Teach English in Xuqiao Zhen - Anqing Shi

Discipline in the ClassroomI chose the topic of Discipline in the Classroom because a knowledgeable teacher can be less affective than a less knowledgeable teacher who knows how to maintain discipline. I work in a university in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with colleagues from various ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience in teaching ESL and other subjects. I have interviewed three colleagues that have a good mix to draw from; I also did some internet research. A South African colleague with 4 years of experience teaching, who has taught english Literature at a university in his home country then went to South Korea to teach 3rd graders and finally here. In RSF he had no issues because whoever wanted to be there would respect the classroom. In Korea he had stated that discipline was never really an issue through the cultural values of Korea and through corporal punishment offered by his co-teacher. In KSA, he stated along with other colleagues, that he would have liked to implement corporal punishment, but it is not an option here. So, he has had to adopt an easy going, light hearted approach-in an attempt to be less threatening With clear and concise acknowledgement of what is acceptable and what is not, along with the consequences for unacceptable behavior, he has achieved a stable classroom environment. Next, a Northeast American colleague with 8 years of experience in teaching; he has taught Economics and other Business classes along with TEFL in the united states and Canada; his career outside english speaking countries was in thailand, South Korea, and KSA. When asked about discipline in his classes he said that flexibility and adaptability has worked for him everywhere he has taught. In Korea and thailand, as like the aforementioned colleague from South Africa corporal punishment was what kept the students under control. In Canada and the united states it was the university system in which responsibility of a student?s education was predominately in the hands of the students; here in Saudi he decided to incorporate a system where the rules were laid out from day one and no nonsense was accepted. It proved to be successful. Next a Southeastern American colleague with 20 years of experience teaching TEFL, business english, and Medical english; has taught in the united states, Malaysia, Czechoslovakia [as whole country, after split in both czech Republic and Slovakia], Poland, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. He has taught children but primarily adults at universities, post high school academies, and governmental agencies. His philosophy is that students who misbehave need to be included; with those students he tries to reach them on an individual level-have ?an inside joke? with this student(s). He believes that students want their teacher to like them whether they like their teacher or not; which means that students want the approval of the instructor. So, he uses this knowledge to build a team mentality where the rules are his and he is the unquestioned leader, in the attempt of achieving his goal of ?reaching the bar of civility?. The first website that I will reference , states that clear, fair, and concise rules are very good starters. An instructor can not lose control of their emotions, quiet implementation of the rules. It also states that rewarding bad behavior is wrong, good behavior should be acknowledged so the contrast is seen by all in the classroom. Also understanding where the teacher is employed is important from the factors of culture and institution backing in matters of discipline. The second website , states that an instructor should anticipate behavioral problems and include it in the lesson by refusing at the beginning of the class to teach until the chatter has stopped. It also, emphasized preparedness. Finally, it attested that assertive and positive discipline is the right way to go. After gathering this information along with personal experience it is evident that using clear language along with individual cooperation can lead to class success overall. Classroom discipline is a contract that students must be aware of and willing to honor. So, it?s the responsibility of the instructor to maintain the validity of the contract?s stipulations throughout the academic calendar.