I once had a student who would purposely ignore me at the start of lessons:
Me: Hi, Tom! How are you?
Student: …
Me: Tom, can you hear me?
Student: …
Father: Tom, answer him!
Student: I’m good.
Me: I’m glad to hear that, but next time please answer me when I greet you.
This behavior continued in future lessons. I stayed patient and gave him time to improve, but eventually, I had to report the issue to my supervisor. I was relieved that I had months of evidence—along with confirmation from his father—so I could explain the situation objectively. If I had gotten frustrated early on and simply blamed the student, my supervisor might not have supported me.
It’s also important to remember cultural differences. In many Asian cultures, avoiding conflict is encouraged. As teachers, the more we can adopt a calm, patient approach, the more successful we’ll be. But if you do need to escalate an issue, make sure you’ve been patient, professional, and collected clear evidence before involving parents or supervisors.
Takeaway: Don’t be quick to blame students or parents. Stay patient, keep records, and only escalate when you have clear evidence. This will strengthen your credibility and protect your professional reputation.