Hialeah Gardens, Florida TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

Managing Classes Many believe that it is necessary to be extroverted to be a teacher, but that is simply untrue. Consequently, each person will develop a different teaching style. Teachers must know how to inspire confidence in students, know when to be firm, know when to give students autonomy and how much autonomy. The key is to find enough flexibility in the role of 'teacher' to be able to change roles in the classroom. Eye contact, gesture, and the voice Eye contact is an important way in which we convey messages to one another. In the classroom, teachers should maintain good eye contact with students in order to maintain good rapport and portray confidence (without being excessive) . Lack of eye contact may inspire the opposite and cause disciplinary problems in the classroom. Some notable ways to use eye contact in the classroom are: • Include the whole class in the lesson • Assess/ensure that students are understanding • Keep students attentive • Maintain discipline Avoid eye contact when students are involved in an activity that is not centered around the teacher. Uses of gestures that are common and internationally understood: • Convey meaning • Class management/instructing • Maintain visual attentiveness Be cautious of using gestures that students may not be familiar with or understand. Establish meaning prior to using gestures that may not be too common. A teacher's voice needs to have the appropriate clarity and range in order to project instructions and explanations in ways that all students can understand. Note that natural inflections in the voice should change throughout the course of the lesson and depending on circumstances. Students will follow the lead of the teacher in the classroom, therefore, you should alter your voice in order to increase the effectiveness of the lesson. Having a dull and monotone voice will bore the students and create disruption in the classroom. Use student names at the end of questions, not at the beginning in order to keep the entire class attentive to the question. Grouping Students Whole-class grouping allows students to interact with all other class members and creates a sense of belonging in the group. This type of grouping is effective for activities that are teacher centered and require the attention of the whole class. It's quick and easy in terms of organizations, although it reduces individual students' chances to speak and can intimidate more shy students. Students working on their own has upsides and downsides, much like all other grouping methods. For example, it gives teachers the chance to evaluate and attend to individual needs and is less stressful for some students than having the spotlight. It also helps students become more autonomous. Nevertheless, it does restrict interaction and sense of relatedness among students. Pairwork significantly increases the amount of time students can talk and interact with one another and gives them a safe environment to try working with the language before having to share with the group. Teachers can respond to individual pairs while the other students are still working. Pairwork is a great opportunity for weaker students to learn from stronger students. Nevertheless, it can be noisy and students may resort to speaking in their native language. Some students would rather have time with the teacher than with another student, or there may be animosity between a pair. On the other hand, group work also increases talking time and student-student interaction and personal problems are not as important than in pairwork. Groupwork allows each student to choose how much they would like to participate, cooperate, and negotiate in English. Of course, it has some downsides; it is likely to become noisy in the classroom thus increasing organization time and activity completion. Decide which types of group work are appropriate for which activity and remember to always mix things up. Classroom arrangement The positioning of the students and yourself are of vast importance in the classroom. Some things that are important to consider include space, types of chairs/tables, student age, nationality, and the personality of your students. You may want to pair weak students with stronger ones for pair-work and include a mixed variety of students. As a teacher you may move students in order to encourage discipline or for the benefit of the class. Remember to be firm but polite, and move students often so that they do not become attached to a certain spot. Always have a reason that is understood and comprehended by the students. Ask the following questions when deciding seating: • Student-teacher relationships (individual) • What is the most effective way to place students so that you can still maintain discipline and control over the class? • What will your role, as a teacher, be in each case? 1. Orderly rows a. Traditional form b. Clear view of all students/teacher c. Effective for lectures d. Whole class activities e. Large classes - often only solution 2. Circles and horseshoes a. Smaller classes b. Teacher and board are at the open end c. Less dominating position (less intimidating for students) d. Helps students focus and engage in the class 3. Separate tables a. Creates informal environment b. Great for groupwork c. Can create problems with discipline d. Difficult to maintain eye contact with whole class 4. Teacher position a. Standing means you will be visible to all students b. Move around with ease c. Can cause tiredness d. May communicate too much dominance to students e. Sitting can create a less formal environment f. Materials right in front of you g. Make the class more intimate Teacher's position/movement during different stages of class: • Language presentation o Stand to engage all students • Giving instructions o Stand - need attention from all students • Reading activities o Students are focused on reading, so sitting is appropriate o Occasionally monitor students • Activate stage o Teacher relaxes control of class o Be available o Put distance between yourself and activity • Controlled practice o Monitor occasionally o Allow students to focus • Checking work in progress o Move about groups without interrupting flow Writing on the board During board work: 1. Teacher will inevitably turn back on the students 2. Reduce amount of time you spend with your back to students a. Use overhead projector b. Vocab cards c. Have students write on the board d. Use student work time to write on the board e. Always have materials (chalk/pens/markers) i. Often they are lost or borrowed, keep track f. Have material on the board prior to the start of class Giving individual attention • Know student names! All of them • Stay after class with students if they need extra help • Don’t cater to one type of student in your teaching • Don’t allow students to 'hog' your attention • Going around the room is not effective because students lose interest due to predictability. • Include all students in any activity. • Do not force students to participate in order to prevent students from feeling picked on. Teacher talking time and student talking time Teacher talking time (TTT) and student talk time (STT) should be balanced and based on the activities, size, and level of the students in a classroom. Teachers will speak in front of the classroom when presenting, providing language input, instructing, establishing rapport. Advantages of TTT 1. Provide natural and correct English 2. Specifically geared to students' ability 3. Comprehensible language input Disadvantages of TTT 1. Reduces student talk time 2. Try to keep TTT minimal 3. Keep in mind how useful it is Avoiding unnecessary TTT • Choose material carefully • Avoid jargon • Use gestures or visual tools • Don't over-explain • Use language that is below student's level • KEEP IT SIMPLE Giving instructions Giving instructions Attract students' attention Don't give out worksheets or anything that will distract students 1. Use simple language 2. Be consistent a. Same words for same instruction 3. Visual cues a. Real objects brought into the classroom (realia) b. Write instructions on board c. Use cue cards d. Give examples! Showing is usually more effective than simply telling. e. Check instructions i. Ask if students understand ii. Ask students to explain things back to you iii. Monitor students Establishing rapport It is imperative to build teacher-student as well as student-student rapport in the classroom in order to have an enjoyable and successful class atmosphere. Practical ways to establish rapport/class spirit: • Create seating arrangements taking into account student relationships • Get to know the students by name and some general information about them. • Students should know one another's names. • Ice breaker at the start of the course • Choose activities that require students to speak to each other and share personal opinions and ideas. • Use pairwork often • Do not let one student dominate the group • Clear instructions • Show personal interest in students • Ask for feedback and be positive! Maintaining discipline Reasons for disruptive behavior 1. Students' age 2. Size of class 3. The atmosphere of the larger institution 4. Respect between teacher and students 5. Motivation of students (do they choose to be there?) When in doubt, it is better to exercise control initially and relax later rather than having to go from less to more control. This is especially true for younger students. What causes problem behavior? Numerous things can cause problem behavior including problems at home, lack of self-esteem, boredom, peer pressure, lack of respect (in any way that may occur), and class size. How do you prevent problem behavior? You should be punctual and well prepared for the lesson. Never let personal feelings influence the way you treat your students. Always show students the same respect you expect from them Be enthusiastic and be sure to never lose your temper. How do you respond to disruptive behavior? • Do something immediately after noticing the problem • Focus on the behavior (rather than the student) • Change classroom dynamic • Stay calm and talk to problem student after class to have a chat • Ask colleagues for help • Be careful not to go over the top with rules