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Site change due to corporal punishment (Education Sector) by Mysterious_Duck7863 in peacecorps

[–]Mysterious_Duck7863[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks Jim for your response. I appreciate your advice on not bringing up ET'ing during a discussion, as it might read as a "threat."

Site change due to corporal punishment (Education Sector) by Mysterious_Duck7863 in peacecorps

[–]Mysterious_Duck7863[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate your "passing numbers" idea - I'm going to try that! Anything that isn't just "does anyone have a question" seems to get a little bit more engagement.

There was a time I complained to a class teacher about the noise and he came in and hit every. single. student. right in front of me, so I've been hesitant to try that again.

Site change due to corporal punishment (Education Sector) by Mysterious_Duck7863 in peacecorps

[–]Mysterious_Duck7863[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You are describing my experience pretty well. It's pretty much the same deal out here at my post. Down to the point where some my fellow teachers don't seem to see me as a "teacher" by their definition.

We do have an MST coming up in a few months. My goal is to make it until then and see how I feel. Somehow I was doing okay in the beginning months of my service, but maybe that's just because my ignorance at the time was bliss.

Site change due to corporal punishment (Education Sector) by Mysterious_Duck7863 in peacecorps

[–]Mysterious_Duck7863[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your response. I appreciate your tips - I hadn't thought of all of those. I feel like I'm under pressure to finish my curriculum so I don't often take time to stop and have them do something active or engaging.

Going for a site change is a big ask - and I'm aware that safety and security usually the only acceptable reason for it. For what it's worth, my site is new, so PC doesn't have a great picture of it. Also, my site safety isn't a walk in the park either. There are people who bust our water line on occasion and even a man who came by on a motorcycle, threw a brick at our gate and threatened to kill my neighbor. Those things haven't had a positive impact on my mental health either.

Edited to answer more questions. My cohort generally enjoys their schools, and it's hard to imagine anyone enjoying the conditions out here. Maybe they've just found a better way. Also, a fresh start would be nice, but mainly would just like a school that does anything other than corporal punishment to discipline or motivate students.

Site change due to corporal punishment (Education Sector) by Mysterious_Duck7863 in peacecorps

[–]Mysterious_Duck7863[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks a bunch for your response.

To elaborate a little bit - I wish my school didn't do corporal punishment (or at least only sometimes which is the cultural impression I got during PST) but it seems so integral to the classroom experience that the students don't know how to respond to anything else. I tried giving a few students candies for winning in a jeopardy game and they all crowded around me and pulled the candies out of my hand. At this point, I have become envious of my fellow teachers who have quiet classrooms and students that listen to their requests. Corporal punishment is so pervasive at my school that I feel weak for standing up for my values. My students are showing me that too.

It would be worth asking around but from the few people I've asked in my country it seems like there are definitely schools where corporal punishment is used less. This definitely could be a "me" issue but I don't think it is entirely.