Teach English in Baima Zhen - Loudi Shi

Classroom management Effective teaching and learning emanate from a conducive classroom learning environment.It is a cornerstone of all teaching and learning processes. Classroom management is a term used to describe the process of ensuring that classroom lessons run smoothly without disruptive behaviour from students compromising the delivery of instruction.It creates a set of expectations used in an organised classroom environment.It includes routines,rules and consequences.Effective classroom management paves the way for the teacher to engage the students in learning. It is a challenging aspect of teaching for many teachers. Challenges in this area causes some to quit teaching .The main reason is negative student attitudes and discipline. Classsroom management is vital because it promotes the proper execution of curriculum development,developing best teaching methods and implementing them.The time a teacher takes to correct misbehaviour as a result of poor classroom management skills results in a lower rate of academic engagement in the classroom . The teacher should come up with techniques to manage the class effectively to avoid unnecessary disruption and waste of teaching and learning time: Corporal punishment is an old traditional method of disciplining learners but nowadays is no longer permitted.The are negative psychological and physiological effects of corporal punishment hence it is has been abolished. Creating good teacher - student relationships is effective across the whole learner age groups .The teacher should give clear expectations and consequences for student behaviour ,this builds effective relationships such expectations may cover classroom etiquette and behaviour,group work,seating arrangements ,the use of equipment and materials and also classroom disruptions. Preventitive techniques create a positive classroom community with mutual respect between the teacher and students.It offers warmth ,acceptance and support unconditionally not based on a student’s behaviour.Favouritism and bias should not exisit.Fair rules and consequences should be established and students are given frequent and consistent feedback regarding their behaviour.To enforce this ,it should be an agreement between the teacher and students on how to treat one another. Another effective strategy in dealing with classroom management is using rewards and praise to inform students about their behaviour rather than as a means of controlling student behaviour. Some schools of thought advocate authouritative style as the best form of classroom management for it encourages adequate ,warm and nurturing classroom environment.In the hands of an effective teacher ,authourItative style of classroom management can produce socially competent and responsible students. According to the wikilipedia 2010 there are ten possible ways to deal with difficult students. 1.Stay in contact with parents.That is some behaviours need the support of parents to be corrected before they poke their ugly head and ruin the child.Children will realise the seriousness of their misdeeds when their parents are called to school and notified about the child’s misbehaviour. 2.Use proximity to limit negative actions.The educator should be near the students timeously during the classroom discourse.This helps in monitoring students with disruptive behaviour before they totally disturb the lesson in progress.The teacher should be mobile and visible to all learners during the lesson. 3.Have a defined student expectation.That is lesson objectives and tasks assigned must have clear results and guidelines.Learners should not wonder as to what exactly are they expected to achieve. 4.Choose the best time to discipline.Stopping a lesson in progress to discipline a misbehaving learner may sometimes disturb the smooth flow of the session ,taking the attention of other attentive learners.The teacher might just tell the misbehaving learner to stop the disruptive actions and inform him or her to deal with the issue after the lesson. 5.Try to emphatise with the learner. Some students misbehave as a way of attention seeking maybe because they come from uncaring families where there is no love ,recognition and compliments.They want to be seen that they are capable drawing everyone’s attention.The teacher should take note of such learners and understand their situation ,therefore should not be too harsh when disciplining them. 6.Build on common ground .Treat all students as equals and show bias or favouritism.Children are sensitive to deeds and will loose respect for you.They may resort to misbehaviour as a way of punishing you.That is revenging . 7.Utilise your teaching colleagues.Some disciplinary problems can be resolved at school by other teachers instead of inviting parents to school.Colleagues such as senior teacher,deputy principal or subject departmental heads can be asked to intervene to deal with a problematic child. 8.Make classwork a non issue.The teacher should make it very clear to learners that failing to do or submit assigned classwork is a serious offence.If learners can commit themselves in doing classwork ,then most of the disciplinary challenges faced in class will be manageable. 9 Try the peer tutor technique .Capable learners should assist the weak ones in doing their classwork be it reading or writing.This will help very much in dealing with disruptive behaviour since learners appreciate and understand better what they are told by colleagues. 10.Never give up.The teacher should not surrender to disruptive learners .Surrendering will make them become mini heroces in class and majority of the learners will follow suit,therefore destroying teaching and learning in that particular class forever. Classroom management is a protracted struggle that requires , great commitment and effort from the teacher .Proper planning and implementation of good strategies will yield positive results in classroom management.