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Classroom ManagementA typical statement made by EFL teachers today is, ?My students are so rowdy and it is impossible to get them to be quiet and stay on task.? Some claim that their students touch each other and their teachers in inappropriate ways?I am thinking of the ?dong-chim (inappropriate anal touching)? problem in Korea. Many teachers are fed up and at the end of their rope. Several have stated their intentions of ending their contracts early. What can be done to stop this? Whose fault is it? Does the responsibility rest with the EFL teacher and their native co-teachers, or is it a sign of the times that students all over the globe have taken to the aisles in their classes to revolt and overthrow the educational dictatorship? The answer is actually quite simple. The way in which students act in the classroom is a reflection of how well the teacher performs his or her duties. What I intend to do with this article is to introduce strategies that can help curb and even stop the ?chaos? and bring a sense of normalcy and respect to the classroom. The first strategy is having a clean classroom. Making sure that the floor is swept before and after class. Mopping it twice a week. Clean the white board, or blackboard, between classes. Have no writing on the desks. The walls should be free from ?pencil-graffiti? as well. If the classroom is clean, the students will be more inclined to take the class more seriously and respect the space as a place for learning. The big question on everyone?s mind right now is, what about when the students write on the desk, mess up the classroom and leave their food wrappers everywhere? The answer, again, is simple. At the beginning of the school year or the class term, install rules with consequences. A rule that I had was that if the students would write on the desks, then the class had to come in after school and wash the desks. If that did not work, then I would stop my lesson for five or ten minutes and make them clean it right then and there. We have to take it seriously to show them how serous it is. After establishing and maintaining a clean classroom, it is highly necessary to create a ?hands free? zone where physical contact is not allowed unless during approved games. This takes teaching about the respect for another?s body and their property. To do this, show video examples of someone pushing another, or demonstrate how things like ?dong chim? are considered offensive in other cultures. After this, have them morally reflect on being in the shoes of the person being pushed and ask them how they would feel and how they think the person being pushed feels. It is alright to use your co-teacher as an interpreter here because it is necessary to set a moral foundation so that the students can learn how to give respect and accept responsibility for their actions. The final strategy for overcoming a ?chaotic? classroom is a methodological adjustment on the part of the teacher. No two brains are the same. Some have stronger audio skills and other visual, while others learn from more tactile activities. The teacher needs to pay attention to how their class learns. So often teachers create lessons based on their own learning styles and those students who learn in a different manner are often lost, feel neglected and have a penchant for acting out. A few ways in a teacher can ascertain this information is by monitoring the students during different activities. For example, a student who learns better from hearing might be a poor reader. Another example is the students who have more tactile learning style might appear to be daydreaming during the listening segment of the lesson. Teachers need to create lessons that address all of the learning styles mentioned here and even pay attention for the hyper creative students. To sum up, a clean classroom will create more of an attitude of respect for the space by the students. It shows that you care about them enough to take the time to prepare. Providing a moral foundation built on respect and responsibility will help the students to engage each other and their teacher in a more appropriate manner. And paying attention to the distracted children and creating cognitively stimulating lessons will go far in encouraging participation.
