Teach English in Xincun XiAng - Shanghai Shi

Classroom ManagementClassroom management is an important duty of any person that teaches or spends time in a classroom in an authority role. ?Teachers are instructed that the mark of a good teacher is that the teacher is in control of the class. (Taylor, 1987) ?Without control, the teacher will not be able to teach the lesson and her students will have no respect for her and will not want to learn what the lesson is about. Theory Y implies that if you remove the barriers from learning, that all students can succeed. In his paper, Classroom Management, Gene Tassell states there is a discipline system known as Assertive Discipline, which was developed by Lee and Marlene Canter in 1976. This system not only teaches students to be responsible for their actions, but it is based on positive rewards and praise. Again, consistency is the key. It is helpful to make a list of rewards in the beginning of the school period session so students know what to expect. Shelley Vernon in her article, The Five Golden Rules of Classroom Management, goes further to state that there are five rules every ESL teacher should abide by: 1) Be a mentor not a friend; earn the children?s trust by being firm, fair and consistent ? be a role model in both english and behavior. 2) Show your EFL / ESL pupils that you care about them ? find opportunities to talk to your students outside class about their interests; make eye contact and smile. 3) Get closer to your EFL / ESL pupils ? don?t spend all your time at your desk; instead spend time mingling with them in class; sit next to them occasionally and inquire as to their well being. 4) Vary your teaching style to make it interesting and motivating ? use a variety of ESL games to get their attention and make it fun. 5) Be sure to praise good behavior, and encourage your students ? they are more likely to get involved in the work if they think you are proud of them. Setting out the rules ahead of time ensures the students know what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. Other ESL teachers suggest making lessons a competition between groups ? award points for correct answers and threaten to take points away when the students are misbehaving. Several teachers warn strongly about giving rewards such as candy, stickers, smiley faces, especially among young students as this can lead to arguments over whose candy is better, or stickers disappearing because the students want them for other purposes (Kyle, YouTube Video). However, other teachers suggest that a reward such as a piece of candy or sticker does just as well to motivate as does giving points. There is the possibility that the students will expect the same reward every day. Dr. Hall gives suggestions when encountering certain problems. She states that if particular students keep answering a question you put to the class, then to ask specific students the question. This will hopefully stop the outspoken student from answering every question. You might also tell the students that once they have answered a question, to give the other students a chance to answer. Students can also be put in groups so that each group has their own question, thus eliminating the option of answering every question. It is helpful to plan lessons wherein all students have a chance to participate often. Dr. Hall also suggests that the teacher bring supplies with them: extra pens, pencils, and paper. This will cut down on students stating they are not prepared to do the lessons. Lastly, she suggests that the teachers have warm u.s.in the beginning of the classroom, just in case there are students that are habitually late. This way, all students will have the benefits of the lessons because the teacher can start them when all students are present. In summary, there are many techniques to help control the classroom. I think I would be interested in trying positive rewards and praise to start with by letting the students know what a good job they are doing or have done, and do this frequently. I would also use the points system of rewarding students for a job well done at the end of the week. They could use the points to trade for a piece of candy, a funny pencil or pen, or something equally inexpensive that a student would like. The important thing is to remember who is in control and set the rules in the beginning. http://www.brains.org/classroom_management.htm, Gene Tassell, Class Management http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Classroom_Management.htm The Five Golden Rules of Good Classroom Management by Shelley Vernon. Kyle in Korea YouTube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6L0WEsJoM http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/10/controlling_the_class.php#more Brenda Townsend Hall, Ph.D. article Controlling the Class