Teach English in Dayushu Zhen - Beijing

Classroom Management Class room management is a very essential part of teaching. It?s is the skill of organizing and managing a classroom while maintaining a friendly and disciplined environment. Classroom management is implementing a strategy that addresses the overall responsibility in promoting student development. The teacher plays the central role in establishing a proper path to follow but the strategy must involve other related members of the school and parents. Successful classroom management begins with a well-prepared teacher who demonstrates self-control, and applies a constant and fair set of classroom rules. In order to encourage required student behaviors, the teacher must establish good relations with the students. As a fresher teacher, my fear was an uncontrollable class. But with the help of some various materials, I think I have managed some clear and helpful information to avoid discipline problems by using effective classroom management. First and foremost thing to do is to Plan. It is always best for the teacher to over plan than to be under prepared. Plan the lessons as thoroughly as possible, with enough activities to fill in free time. When planning, the teacher needs to factor in any problems that might arise from particular activities and how to deal with them. Teacher should take in consideration when planning extra activities that they are appropriate for the size of the class and level of the students. Classroom arrangement is very important in the way that when teachers pair students up they could is put a weak student with a strong student. Teachers should be able to use their own judgment in these situations analysing the student?s work. I think it is also a good idea to keep moving students around so they can interact with different people and build social relations. Voice is an important tool that can create a difference in class room management. If a teacher uses a variety in the voice when lecturing a class of students, it is more interesting to listen to a teacher who is choral than a teacher who speaks in repetitive form. You can use voice intonations to suit various factors, for example: ability of the students you are teaching, age of students, to gain control of a class, size of a class etc. The teacher should keep her voice natural and approachable. The teacher must Smile. Smiles are contagious and brighten a room. First thing the teacher should do is to learn the student?s name accurately. Using the student?s name correctly makes them feel integrated and important. Within school guidelines, it would be valuable to send home a letter to the parents, in their native language, thanking them for the opportunity to teach their child, and welcoming them to discuss any concerns they may have. Parent?s involvement is very important and affects the child?s behaviour. Eye contact an important key because if teachers don't look the students in the eye when speaking to them, it may show a lack of confidence in them. Then the discipline problems are more likey to occur. On the contrary if a teacher is glaring at the students all the time it may make them feel uncomfortable and intimidate them and this will have an effect on their work if they feel like they are being watched all the time. So as teachers we must maintain a balanced level of eye contact with their students. Gestures are good for an effective learning process. It is useful while explaining methods and trying to get a point across. I think the more visual a teacher uses, the better it is for maintaining the attention of her students. It can also help with keeping a good pace to lessons. Be fair to students. Children of all ages have a sense of what is or isn?t fair, and the teacher needs to maintain respect towards students. Treat all students equally and in turn the students will respect the firm but fair discipline rules and not become resentful towards the teacher. Have a fresh start every day. Teachers should begin lessons with a positive attitude and a friendly manner. Always have the highest expectations from your students and make it clear that you expect great things from them every lesson. Constantly praise students for their good effort, give every student some attention and an opportunity to be involved in. References ITTT course unit material on ?Classroom Management? Unit 5. Michael Linsin (2012), 2 Easy Ways To Build Rapport With Your students, Smart Classroom Management http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/ ' Top 10 tips for Classroom Management' by Melissa Kelly