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This unit is about managing classes. It suggests several ways to better manage students, such as by the way the teacher uses eye contact, voice, body position and gestures. One example of this is when the teacher projects his voice and uses expression to capture and hold the students' attention. Regarding gestures, the teacher can use these to increase visual interest and help convey meaning, thus reducing the need for verbal explanation. The unit also discusses several classroom seating arrangements and their advantages and disadvantages. By setting up seats in rows, the teacher can easily see all the students and maintain good eye contact, thus reducing the need for discipline. Setting up seats in circles or horseshoes results in a more intimate, less dominating classroom where students have eye contact with each other, making pair work easier. Seating the students in separate tables facilitates their working in small groups, but may result in more discipline problems because students might feel more a part of these small groups rather than a part of the class as a whole. With regard to how students are organized during a particular classroom lesson, a whole class grouping creates a sense of belonging to the group where the teacher is in control, although reduces the opportunity for student talk time. Allowing students to work on their own allows the teacher to respond to individual differences, is less stressful for students to contribute, but restricts the possibilities for student-to-student interaction. By setting up students to work in pairs, the teacher provides the students with a safe environment for them to share ideas and try things out, oftentimes allowing stronger students to help the weaker ones. Disadvantages to pair work might be a higher level of classroom noise, students reverting to their native language, and students who are forced to work with others they don't like. By instructing students to work in groups, this will likely increase student talk time, encouraging them to cooperate and negotiate in English. The down side to organizing students in groups includes increased noise, taking longer to organize students which slows down activities, and stronger members of the group dominating those who are more passive. The unit also talks about the role of teacher talk time and how it can be minimized. Teacher talk time is important when presenting, checking, modeling and clarifying concepts. Teacher talk time is also necessary for providing comprehensible language input, giving instructions for setting up activities, establishing rapport, and exposing students to natural correct language. Ways a teacher's talk time can be minimized include keeping language simple by using language below the level being taught and avoiding TEFL jargon, as well as using gestures, mime and pictures.
