit, so I'm not a very high grade even though I train at least three times a week. Of course I haven't had much teaching experience (only the odd beginner at my local club) to teaching a larger group was new for me.

The kids weren't used to being taught by a non- black/brown belt (it was only due to a shortage of higher grades that evening that I was called in) but most of them were very respectful...except one.

This one kid has a father who is a 4th kyu, and teaches him extra stuff after class, and yes he has progressed faster than the others. But when one of the kids addressed me as Sampai (assistant teacher, usually brownbelts) this other kid laughed and said 'she's not a sampai, shes just an orange belt'. This put me off, but I just told it didn't really matter now could we please carry on with the lesson.

As I was taking them through heian shodan, he kept saying stuff to me like, 'remember there's a kiai here' and 'no thats wrong, you move your front leg here' (BTW this was wrong!). At some points I felt like he was simply trying to contribute and let me know that he knew it, but other times it felt like he had no respect for me whatsoever and thought he could doit better than me. In the end I tried to ignore his comments but I was wondering how you guys would have reacted.

Would you have told him off, ignored him, or something else? Thanks for your input, I just know I'm going to have to teach him again soon and I want to be prepared!

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White Warlock · Black Belt

Well, first off i would have corrected him about being a sampai. While you are teaching them, you ARE a sampai.

After that, if the child continued with his behavior i would have inobtrusively taken him to the side and talked to him in private. Depending on the child, i would have either asked him if this is how he talks to his regular sampai (not a good route to take if he seems obstinate) or i would have directed him to not interrupt while you are instructing, as it confuses the other students. That if he had any disagreements with me, he could discuss it with me 'after' the class... not during.

If, after this private talk, he continued to misbehave, i would direct him to sit out the remainder of the session. I'm there to instruct, the students are there to learn... it's that simple.
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aefibird · Black Belt

What to do with him?

Hmm, here's a few suggestions - tie him to the back of a runaway horse, push him off a cliff, volunteer him to be Sensei's punchbag, tie him up by his belt and use him as a kickbag...

lol, even though you feel like doing all of those (and probably worse!), then the best thing to do would be to have a chat with your instructor and possibly talk to the kids father too. Let them know what happened and that you felt this kid was being disrespectful to you.

I'd have probably told him off and asked him to quit with the comments - he's here to train, not backchat, even if he believes that his comments are helpful. Would he do the same if Sensei was instructing? Probably not, so he shouldn't do it with you.

Next time you have to teach the little 'darling' then give a friendly warning to the whole group before you start and lay down some ground rules. No one is allowed to speak when you are, they must put their hands up to ask questions etc, anyone who misbehaves will have to do push ups or sit out part of the lesson or whatever punishment system you use at your club. Above all, let them know that you are in charge for the duration of the lesson - they must treat you as they would their regular sensei/sempai.

Good luck with the situation!

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renketsu · Orange Belt

We have a rule (whether its done anywhere else or not I dont know)... if you are asked to teach by the senior instructor then you are teaching on behalf of them with their grade.

This may sound a little wierd but it works for us... If I ever ask a brown belt to run the warm up whilst I talk to parents etc (you know how it gets sometimes) I always remind the class that whilst this brown belt is teaching he "assumes" my rank of 3rd Dan and they should treat him as they would treat me!

Embarassment is a good alternative if the other suggestions dont work... stop the class and get him to teach the kata in a loud authorative voice using japanese terminology and then ask him loads of questions... make him realise it is not an easy task

Andy.
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Andy Wilkinson (Sandan)
Renketsu Karate Club Senior Instructor
(http://www.renketsu.org.uk)

White Warlock · Black Belt

Mart · Green Belt

Humm, arent you meant to be a 2nd Dan to teach.
I might be wrong. I guess they are kids and im assuming they are all begginers, maybe this is ok then.

Get the kid to do pressups. Or pull him up in front of the class to do something you see him get wrong and show that as an example of how NOT to do it.
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ramymensa · Black Belt

In my dojo you can sometimes teach even if not a BB. It happens sometimes when we are many and work kata for instance. In order to have all people work their respective kata, some higher ranks are asked to take care of the beginners. I've done it quite some times and I must say it's quite unpleasant to have somebody put his nose in your work. I had my share of that, but I just let them know I was asked to warm up or show a combination or a kata, so it means I kinda know what I'm doing. I'm quite tall and work hard so they respect and fear me, though I wouldn't hit anyone with no reason.
It harder to work with a guy your age, who thinks he's the master of all living MA's. Kids are usually OK. They are younger than me and know I'm an adult. So it's OK. Guys my age are a problem sometimes, but when they get to know me and to work they kinda respect me. They see I could really do some damage and that they've got something to learn from me. It's like in a wolf pack. Let them know you've got sharp teeth and are not willing to take their *. And it should work

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TangSooGuy · Blue Belt

Well, I'll have to echo what other people have said. When you are put in charge you are IN CHARGE. So I definitely would have corrected the student and let him know in no uncertain terms that his 'feedback' was not welcome at this point.

I've actually had the problem in a different way: I was training in a class with a first Dan in charge while I was Third Dan. It was his assigned class, and I had just come in to get some training in. Any time he did anything he looked to me and asked permission first. It's good to have protocol and chain of command in place, but it was getting ridiculous, so I had to explain to him that when he is in front of the class, he is the teacher and I am the student, and that's how he should look at it. There's still a certain level of respect to be maintained, but it needs to go both ways. Hope that makes sense, i'm not sure I'm entirely awake...

DLopez · Purple Belt

angelica d,

I am an assistant instructor for the kids classes at our school, and I have had that exact thing happen a couple times early on when I first started teaching. It felt like when I was back in school whenever we got a substitute teacher - we tried to see what we could get away with or try to expose them as not being as smart as the regular teacher.

Well, yes, they were right that I wasn't as smart as our instructor, but I made it clear to them right away after the first couple incidences that, as a brown belt, I certainly knew more than they (mostly white and yellow belts), especially the material I was taking them through. I was simply firm, but not domineering towards them.

Our instructor overheard what I was telling them and came over and backed me up, lecturing them on how they had wasted valuable class time by not listening to me and making me have to explain myself, and that he was upset with them because "the number 1 most important idea in Kuk Sool Won is etiquette", and they were showing a disgraceful lack of it.

Perhaps you should ask your instructor to 'announce' something similar during the kids classes to nip any future occurences in the bud.

I don't know about this particular kid getting private lessons from someone other than your instructor. Does you instructor know about it or given his approval? I find that strange that he would be allowed to learn material beyond his rank.

Our instructor has made it clear that no one is to teach anyone else unless they have received his permission and approval. I am very careful that I only instruct and help out with the techniques the kids have already been taught by the instructor. I always ask what techniques they know, and if some of the kids don't know a particular technique, I do not teach it to them unless the instructor gives his 'OK'.
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Dean
Dahn Boh Nim - Black-Brown Belt
Kuk Sool Won
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die tomorrow." - James Dean

angelica d · Orange Belt

Thanks for all your ideas guys, it seems as if the general thought is that no way should I allow him to behave like this. I agree, its just a little tricky when his father is teaching another group right next to me. I guess I'm one of those people who doesn't like to upset anyone...then again I don't want to be a pushover either.

DLopez, I know what you mean about sub teachers at high school...once we had an awful sub teacher and the whole class pretended to be in a trance one day when she arrived! She ran out crying and never came back, I feel quite guilty about it even now!

As for the kid getting extra tuition, I agree its not on, as the other kids don't get this opportunity. Also, its probably this extra help that makes him feel superior. I wouldn't mind if he was simply practising at home - IMO thats great - but having extra lessons as soon as normal class is finished, right in front of the rest of the kids, isn't on. But hey, its not my place to say anything - yet.

Mart, as far as I know there's no rule to say you can't teach without being a 2nd dan. When we reach brown belt in my organisation we are obliged to take an instructor's qualification, but before then you can teach as an assistant instructor, if the instructor thinks you are capable.

Anyway I've got a driving lesson so I'll write more later

_________________
"Weaseling out of things is what separates us from the animals . . . except the weasel."
- Homer J Simpson

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