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My topic is about classroom management. I have a Minor in business management (from my bachelor’s degree), so I have taken several classes centered around the idea of managing people in organized situations. Managing a classroom, I believe is unique in and of itself. There are few things (if any) that are quite like the experience of being a teacher in classroom (or a student). Of course, since I am new to this, I do not have any experience teaching or managing a class. However what I will do here, is attempt to summarize what I learned in this course, on what it takes to be an effective leader in the classroom (which I believe is what a teacher should be). My experience in the classroom stems from the many classroom’s I was a student in, throughout my life, all the way up to college. There are things I noticed when I was a student, about the way teacher’s managed their classes, that I liked and took note of. One of them being that I think its very important for the teacher to be engaged with the students (asking them questions, involving them in class discussions, etc.). Doing this in an unpredictable way seemed to be effective since the student’s never knew who would get called on next. It forced us to pay attention. First and foremost, I believe an effective teacher needs to have the respect of their students. Without this, chaos of some sort will ensue (bad behavior for example). Once respect is earned and maintained (class after class) the students come to know and expect what is or isn’t acceptable behavior. They also feel more confident, that the teacher is competent, and knows what he’s doing. Students will trust the teacher to lead them to their desired outcome (learning a certain level English). Being on time is paramount to gaining the respect of the students for example. Greeting them as they arrive, instead of showing up late. Being well mannered, well dressed, and professional also does wonders for earning the trust of the students. From here, managing a class will largely depend on factors such as the size of the class, the level of proficiently the students already have (towards English), and the culture of the city or country you’re teaching in. A teacher should get to know his students, he should strive (from early on), to garner a firm understanding of what their overall strengths and weaknesses are. This is important at the individual level too, however with larger classes that may prove to be a challenge. A teacher knowing the unique personality of his class/s, allows him to ‘’tailor’’ his lessons to the strengths and weaknesses of that class. It guides him and allows for a more effective management of their progress towards the end goal (learning English). A teacher should strive to do this by changing things up, so as not to become predictable to the students (and therefore boring). Students learn quicker and more efficiently when they are motivated and engaged in each lesson. Using the various approaches to ESA, will make this easier for the teacher to accomplish. A variation of: the Straight Arrow ESA one day, then a transition to Boomerang ESA the next, followed by maybe a Patchwork ESA approach the next day. This is a great way to change things up without the students even realizing it. More than just what I outline in this example however, should be employed by the teachers for increasing motivation. The teacher should also change up things like the topics (animals, cars, seasons, types of food, etc.), as well as use different types of worksheets, and games. The same worksheets should not be used for each Study Phases session for example, they should be frequently changed up. Games on the other hand are a great way to make classes interesting, fun, engaging, educational, and ‘’student to student’’ focused. In summary: there are several factors that go into what comprises the big picture of effective classroom management. I have tried to outline the main points here. It all starts and ends with motivated, engaged students. Students who are eager to learn, and who have respect (and trust) in the teacher. I will strive for all of these things in my classroom, and will make students as motivated as possible to learn and retain what is needed. -Matt Meyer
