Teach English in Baiyangping Zhen - Enshi Tujiazu Miaozu Zizhizhou

The term “Classroom Management” is defined as the following from ITTT’s TEFL Course Unit 5. “The skill of Organising and Managing the Class, having a Friendly, Relaxed manner and Maintaining Discipline.” There are many different aspects to Classroom Management. It can range from physical attributes such as Eye contact, Gestures, and your Voice to a more atmospheric attribute such as the way the Students are Grouped and the way a Classroom is Arranged. There are also certain qualities that a teacher must master in order to successfully manage his or her class. Those qualities include establishing Rapport, Disciplining, the way a teacher writes on the Board, giving Individual attention, giving Instructions successfully, and the right balance of Teacher Talking Time vs. Student Talking Time. The type of Eye contact you make with your students can convey a message of confidence in your ability to teach. Proper eye contact with your students may help them be reassured with the following: That the student is involved with the activity in the class, that the student is contributing, and that the students are doing what they are supposed to do. Keep in mind, eye contact should not be used during group or pair activities. The right Gestures, or gestures known to both the students and the teacher, can help the teacher reduce his or her “Talking Time” and can also assist in the lesson by adding visual elements to help teach the meaning of the language, to keep up pace of the lesson, and overall, Manage the class. One other physical attribute that can help project the lesson and keep management in class is the appropriate use of the teacher’s Voice. The way a teacher uses his or her Voice should be adjusted according to the following. The class size (Individual vs. Class) and the atmosphere a teacher is trying to create (Liven things up or dull it down). The teacher’s voice should be Clear, have enough Range, and enough Variety as to not bore the class. With the correct Voice, a teacher should be able to communicate instructions and explanantions to his or her students concisely. The way a teacher Groups the students and the way the class is Arranged will also help in managing a class successfully. Student grouping depends on the type of activitiy and size of the class. It’s also a form of adding variety to the class. There are numerous ways students can be grouped or separated: Pairwork (two students working in pair), Whole-class grouping, Students working on their own, and Groupwork. Each type has its own pros and cons and the teacher must be sensible enough to correctly choose the right grouping in order to successfully teach the lesson. The way a class is Arranged can also be adjusted according to the criterias of the following: Space availability, Type of chairs/desks, Age of the students, Nationality, and the student's Personality. The following types of arrangements too have their own pros and cons: Orderly rows, Circles and horseshoe, Separate tables, and the Teacher's Position. The teacher must be sensible enough to pick the right arrangement of the class in order to be an effective teacher. Establishing Rapport is a sensitive matter that can decide the outcome of the class’s success. A good, respectful, and friendly environment between the class and the teacher, and the students themselves, can encourage and stimulate the students into becoming a successful and productive class. Disciplining is also a sensitive matter that can make or break the relationship between the class and the teacher. Although not easy, there are numerous factors to consider when a teacher is prepared to ascertain discipline: The Age of the students, the Motivation, the Class size, the Principles and atmosphere of the School, and the amount of rapport between the teacher and the students. Writing on a Board means one thing. Having your back turned to the class. In order to minimize this time, there are numerous methods a teacher can employ: If possible, use an Overhead Projector, Prepare the lesson on a different medium (card, paper, etc), write on the board before the class begins, have the students volunteer to write on the board, or write on the board when the students are busy with an activity. Giving individual attention to each student is important. First step in this is to learn all the student’s names. Spending extra time with the students that need it is also a form of individual attention. A teacher must be able to give individual attention to all the students whether the student is a weak or strong learner. A teacher must be able to Give Instructions effectively by attracting the student’s attention and in a timely manner (not when everyone is busy working). Being able to clearly give instruction bases on the following factors: the Language being used (use simple terminology), the Consistency of the instruction, the use of Visual clues, and checking the instructions to ensure its message is being clearly conveyed. The right balance of Teacher talk time vs. Student talk time depends on the lesson being taught and on the English level of the student(s). Keeping it simple is best when the teacher is talking. To minimize the Teacher’s Talk Time, it is best to use Gestures, to not use TEFL jargon, and to carefully choose the level of English being used. In conclusion, Managing a class that a teacher is responsible for depends on many sensitive, physical, and atmospherical attributes that a teacher must be sensible enough to continuously master, adjust, and improve upon.