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In this unit we learn about classroom management. We look at different ways one can arrange a classroom. How to group students according to the needs of the lesson you are going to teach. This unit also deals with reasons for problem behavior within a lesson. We look at ways a teacher’s body language can be used to communicate ideas about language as well as to reinforce instructions. A teacher’s physical presence and voice plays a major role in classroom management. Knowing how to use this properly will lead to a better and productive class sessions. Physical presence includes the teacher’s overall appearance or presentation, movements, proximity, gestures, contact with students, and most importantly eye contact. Good eye contact is necessary if a teacher wants the involvement of all the students. A teacher should be able to maintain eye contact when necessary because some students may feel uncomfortable with eye contact. Eye contact is also useful to ensure that students have understood the instructions and lessons, indicate who is to speak, check that everyone is participating in class, maintain discipline. To signal the start or end of an activity, also to encourage class participation. Gestures or body language are also a great help to teachers, especially those who are teaching beginner classes. Actions help in conveying meaning to the students. Gestures can also add visual interest and reduce the need for unnecessary TTT. Moreover, body language can be used to increase the pace or speed of a lesson and help in managing the class. The most powerful tool a teacher can have is his/her voice. The voice can sometimes become the deciding factor in the effectiveness of a teacher in managing a class. A teacher’s voice should have the correct clarity, volume, range, variety and projection to ascertain the effective delivery of a lesson. Teachers should know when to speak loudly in class and when to enjoy some quiet time too. They have to make sure that they are heard by the students seated at the back, but it doesn’t mean that they have to speak with a loud voice all the time. The most important thing is to be audible but not necessarily loud. We look at the best seating arrangement for a class, and the advantages and disadvantages of the various seating plans There are many seating arrangements that teachers can implement in their classrooms. However, the kind of seating arrangement one can choose to use will depend on several factors such as the class size, types of chairs and tables, age of students, type of class activity, size of the classroom, nationality, and student personalities. Orderly rows – This traditional seating arrangement is best for very big classes because it can be easily organized, and the teacher can have control over the class. It’s easy for the teacher to maintain eye contact with the students and address disruptive behavior this way. This arrangement is also good for giving lectures and whole class activities. However, having the students seated in orderly rows can reduce student interaction. Thus, it is quite restrictive for them. The teacher might not be able to see the students at the back as well. Circles and Horseshoes – This kind of seating arrangement is advisable for small classes. One advantage of circles and horseshoes is that it gives everyone a sense of equality. It’s more relaxing for everyone and it gives the teacher a less imposing role in the classroom. Pair work activities are also easier to organize in a circle or a horseshoe. The space in the middle can also be used for activities involving movement, unless there is a big table. Additionally, the students can easily have eye contact with one another. One disadvantage however is that it is difficult to copy something from the board. At times, the students will have to move their whole body to see the teacher. Some people may argue that this seating arrangement is not good for children but in my experience, this is good because of points mentioned earlier. The space in the middle can be utilized for TPR games and activities. This arrangement also works well for adult students. Separate Tables – This arrangement is good for group work. It has a very informal environment which can be beneficial for shy students. The teacher can work with one group while the other groups continue with their work. One downside of this seating arrangement is the difficulty of the teacher to monitor individual work. The students may not also want to work with people all the time and this can lead to behavioral problems. Another problem is that it makes it difficult for whole class teaching because the students are separated. It’s also hard for the teacher to maintain eye contact with all the students. In this unit we mention the different student groupings that a teacher can use and given are the advantages and disadvantages for each: 1. Whole class grouping Advantages: - Easier to organize - Creates a sense of belonging amongs the class members - Teacher can easily control the class - Students can interact with any member of the class Disadvantages: - Lesser chances for student talking time - Students can hide or avoid doing the activity - Shy students may feel uncomfortable performing or participating in front of the whole class - Mixed ability students must work at the same speed 2. Group work Advantages: - Greater student talk time and student interaction - Students can choose their level of participation - Less personal issues or problems - Students are exposed to more ideas from different people - Students learn to cooperate with each other and speak in English - The teacher can work with one group while the other groups continue with their discussion - More opportunities for students to experiment with language - Encourages learners’ independence Disadvantages: - Can be very noisy - Students may use their first language instead of English - Sharing of ideas may slow down the completion of the task - Some students may dominate the discussion while others stay silent - Longer to organize and get started - Hard to control 3. Pair work Advantages: - More opportunities for students to speak up and practice using English - Students can help each other - Easy to organize - The students feel more relaxed - Students can easily try out ideas first before presenting to the class - Less stressful for lower-level students because they only must talk to one person or they don’t need to work alone - Encourages learners’ independence Disadvantages: - Students may not like their partner - Can be noisy - Students may end up using their first language - Some students may not enjoy talking to other students, but prefer talking to the teacher only - The stronger student may end up answering for both students - Students can easily stray away from the task at hand 4. Individual work Advantages: - Students can work at their own pace - No outside pressure - The teacher can respond to individual needs of the students - Help build self-confidence and self-reliance Disadvantages: - Lesser opportunity for student-student interaction - Slow students may fall behind - Other students may treat solo work as a contest that they would sacrifice quality for speed - Activities take a longer time to finish - The teacher may not have enough time to check on everyone’s work We look at how a teacher can make sure all students are equally involved in the lesson and give individual attention Keeping all the students involved throughout the lesson is a very challenging task for a teacher. However, there are many things that can help make a teacher’s life easier or more manageable when it comes to student involvement in class. One important thing that should work in a teacher’s favor is his/her position. The teacher should carefully choose where to stand/move/sit in the classroom and when to stand/move/sit during the lesson. The seating arrangements should be utilized properly as well, making sure that the student environment is free of distraction and the teacher can easily access the students. Maintaining eye contact with the students is also very useful in making sure that the teacher is talking “to” the students and not “at” the students. It’s also important for a teacher to learn all the students’ names and address them as such. Always calling on the same students will make the other students feel less important in class. A teacher should also try to give extra attention to slower students if needed but he/she should be careful because it might also alienate other students. In this case, the teacher should know where to strike the balance. Additionally, it’s not advisable for the teacher to call the students in order because it becomes predictable. The class loses the element of surprise which makes the students lose interest. Furthermore, the teacher should include all students equally in any activity. Having and showing favoritism in class is always counterproductive. Lastly, the teacher can also incorporate some quick mind games or activities to spice up the class. It is important to look at a teacher’s talking time An effective teacher should know how to balance teacher talking time (TTT) and student talking time (STT) but in general terms, a good teacher should maximize or promote STT and minimize TTT. In the classroom, TTT is important when doing the following: - Explaining class rules and class syllabus at the start of the course - Presenting new language and modeling structures - Clarifying and explaining - Giving instructions and setting up activities - Establishing rapport - Providing language input A teacher can reduce unnecessary teacher talking time and unnecessary TTT can be avoided if teachers do the following: - Use body language and pictures - Choose the language for explanation and instruction carefully - Avoid the use of TEFL jargon - Use language that is below the level of the class being taught - Don’t over-elaborate things - Keep things simple and direct - For repeat activities, ask a student to explain the activity - Have some classroom language blown up and paste them on the walls A teacher can do the following to ensure that instructions are understood A teacher has to get the attention of the students before giving instructions. He/She must make sure that everyone is listening and are not distracted. Another helpful thing is for the teacher to use simple language. Using longer sentences will only lead to confusion and misunderstanding. Instructions are also better understood if the teacher is consistent with the words and phrases he/she uses in class. It’s also beneficial if visual aids or clues are used to promote meaning and understanding. Finally, another way of checking whether instructions are clearly understood is to ask students to explain the activity back to the teacher. A good rapport between the teacher and students as well as among students can make a class successful. There are many things a teacher can do to help build rapport in class. Some of these things include: - Showing genuine interest in the students - Learning the names of the students - Having a sense of humor - Having an ice-breaking activity at the start of the course - Making sure the students get to work with different students - Not having favorites in class - Not letting certain students dominate the group - Giving clear instructions - Being fair in handing out rewards and dealing with punishments - Asking for comments and opinions from students - Being respectful of students’ beliefs and cultures - Making oneself available before or after class - Getting the students to help each other - Encouraging the students to correct each other - Having a variety of activities that include lots of pair work and group work - Having a positive outlook - Learning about the students hobbies and interests - Not supplying everything by getting the students involved in planning and preparing class activities - Personalizing activities or examples to make them relevant to students - Keeping in mind students’ preference when making seating arrangements Behavioral problems can arise in the classroom because of several reasons such as family problems, low self-esteem, boredom, lack of respect for the teacher and other students, peer pressure, class size, reasons for being there, inability to catch up with the lesson, and a very lax teacher. Teachers can be able to prevent disciplinary problems from happening if they are consistent and fair in dealing with the students. They should respect the students the same way they want to be respected. Having a well-prepared lesson and a variety of activities and ESL games can also take the boredom away from the students. In addition, teachers should never let their personal feelings influence their treatment of the students. Homework and feedback should also be given as soon as possible. Furthermore, teachers should never lose their temper in class and avoid making empty threats. Finally, teachers should always be punctual in class and act professionally. Should a teacher have to deal with behavioral problems, he/she must remember the following: - Act immediately - Stay calm - Focus on the problem, not the student - Reprimand in private - Change the classroom dynamics - Ask help or advice from colleagues - Hand down punishment that is in accordance with the school’s disciplinary code