Teach English in ChAngning Zhen - Wuwei Shi

A good teacher is the one who is flexible and can change her role according to the activity and situation without being dominant over the students. A teachers physical presence plays a major role in classroom management . Eye Contact I feel Eye contact is important because, it helps to maintain focus in the classroom With younger students I assume that eye contact helps to prevent them from drifting off whereas older students would contribute more if they feel as though they are being noticed. It is important not to make eye contact for too long or too short as the students will not be comfortable with either.. Eye contact should be avoided during any teacher-centered activities . Gestures I feel Gestures add visual interest and reduce the need for unnecessary TTT. Good use of Gestures are important in communication especially if the language spoken in the classroom is not universal between teacher and student, such as teaching English overseas. Gestures add visual interest , increase the pace of lessons and conveys the meaning of language. Voice I feel a teacher?s voice should have the correct clarity, volume, range, variety and projection in order to have a smooth and effective delivery of a lesson. Thus, teachers should know when to speak loudly in class and when to be quite in order to liven up or quite down the effectiveness of a lesson . Using Students Names Students names should be used when the teacher wants to acknowledge or get the attention of the student, organize an activity or indicate who is to answer or respond. To keep the whole class alert ,students name should only be called at the end of the question so that the student do not know who will be called upon to answer . Whole class grouping (+) allows students to interact with one another and creates a sense of belonging among them . (-) Less chances for student talking time, Students can hide or avoid doing the activity. Shy students may feel uncomfortable performing or participating in front of the whole class. Students working on their own (+)Helps students become more self ?reliant, Allows teachers to respond to individual needs of the students. (-) Activities may take longer time to finish ,Less opportunity for student to student interaction. Pair work (+) Quick and easy to organize ,students can share work responsibilities. (-) Can be noisy ,students may not like their working partners. Group Work (+)Can increase student interaction and student talking time, Encourages students to speak in English. (-)It can take longer time to organize , Exchange of ideas can slow down activities. Classroom arrangement: 1. Orderly Rows: Orderly rows are most often the best seating arrangement, especially when there are 25 or more students in a class. The teacher has the ability to move around the classroom freely whilst all the students can continually focus on the teacher and this helps reduce discipline problems in the class. 2. Circles and Horseshoes: It is advisable for smaller classes. It gives everyone a sense of equality. Teachers position is less dominating ,students are more focused on the lessons. Pair work activities are also easier to organize and allows eye contact with one another . 3. Separate Tables: It is good for group work. It has a very informal environment which can be beneficial for shy students. The teacher can work with one group while the other groups continue with their work. 4. The teachers position: The teacher should carefully choose where to stand ,move, sit in the classroom and during the lesson time. When the teacher wants attention of the class than standing is the best option ie. During Language Presentation and Giving Instructions. Similarly the teacher should follow different position depending on the activity running in the classroom. Giving Individual attention: Memorize all students names, Don?t give attention to only specific students, Keep all students occupied even when attending to others .Do not pick on students who do not want to be included, ask them easy questions and praise their answers. Teacher Talk time /Students talk time An effective teacher should know how to balance teacher talking time and student talking time. Giving Instructions: A teacher has to get the attention of the students before giving instructions. He must make sure that everyone is listening and not doing something else. A teacher should use simple and clear language ,be consistent ,use visual Clues and give clear directions and monitor to check if the class is following the instructions clearly. Establishing Rapport: A class is successful when there is good rapport between the teacher and the student. Here are some of the ways to establish rapport and class spirit : Give clear instructions, Be positive in everything you do, Let the student correct and help each other, Learning the names of the students, Having a variety of activities that include lots of pair work and group work. Etc. Maintaining Discipline: It is very important that the teacher strikes a correct balance between maintaining control and encouraging a relaxed friendly atmosphere in the learning environment. Family problems, Boredom, Class size, Peer pressure are some of the reasons of disciplinary problems in the classroom . Teachers can stop these arising problems by : Showing willingness ,being fair, un biased and professional. Keeping calm ,Show and gain the same respect. When the teacher deals with the behavioral problem he must remember the following: Act immediately, Focus on behavior, not the student. Ask help or advice from colleagues, Stay calm, Change the classroom dynamics, Don?t make threats that you cannot enforce.