Teach English in ZhAngjiAng Zhen - Shanghai Shi

Classroom ManagementThis paper represents the sum of my previous research with regard to the subject of classroom management, including both textual and practical research, and reflects my current working model for the management of the classes I teach. Much of the grounding for my methodology comes from the research of Robert Marzano, an educational researcher and PhD in curriculum and instruction, as well as from the practical application of his ideas and my own during my time as a student teacher at Hoover High School in San Diego, california, usa. Robert Marzano conducted two surveys of high school age students to determine the importance of the teacher student relationship with regard to classroom behavior. In these surveys, which included 720 subjects each, he found that there was a 21% decrease in classroom disruptions when the teacher and students had a strong interpersonal relationship 1. It is my belief that this relationship is fundamental to a properly functioning classroom. This is not to suggest that the teacher should strive to be the best friend of every student. However, the teacher should have an understanding of who his/her students are, and a general idea about the makeup of the students' respective personal lives. Marzano cites research into what makes a teacher ?more likely to have good relationships with students? 1; his studies determined that it was consideration, enthusiasm, patience, and similar characteristics on the part of the teacher. These ideas do not suggest a relationship of friendship, but of interest and of humanity. My classroom management style, and pedagogical model overall, consists of a blend of authoritativeness and the kind of cooperation that Marzano envisions. To be clear, by ?authoritative? I do not mean ?disciplinarian?; instead, I mean that I present myself as an authority on the subject of study at hand, and make my students comfortable with coming to me for an answer when the collaborative aspect of instruction fails to produce the desired result (from their perspective). This component plays second fiddle, however, to the collaborative, communal, and equitable atmosphere that I endeavor to promote in every class I teach. Students should be made to feel as if they have equal standing with one another and the teacher if they are expected to behave and participate in the desired way. That is to say , the class should feel like a community rather than a place for the dispensation of knowledge. Indeed, it seems practically self-evident that students who feel alienated or insecure are unlikely to engage with other students or the teacher, and that this lack of a sense of belonging will manifest itself in either withdrawal or misbehavior on the part of the student in question. Conversely, students who feel included in the group are more willing to volunteer and experiment with the language (or whatever subject is being studied), which are prerequisites for success in the class. In addition to the theoretical components of classroom management, there is an administrative aspect that should also be established as early as possible. Protocols for entering the class, having required materials, securing student attention (hand signals work well, especially with large classes), and the like all cut down on wasted time and ensure that the class operates as efficiently and consistently as possible. With regard to the efficacy of the aforementioned approach to classroom management, I would refer skeptics to the results of Marzano's study. Additionally, I have my own anecdotal evidence, which, far from being scientific, I believe is compelling nonetheless. My classroom management model has a foundation consisting of three simple rules, which are made explicit to my students straight away when we begin a course together (right after I introduce myself). The rules are these: 1. Respect Yourself 2. Respect Others 3. Respect Our Classroom These rules form the basis of all others that may come up during the course of instruction. For example, a student who cheats on a test is breaking the first rule, because he/she does not respect him/herself enough to trust his/her own abilities in taking the test. Rule 2 precludes making fun of other students when they make a mistake. The third rule ensures that the classroom stays tidy and that all materials find their way back to where they belong at the end of a given activity (and cuts down on extra work on the part of the teacher). It should be noted that my implementation of this model first took place at an inner-city American public school, where student behavior is far from angelic; by emphasizing the primacy of these foundational rules at the outset, and by fostering the aforementioned feeling of classroom community, I have yet to experience an instance of classroom disruption or student behavior that has taken more than a few minutes to rectify. 1 Classroom Management That Works: Research-based Strategies for Every Teacher, Marzano, Marzano, and Pickering