What Does Good Classroom Management Look Like?

A good student-teacher relationship inside the classroom is necessary for the instructor to teach efficiently and for the students to learn effectively. Several factors need to be taken into consideration to manage the classroom well.

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roxanne C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.

Body language

First of all, good eye contact should be established within the classroom. This signifies the connection between the teacher and students and it shows sincerity on the part of the teacher. Eye contact is encouraged during a teacher-centered activity but not in students- centered activities. Proper use of gestures, on the other hand, could enhance the communication process in the class but teachers should also be careful with it especially in a multicultural class since different gestures have different meanings in every culture. Also, a teacher’s good use of voice adds to effective classroom communication. Voice tone affects the effectiveness of communication.

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Grouping

Grouping options creates dynamics and caters to the different needs of the activities that would be effective for the students. There’s the whole class grouping, students’ working on their own and pair work are some of the examples. The teacher’s authority to implement certain changes in the classroom should be maximized for the benefit of the students. The student’s seating arrangements, for example, needs to be considered. Depending on the space available, types of chairs, age group, nationality, and personality of the students, it is better to pair stronger students to the weaker ones in pair activities. Not only that mixing the groupings allows the students to get to know other students but it also helps to avoid familiarity.

Black board

Using the available board is another factor for effective classroom management. There are several choices that the instructor can follow to lessen the time spent in writing on the board. Some ideas are using OHP (overhead projector) or PPT (PowerPoint presentation). Another technique that can be used would be letting the students write on the board, usage of flashcards, and writing before the start of the class, these options can help the teacher to focus more on the facilitation and lesson proper.

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Classroom size

Also, the size of the class can have a contributing factor. As the teacher, making sure that everyone gets attention inside the class is a must. If the situations call for a teacher to spend more time with the weaker students, do it in such a way that others will be productive by giving them extra worksheets to accomplish. Avoid exclusivity. Do not exercise favoritism inside the classroom, keep the teacher-student relationship to avoid familiarity.

TTT

Meanwhile, another element of classroom management is the teacher’s talking time. It is important when the teacher is presenting, teaching, providing language input, giving instructions, and arranging activities to establish rapport. Consequently, to learn a certain language, the students need to be exposed to it. This is where the teacher comes in as he provides them with proper knowledge in learning the English language. As the students listen and absorb they will have more confidence in speaking it. The teacher can reduce unnecessary talking time by trying as much as possible to keep things simple. He should try to carefully choose the language used for explaining and instructing. Be mindful to not over-elaborate. He could also use gestures or mimes and try not to use any jargon that the students won’t be able to understand. Likewise, the best way for the teacher to gauge whether the students understand the lessons is to ask them to explain the lesson back to you.

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Rapport

There are several things the teacher can do to help establish rapport with the students. One is to try his utmost to be positive, approachable, showing personal interest towards the students, and sincere enthusiasm in his job. Another thing is to use an “ice-breaker” at the beginning of a course; having a good variety of pair work and group work. And lastly, he should make the effort to get to know his students as part of establishing an effective student-teacher relationship.

Challenged behavior

Furthermore, student misbehavior such as disruptive talking, chronic avoidance of work, clowning, interfering with teaching activities, harassing classmates, verbal insults, rudeness to teacher, defiance, and hostility, ranging from infrequent to frequent, mild to severe, is a thorny issue in the everyday classroom. Students’ behavior problems are challenging at all levels, some of the reasons are boredom, family problems, peer pressure, low self-esteem, and lack of respect for the teacher or the other students. The teacher can do something to prevent it. Being punctual shows professionalism. When the teacher is enthusiastic about his teaching and is well prepared, a lot has been gained. Additionally, he needs to do his utmost to have a good rapport with the students and be careful not to lose his temper. He should not let his personal feelings influence the way he treats his students; he should not make threats that he’s not ready to carry out; he should return homework promptly.

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There are a few helpful tips if student behavior problems arise. First, he should deal with it immediately, procrastinating and ignoring such problems would most likely worsen the situation. Sometimes just stopping and looking at the misbehaving student would be enough, other times it will require stronger action such as asking the problem student to stay after class and reprimand the student in private. The teacher needs to stay calm and not to overreact and shouting never helps. He should focus on the behavior and not the student. The teacher should bear in mind that there is such a thing as being too extreme in making rules that the students cannot attain to keep. He should also be mindful to keep the school’s disciplinary code and he could also ask his colleagues for advice when necessary.

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