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Here’s what I’ve learnt while reading the fifth unit. First, I read that classroom Management is the skill of organizing and managing the class. Good eye contact in class is important when we want to establish a good rapport with the students. Teachers who never looks the students in the eyes will appear to lack confidence and could have problems with discipline. On the other hand, staring at the students is not productive. I also read that good eye contact can be used for the following reasons : • To show students that they are all involved in the lesson. • To ensure that students understand what they are supposed to do and what is going on. • To indicate who is to speak. • To encourage contributions. • To hold the attention of students who are not being addressed. • To maintain discipline. • To signal students to start, stop or get a move on. • To indicate that something is correct or incorrect. • To check that everybody is participating. It’s also important to keep in mind that eye contact should be avoided during any activity that is not teacher-centered. I’ve also learnt that good use of gestures can be useful in the following ways: • Convey the meaning of language • Manage the class • To add visual interest • To increase the pace of the lesson • To reduce the need for verbal explanation Teachers also need to bear in mind that gestures should only be used if their meanings are obvious. I also read that a teachers voice needs to have the correct clarity, range, variety or projection or it will be difficult to make the explanations understood to everyone. Their voice should also change naturally according to the circumstances. Effective teachers will also adapt the complexity of their language to suit the level of the students. A lesson can also be livened up or quietened down by an alteration in the teacher's volume and the greater the variation, the greater the effectiveness. A monotone tone is prone to create boredom. On the other head, I read that students names can be used when a teacher wants to: • organize an activity • acknowledge the students • indicate who is to answer or respond • get the attention of a student The name of a student should not be used at the start of a question though. This keeps the class alert, as they do not know who will have to answer. I’ve also learnt, after reading the fifth unit, that there is no limit to the way teachers can group students. However, factors such as class size and furniture can be problematic. Below are the many types of grouping a teacher can use. The first one is called whole-class grouping. The pros are the following : • Creates a sense of belonging among the group. • Allows students to interact with any other class members. • Suitable for activities where the teacher needs to be in control/have the attention of the class as a whole. • Quicker and easier organization. The cons, however, are the following : • Reduces opportunities for students to speak. • Can be off-putting to shy students who may not wish to participate in front of the whole class. The second type of grouping is when students work on their own. The advantages of this are go as follows : • Allows teachers to respond to individual differences in pace of learning, ability etc. • Less stressful for students than contributing in front of the whole class. • Helps the student become more self-reliant. The main disadvantage, however is that it restricts opportunities for student to student interaction and group belonging. Another type of grouping I read about is pairwork. The pros are the following : • Dramatically increases opportunity for student talking time and student to student interaction. • Allows teacher to work with certain pairs while others continue working. • Gives students a safe environment to try out ideas before sharing with the group. • Allows students to share ideas and thoughts. • Allows stronger students to help and support weaker ones. • Allows students to share responsibility for work and removes the burden from the individual. • Quick and easy to organize. On the other hand, the cons go as follows : • Can be rather noisy. Students may try to revert back to their native language and avoid using English. • Some students prefer to communicate only with the teacher and don't like interacting with another student. • Students may find themselves working with a partner they don't particularly like. Groupwork is another type of grouping. The main advantages are described below : • Like pair-work, it can visibly increase student talking time and student to student interaction. • Personal problems are less problematic than in pairs. • Encourages students to cooperate and negotiate in English. • Students are able to choose their level of participation. However, teachers need to bear the following disadvantages in mind : • Sometimes is very noisy. • Can take longer to organize and get started. • The exchange of ideas among group members can slow activities down too much. • Some group members may dominate and passive students don't get adequate opportunity to participate. Finally, I read that, wen teachers group the class, they need to take the class size and type of activity under consideration and it is a good idea, where possible, to create as much variety as possible in order to allow students active participation, specially during the study and activate stages. During my reading of Unit 5, I also read about classroom arrangement and learned that the way teachers organize the position of the students and their own is very important and depends on the following : • Space available • Type of chairs/tables • Age of the students • Nationality • Student personality In other words, teachers have the authority to move the students for the benefit of an activity, cohesion or discipline. This should be done firmly but politely, and from the start of the course, so that the students do not get too used to sitting in one place. Teachers also need to keep in mind, when moving students, that there must be some purpose to it that the students can see. I’ve also learnt that the following factors need to be taken under consideration when grouping students : • Teacher/student relationships on how it is likely to vary. • The way it will affect the atmosphere. • How it can make it easier for the teacher to maintain control over the class. • In which situation will the teacher dominate and what will the teacher’s role be when he does or doesn't. • What would be the most suitable arrangement for the students to be able to talk to each other. • Which arrangements will allow the students to communicate without interfering with the teacher. • How the size of the group will affect the arrangement. • What activities might be suitable for each possible arrangement. I also read that orderly rows let the teachers have a clear view of all the students and allows the students to see them. The pros are the following : It makes lecturing easy, It enables the teacher to maintain eye contact It helps reduce discipline problems. Finally, teachers need to bear in mind that If the rows are well-organized, they should be able to move freely around the classroom. Another way to arrange classes is circles and horseshoes in which the teacher's position is less dominating and where there is less of a feeling that a student is at the front or back of the class. This type of arrangement is often used in smaller classes and it makes pair work easier. It also allows students to have eye contact with the other class members. I also read about a type of arrangement where the teachers separate the tables. When students are seated in small groups at individual tables, the classroom becomes even more informal. This is particularly useful for group work but can create discipline problems. In the fifth unit, I also read about the teacher’s position in the classroom. I learned that students are often sensitive to it. Whether the teacher is sitting or standing will also have a significant impact and inform the students about the following : • What kind of activity it is. • What the teacher's role will be. • What the students are expected to do. When the teachers stand, they can be seen by all students, move around and easily control the class. However, the teachers must avoid standing too much as it can it can be tiring and make the students feel dominated. On the other hand, if the teachers sit, they are slightly relaxing control. They can also have their material at hand and make the atmosphere feel more intimate. When they monitor the students work though, they need to try to do so without intruding or stopping the flow. Finally, I’ve learnt about what the teacher’s position should be during the following lesson stages : • During language presentation, the teacher will probably want the attention of the whole class, so standing is the best option. While giving instructions, the teacher needs to stand in order to get the attention of all students. • During reading activities, there is no real need for the teachers to dominate. Sitting and occasional monitoring would be appropriate. • During the Activate stage, the teachers need to sit, relax control completely and be available if needed. • During controlled practice, teachers need to monitor occasionally while allowing the students to focus on the activity most of the time. • While checking work in progress, teachers will want to stand so they can move from group to group once again without intruding or stopping the flow. Another section the fifth unit was about is teachers writing on the board. Teachers cannot avoid turning their back completely, but there a number of ways in which they can reduce the amount of time they spend with their back to the class.The most common ones are the following : • Use an overhead projector if possible. • Prepare cards with vocabulary. • Invite the students to write on the board. • Write on the board whilst students are engaged on a different task. • Write in small sections and turn around to face the class every now and again. • Make sure that they always have chalk, board markers and erasers to hand . • Have board work already up before the class starts and if they don't want the students to see this immediately, they can cover it until it's needed. In the fifth unit, the author provided information about the moments when teachers give individual attention. Here’s what they need to bear in mind when they do so : • They must make sure to know all the students names. • If necessary, they need to spend more time with students who do not understand or who cannot do the task while keeping the other students occupied. • They must not teach exclusively to the strong or weak students. • They must not ask students questions in order as it is predictable and they will not pay attention until they have to. • They need to avoid having individual students putting all the attention of the teacher or the class on themselves. • They need to make sure to remember to include all students equally. • If students do not want to, or cannot contribute, it may be better to let them remain silent and, in order to help them build confidence, to ask them simple questions that are likely to be able to answer correctly. I also found out, in the fifth unit, that TTT stands for “teacher talking time” and STT for “student talking time”. I read that the balance between the two largely depends on the type of lesson or activity, and on the level of the students. I also learned that in the classroom, the teacher will speak more when : • Presenting, checking, modelling or clarifying. • Providing language input. • Giving instructions, setting up activities. • Establishing rapport. The other thing I learned is that a vital component of learning a language is exposure to it therefore TTT is very important. It is a source of natural and correct English specifically geared to the students ability. The disadvantage of TTT however, is that it reduces the amount of time available for students to speak and teachers should therefore try to keep TTT to minimal levels. I read that the following strategies are useful when trying to avoid unnecessary TTT : • Teachers must choose carefully the language for explanations and instructions. • They need to avoid TEFL jargon. • They must use gestures, mime or pictures. • They should not over-elaborate. • They must use a language that is at or below the level being taught. I also learned that, in order for teachers to make their instructions effective, they need to : • Attract the student's attention. • Make sure everyone is listening and not working. They must also not give out handouts that may distract attention. It is also important for teacher to be consistent. They need to use the same set of words for the same instruction and they must teach beginners the necessary language for following instructions. On the other hand, using visual clues is also important. The teachers might often need it to reinforce instructions. Writing the instructions on the board is one common way to do it. They can also use cue cards or give demonstrations. Making sure that the students understand the instructions is also really important. Teachers must ask questions in order to check by themselves and avoid asking the students direction if they understand. They also need to monitor them to see if they are following correctly. Teachers need to ask questions to confirm that the students understand the instructions. "Do you understand?" is not an acceptable question as it does not check. Asking students to explain back to you is far more effective and does check if they have understood. They also need to monitor to see if they are following instructions correctly. Establishing rapport is another subject that was highlighted in Unit 5. Rapport between the teacher and students plays an important part in determining if a class is successful and enjoyable. Students are more likely to take part in the lessons when the atmosphere is relaxed. Here are some practical ways for teachers to help establish rapport and class spirit: • When making seating arrangements, they must be aware of which students get on well together and which do not. • They need to make sure the students know each other's names and a little basic information about each other. • At the beginning of a course, they need to have an ice breaking activity. • They must choose material and activities that involve the students talking to each other and sharing personal opinions or ideas. • They need to use plenty of pair-work and group-work activities. • They must change pairs frequently so that students have a chance to work with a variety of people. • The students must be encouraged to help each other. • The students must sometimes correct each other. • Teachers must not let individual students dominate the group or the teacher. • They need to make sure to not supply everything themselves, to elicit from the students and get them involved. • The instructions they give must be clear. • They must look as if they enjoy the job. • They need to have the right manner. • They must be positive in everything they do. • Personal interest in the students must be demonstrated. • Activities must be personalized to student's surroundings or interests. • They need to ask for comments and opinions from the students. • They have to smile. In another part of the unit, I read about how teachers must maintain discipline. The degree to which they will have to maintain discipline will largely depend upon these factors: • Age of the students. • Reasons for learning. • Whether the students want to be here or not. • Class size. • Principles and atmosphere of the school. • Respect between students and teacher. It is important that the teacher strikes the correct balance between exercising control and encouraging a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that leads to learning. When in doubt, it is better to lean towards control initially as it is much easier to relax control than to exert it. I also found out that there are many reasons that can lead to problem behaviour. These can often include: • Family problems. • Low self-esteem. • Boredom. • Peer pressure. • Lack of respect for the teacher or other students. • Class size. Teachers don't have control over some of them. However, for the rest, many disciplinary issues can be prevented. Teachers can help stop problems arising in the first place if: • They are punctual. • They are well prepared. • They are consistent and fair. • They do not let personal feelings influence their treatment of students. • They never make threats that they cannot or are not prepared to carry out. • They return homework promptly. • They never lose their temper. • They show the same respect for their students as they expect from them. • They make their lessons interesting and varied. • They are enthusiastic about their teaching. • They establish rapport with the students. On the other hand, if teachers were not able to prevent problem behaviour, here’s what they need to do : • They must act immediately and not wait for the problem to worsen. This could simply involve stopping and looking at the student. However, sometimes stronger action may be necessary. • They need to focus on the behaviour and not the student. • They have to change the classroom dynamic and reseat the students if necessary or appropriate. • They must keep calm and remember that shouting almost never helps. • They need to keep the problem student behind after class and reprimand in private. • They have to keep to the school's disciplinary code and avoid making threats that they cannot enforce. • They must use the knowledge of their colleagues. They have probably been in the same situation before and should be able to offer suggestions. • They have to bear in mind that it's also possible, in some contexts, to enforce the rules a bit too much.