How to be more patient? and how to solve the following problems?

[clare]

How to be more patient?
Today, two students made me angry even though I tired to control, l lost my temper. Yesterday, I said to the class I had a good idea to practice their speaking and to create an English learning atmosphere in classroom, that is the students on duty need to give the class a presentation before the start of the class and this is the way I used for some years. They told me they understood. So today when I came into the classroom I found nobody would give us the duty report, so I said “who is on duty today? I repeated it many times, nobody answered me and I thought they were too shy ,but I heard two boys said in whispers in Chinese “we don’t understand you, we don’t know English , we just can understand Chinese, so I repeated the question in Chinese again and again, still nobody stand up. I became angry, then the two boys stood up slowly with “smiles” on their faces. Suddenly, I lost my temper and I got very angry. I switched to Chinese and said a lot to criticize them and gave the class a very serious warning- in the future learning, if you don’t listen to me, don’t follow me, please get out of the classroom and get out of this school. I dislike the students who are not serious with the teacher’s orders.
But in the later teaching, I tried to calm down and gave them lesson patiently in English. They gave me a very good response.
After class, I felt uncomfortable, when I was driving home, I thought it all the way. How could I make myself more patient? How to interpret the students’ response in class? How to recognize whether they are friendly or not? What should I do to make this kind of students interested in English learning? Or should give them up? Actually speaking, there are a few students know nearly nothing about English even though they are now senior four. Once a boy asked a silly question in front of the class “how many letters in English? It made me and all the students burst into laugh. What should I do?

[mr_don]

Clare,

This is a great question. First I would say, don't be too hard on yourself. The fact that you are not please with the way you handled the situation shows you have a tender heart for your students. Forgive yourself so you can move on to a good solution. Let me ask you, "If you could go back to that class and be faced with the same situation again, how would you want to handle it differently?"

[clare]

Dear Mr Don,
For your question, I have been thinking it seriously. Actually after I went home that day, I was very unhappy and I was even angry with Joseph even though it was not his fault. Later I talked with him and I tried to calm down and tried to forget it. The next day, when I was at school, after the class, I needed some boys to help me to hand out some reference books to the class, to my surprise, the exact two boys came to me and gave me a hand without my requesting. I relived and moved. I totally forgave them; after all, they are students. I even thought I was too fussy about my students. In this sense, I really think I should not to be too hard to my students and to myself. Thanks for your advice.
If I came across this same situation again in classroom, I would like to deal with it differently. I will write the sentence on the blackboard –who is on duty today? And give them an example about how to make a morning report—say something that the students on duty should do. At the same time encourage them to have a try next time. And I need to make sure who will be on duty tomorrow and tell him or her what she or he needs to do tomorrow.
One thing I misunderstood the two boys is that the have no hostility to me. For their reflection that day, now I think it is because of the embarrassment and the afraid of losing faces in public.
But I still keep speaking English in my class no matter how many complains I get, I hope they can get used to it and what I need to do is to speak slowly and clearly and patiently until they can understand me. It is not only for my students but also for my own pursuit for English.
I hope you won’t be tired about my long letter. Thanks for your help.

Clare

[Jack Hauschildt]

Hi Clare,
I have gotten very angry in class before, also. I think every teacher has. I think it is important when I make a mistake or get angry to apologize to my class for losing it. I ask the class to forgive me. I think the class appreciates your honestly with them.
I had an idea for what you should do for the duty report but I think you already came up with it. You should meet with the student who is on duty for the day and go through in English what he/she needs to say. The will give the person confidence about doing it.
Hope it goes better for you this week. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day--it may take several attempts before your students get the hang of doing things in English.
Jack

[clare]

Hi, Jack,
Thank you for your advice and I will try to adjust my teaching method. Today is Tuesday, I want to follow your suggestion and have a try. Yesterday, I asked for a leave because of my illness. This afternoon, I will go to school a little bit early and have a short talk with the students on duty so to give him or her confidence and encouragement.
Yes , we need to be more patient to our students just like what you said the Rome was not built in one day. I believe that my students will follow me and get the satisfied mark in the coming entrance examination. That is to say, I need to be self-confident and give my students confidence.
Clare!

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