Difference in Disciprine

What is discipline like in a Chinese school? Unfortunately, it's hard for most foreign teachers to describe because most of it goes on behind the scenes. We foreign teachers control our classes in a way similar to the way we would in our home countries, but there is a definite level of respect given to teachers here that is completely absent in the US. Some of this respect is probably due to societal differences in the value of education, but I think a large part of it is also due to the discipline at Chinese schools. It is very rare for a Chinese student to misbehave in class or challenge the authority of a teacher. On the rare occasions when a student causes a problem in class, he/she is immediately taken to the Chinese teacher's office. Now I have no idea what the Chinese teachers say or do to the students, but the students always return regretful and obedient. It's weird and a little unnerving actually.

Anyways, I had two students come in 5-10 minutes late to my first period class today. Normally, when students are late I have them do some sort of minor punishment (that usually involves teaching me some Chinese). Today their Chinese head teacher caught them coming in late and yanked them out of the class. They were gone the entire period and only returned at the very end. I asked what had happened and they said that they were in trouble for being late. I asked what happened when you got in trouble for being late and apparently if you are late your punishment is to stand outside the entire period (keep in mind that we're in the middle of winter). I can only imagine what would happen if an American teacher forced students to stand out in the cold without their jackets for an hour because the students were late...

Chinese disciprine.

- Jon
P.S. Emma has told me that my intentional misspellings of discipline are confusing. It was just meant as a little inside joke for those South Park followers out there...