Teach English in Yongqing Zhen - Tianshui Shi

This unit is all about class management. That is how to control your class when you are teaching. The first item a- Eye contact: This is very essential in a classroom because it establishes a good report with the students. Ways on how eye contact can be use in a classroom include; -To show students that they all involved in the lesson. -To encourage contributions. -To maintain discipline. -To signal students to start, stop, or get a move on. -To indicate that something is correct or incorrect. -To check that everybody is participating etc. Eye contact should be avoided during any activity which is not teacher ?centred. b- Gesture: this can be effective and useful in the following ways; - Convey the meaning of the language. - Manage the class - -To add visual interest. - To increase the pace of the lesson - To reduce the need for verbal explanation. c-The Voice: If your voice does not have the correct clarity, range , variety or projection, you will have a different time in making your instructions. Voice should change naturally according to the circumstance. d- Using students? names: Students? names can be used when you want to: - Organize an activity - Acknowledge the students - Indicate who is to answer or respond - Get the attention of a student Students names should be used at the end of the question, not at the beginning. Grouping Students: There is no real limit to the way a teacher can group students though facts such as class size and classroom furniture can be problematic. Grouping students can be classified under the following - Whole class grouping ? pros and cons - Students working on their own ?pros and cons. - Pairwork ?pros and cons Classroom Management The way in which you organize the position of the students and yourself is of great importance and largely depends on the following: - Space available - Type of chairs/tables - Age of the students - Nationality - Student personality As a teacher you have the authority to move students for the benefit of an activity, cohesion or discipline - Orderly Rows This has been a traditional form of seating form years in most schools. It makes lecture easy, enables the teacher to maintain eye contact and help reduce discipline problems. - Circles and Horseshoes. Often used in smaller classes where the teacher and board one situated at the open end of the arrangement. The teachers position is less dominating and there is less of a feeling that a student is at the front or back of the classroom. ? Separate Tables: When students are seated in small groups at individual tables the classroom becomes even more informal. It is easy for the teacher to work at one table while groups continue their work. - The teachers? position: Students are often sensitive to your position in the classroom and whether you are often sensitive to your position in the classroom and whether you are sitting or standing. It can tell them - What kind of activity it is - What the teachers? role will be - What the students are expected to do Writing on the board There is no way you can avoid turning your back to the students during board- work. However, there are a number of ways you can reduce the amount of time you spend with your back to the class. They are as follows - Use an overhead projector - Prepare cards with vocabulary - Invite the students to write on the board for you etc ? Giving Individual attention ? Make sure know all the students names ? If necessary, spend longer with students who do not understand or who can not do the task but keep other students occupied. ? Didn?t tech exclusively to only the strong or weak students ? Didn?t go around class asking students in order ? Didn?t allow individual students to hog you attention or the line light ? Remember to include all students equally all activities Both teachers and students need to take time depending largely on the type of lesson. The teacher speaks more in classroom when; -Presenting checking modeling or clarifying -providing language input -Giving instructions, setting up activities -Establishing rapport How to avoid unnecessary ETT - Choose carefully the language for explanations and instructions - Avoid TEFL jargon - use gestures, mimes, or pictures - Don?t over elaborate - Use language that is below the level being taught - Basically keep it simple Giving instructions How you can make your instructions effective; - By attracting the students attention - Making sure everyone is listening and not working. - Using simple language. - Being consistent. - Using visual clues. - Checking the instructions.-Do you understand? is not an acceptable question as it does not check; establishing rapport. - When making seating arrangements, be aware of which students get on well together and which do not. - Make sure the students know each other?s names and a little basic information about each other. - At the beginning of a course have an ice breaking activity - Use plenty of pair work and group work activities - Get the students to help each other - Look as if you enjoy the job - Be positive in everything you do - Give clear instructions - Have the right manner - Show personal interest in the students - Don?t forget to smile etc Maintaining discipline Some degree on how discipline can be maintained largely depends on the following factors; - Age of the students - Reasons for learning - Do the students want to there? - Class size - Principles and atmosphere of the school - Respect between teachers and students Reasons for problem behavior There are many reasons why disciplinary problems can occur in the classroom which include; - - Family problems - Low self-esteem - Boredom - Peer pressure - Lack of respect for the teacher/other students - Size of the class Preventing problem behavior. The following can help stop problems arising the first place if; - You are punctual - You are well prepared - You are consistent and fair - You do not let personal feelings influence your treatment of students - You never make threats that you can or not prepared to carry out. - You return home work prompt - You never lose your temper - You establish rapport with the students Responding to problem behavior if you have done everything to prevent problem behavior, what you can do if it still arises? -Act immediately -Focus on the problem or the student -Change the classroom dynamic -Keep calm ?shouting never helps -Keep the problem student behind after class and reprimand in private -Keep to the school?s disciplinary code and don?t make threat that you can not enforce. -Use the knowledge of your colleagues. Going through this unit I have learnt about how I personally as a teacher can manage a classroom owning to its size and the ages of the students involved.