I've heard that Korean teachers hit their students, although I have yet to see it in action, but I did see an interesting disciplining technique in class this morning. 2 of the 5th grade boys started fighting (not like the fights we're used to at Millennium High School... I'm talking about a little tiff about a pencil or something.) Stella stared them down and told them to stand up and close their eyes and think about what they (themselves) did wrong! The 2 boys, with tears in their eyes and looks of utter embarassment, stood by their desks for 10 minutes with their eyes closed. When they were allowed to sit back down, they were absolute angels!
So, rule of thumb - Forget sending them to the principal's office... just have them stand up and shut their eyes!