Interesting article in the LA Times about Americans learning Mandarin and some cultural differences in student behavior:

Robert Liu, who taught in China before coming to Venice High School, remembers his first two years in an American classroom with the benefit of hindsight. It was not an easy adjustment, he said. In China, “respect is the No. 1 thing. Students respect their teachers,” he said. Liu found a different paradigm here, where respect must be earned and teachers spend much of their time maintaining order.

“You have to quiet them down and find different activities to attract them or they will lose attention,” he said.

Maybe if he tried the Cartman approach?

Hey, I am a Cop! You will respect my authority!