How to manage classroom - Classroom Management

The Physical Environment of the Classroom

1. Sight, sound, and comfort

Students are profoundly affected by what they see, hear, or feel when they enter the classroom. That is why, if you can, make sure that the classroom is clean, facility provided, and in a calm atmosphere. The key is to make sure the classroom is as comfortable as possible.

2. Seating Arrangement

Make sure that students, as members of group, able to see each other clearly. You should also need to tamper the seating arrangement a little bit when needed.

3. Chalkboard Use

Chalkboard is needed to reinforce information so students will understand more. Make sure the chalkboard is clean and ready to use.

4. Equipment

Make sure that the classroom is provided with equipments you will need to teach, such as electric outlet and projector.

Your Voice and Body Language

One of the first requirement of good teaching is a good voice projection. Clear articulation is more of a key to coprehension than slowed speech. Nonverbal message is also powerful, such as body language. Here are some pointers:

v  Let your body exhibit an air of confidence

v  Reflects optimism, brightness, and warmth in your face

v  Use gesture to enhance meaning

v  Make frequent eye contact

v  Move around the classroom, but not too much

v  Dress appropriately

Unplanned Teaching: Midstream Lesson Change

What if, in the middle of a lesson, your student asks you a question which in the end will lead the entire students into an interesting topic that is very different that the plan you have in mind? Teachers should be prepared to deal with the unexpected. You have to engage with it, keep calm and poise, assess the situation, make a midstream change in your plan, and then allowing the lesson to move on.

Teaching under Adverse Circumstances

No teaching-learning context is perfect, nor there is perfect institution, people, and circumstance. How you deal with them is what makes you success.

1. Teaching Large Classes

The problem of a large class is students’ opportunity to speak is lessened, and the feedback given by teacher is limited. The solutions are making them feel important, assign them interactive work, optimize pair and group work, use peer editing whenever possible.

 2. Teaching Multiple Proficiency in the Same Class

v  Don’t overgeneralize students’ proficiency by labelling them

v  Identify spesific skill and ability of each student

v  Offer choices in individual techniques that vary according to needs and challenge

v  Take advantage of learning center or tutorial laboratories

3. Compromising with the “Institution”

Sometimes, teacher has to teach in an institution that doesn’t meet the ideal standard, or there is a problem with the individua; in charge, or administrative constrains.

ü  Classes that are too large

ü  Physical condition

ü  Courses that are test focused instead of language focused

Teacher needs to compromise in order to handle the problem. Teacher must be ready to bring professional diplomacy and efficiency to bear on the varying degrees of hardship.

4. Discipline

Classroom discipline is a must, even though all of ypur students are hard-working and disciplined! Here are some pointers:

v  Learn to be comfortable with your position of authority

v  Gain the respect of your students by treating them equally

5. Cheating

Cheating is violation of standards of individualized response. Cheating will ruin an assessment. Teacher needs to know why students cheat to prevent cheating. Some techniques can also be used such as putting enough distance for students in a test, or using different type of test.

pic source: Mrs. Shannon

Teacher’s Roles and Styles

1. Roles

A teacher has to play many roles. Know yourself, your limitation and stength, and accept the fact that you are required to play many roles. Then, after you become more and more comfortable with your roles, be consistent.

2. Teaching Styles

Make sure your teaching styles is also consistent. You need to also learn about the strength of your teaching style.

3. Cultural Expectations

Some examples of cultural expectations are teacher expected to have all the answers, suppress emotions, interpret intellectual disagreement as personal disloyalty, so on and so forth. Whenever you teach, you will meet those kind of expectations. Always be sensitive to other’s expectation, but also do what you feel is appropriate. Be ready to compromise your ideal self.

Creating A Positive Classroom Climate

1. Establish Rapport

Rapport is conncetion you establish with your students. Teacher needs to set up the connection by:

ü  Showing interest in each student as a person

ü  Giving feedback

ü  Openly soliciting students’ ideas and feelings

ü  Valuating and respecting students

ü  Working with them as a team

2. Balance Praise and Criticism

A balance between praise and criticism is part of the rapport. Too much or too less will not do any good for the classroom. Genuine praises, when appropriately delivered, will enable students to welcom criticism and respond to it appropriately.

3. Generate Energy

Energy is something that can only be felt. It is an aura of creativity sparked by interaction of students. Energy drives students toward higher attainment. Students and teacher take energy with them when they leave the class and return it the next day.