Teach English in Shijing XiAng - Anqing Shi

Classroom managementThe topic of classroom management pulls together a few different aspects of the teaching process: building rapport, teaching styles, discipline, motivation, the role of the teacher, and group dynamics, among others. I want to address a few of the things that I think are most critical in creating a well-managed classroom, based on my experience training as a teacher and student teaching, my experience as a student of languages at all levels, a few books by experts on the subject, and the information contained in this TEFL course. One critical aspect of classroom management is that of preparation and prevention. It is a theme echoed throughout this TEFL course, as well as the other resources I consulted: it is far easier to create order and establish rules in a classroom before any problems arise than it is to establish them after occurrences of problematic behavior. As Moles states, ?order in classrooms is not a consequence of reactions to misbehavior but a condition established and sustained by the way a teacher organizes and guides a complex system of classroom activities and academic work,? (114). The idea of preventative discipline as opposed to remedial discipline is one that should be present from the start in planning how to teach a language course. When I participated in the training Institute for Teach for America, we were instructed to teach rules and procedures in our very first class. The rules should be few and simply worded. In higher levels students can even help generate the rules, making them more resonant with them, as they will reflect their goals and their vision for their classroom (i.e., respect all people and materials in the class). Just as important as establishing the general rules for classroom conduct is establishing the procedures and routines that will help maintain order and structure in the classroom each day. Routines give students a sense of security, and knowing them is a wonderful thing to be able to rely on particularly when they cannot fully communicate in english. One trick I especially like is that of the 5-minute ?Do Now,? something I learned at Teach for America. It is a simple task written on the board or waiting for the students at their desk or table, that they can do while other students are coming in and before the class officially starts; it can be adapted to all class levels, from writing down your name, age, and nationality in the first Beginner class, to writing a quick 5-sentence paragraph using conditional sentences in an Advanced class. Making it part of the routine lets students know exactly what to expect each day, and making it a requirement makes it easier to get their focus when the lesson begins. It creates a quiet, focused atmosphere, perfect for jumping right into the Engage stage. Additionally, the material generated by the Students in the ?Do Now? can help build their skills, and be connected to and used in later parts of the lesson. Another important factor in the maintenance and management of the classroom environment has to do with the creation of a classroom community, and continuing rapport among and between students and teachers. Both Taylor and Moles discuss the importance of being sensitive to students? lives and backgrounds outside the classroom, and I think that by developing a sense among the students that you care about them and their learning you create an environment where it is much easier to address problems down the line (and probably to avoid some problems to begin with). As the material in this TEFL course states, ?The behavior and attitude/personality of the teacher is perhaps the single most important factor in a classroom and can thus have a major effect on discipline,? (Unit 19, p. 7). The teacher can use their personality from the onset to engage the students, getting to know them as well as possible. This will help keep the students engaged with the material and establish the ?nurturing classroom communities? that Cangelosi discusses, where management issues can be more easily attended to. Works Consulted Cangelosi, James S. Classroom management strategies: gaining and maintaining student cooperation. JohnWiley & Sons, (2007). Moles, Oliver Clinton. Student Discipline Strategies: Research and Practice. (SUNY Press, 1990). Taylor, George R. Practical Application of Classroom Management Theories Into Strategies. University Press of America, (2004). TEFL