Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Minnesota? Are you interested in teaching English in Bingham Lake, Minnesota? Check out our opportunities in Bingham Lake, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English in your community or abroad! Teflonline.net offers a wide variety of Online TESOL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Here Below you can check out the feedback (for one of our units) of one of the 16.000 students that last year took an online course with ITTT!
UNIT 5 MANAGING CLASSES
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Classroom management skills is one of the most important factor a teacher must possess as it sets the right ambiance conducive to learning. This unit emphasizes on how to do exactly just that; from building rapport to teaching effectively in a professional manner, from using moderate eye contact and gestural emblems to establish professional confidence and from organizing the class as a whole to maintaining discipline.
I. Eye contact, gesture and the voice - all three are useful factors in establishing rapport with the students, so it is important to use it all in moderation and at the right time because balanced use and execution of these three not only shows a teacher is intelligent but it shows confidence as well.
Here are a few benefits for each factors:
a. Eye contact
> To show that students are involved in the discussion.
> Acts as signal when to start, stop or when to move on.
> To maintain discipline.
b. Gestures
> Convey the meaning of language.
> To add visual interest.
> To reduce the for verbal explanation.
c. The Voice must be clear, must have correct range, variety and projection.
*It is also imperative for the teacher to use a student's name in order to acknowledge them, get their attention and to build a good relationship with them.
II. Grouping students also has its different factors along with its advantages and disadvantages, here are a few of the many aspects that I have kept in mind:
a. Whole-class grouping
Pros > Creates a sense of belonging among the group.
> Allows students to interact with other students.
Cons > Reduces opportunities for student to speak.
> Off-putting for shy students who are more likely and better at working by themselves.
b. Students working on their own.
Pros > Helps the student become more self-reliant.
> Less stressful for students than contributing in front of the whole class.
Cons > Restricts interaction with other students.
c. Pairwork
Pros > Allows students to share ideas and thoughts.
> Quick and easy to organize.
Cons > Can be noisy as everyone the whole class is divided and would create mini worlds in the class that can clash in volume.
d. Groupwork
Pros > Students are able to choose their level of participation.
> Encourages student to negotiate in English.
Cons > Can take longer to organize and get started.
III. Classroom arrangement gives off a relaxed yet helpful to learning and teaching environment for both the teacher and the student. Some factors that needs to be considered are the space available, the type of chairs, the age of the student, their nationality and the student's personality. This must not be overlooked if a teacher wants a comfortable and effective learning environment.
Samples of seating arrangement:
a. Orderly Rows - Traditional. Teacher has a clear view of all the students and all the students can see the teacher.
b. Circles and Horseshoes - Used in smaller classes where the teacher and board are situated at the open end of the arrangement. The teacher's position is less dominating.
c. Separate Tables - Informal. Useful for groupworks and is student-centered.
d. The Teacher's Position - it can indicate what the teacher is about to do and what will be expected of him/her to do with the class.
*When writing on the board, the teacher will need to turn her back to the students but there are a few techniques to reduce the amount of time you spend with your back to the class:
> Use overhead projector.
> Prepare cards with vocabulary.
> Invite the students to write for you.
> Write in small sections.
> Have board work already up before the class starts.
IV. Teacher talking time and student talking - the balance between TTT and STT will depend on the type of activity a teacher is having for the class. The teacher will speak more when presenting, checking, modelling, clarifying, providing language input, giving instructions, setting up activities and establishing rapport. The student will be asked and encourage to talk during activities thaat the teacher will give.
V. Giving Instructions - guidelines for teachers in giving instructions is also important just as important the student's need to follow it correctly and they are as follows: using simple language, being consistent, using visual clues and checking the instructions if it's clear with the student.
* It is very important to keep in mind that establishing rapport and maintaining discipline all at once is the most effective way to teach all kinds of students.
