Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified in Mississippi? Are you interested in teaching English in Wesson, Mississippi? Check out our opportunities in Wesson, 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!
Classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline.
The teacher's use of eye contact can be effective for classroom management in the following ways: show students that they are all involved in the lesson, to indicate who is to speak, to maintain discipline, etc. The use of gesture is another effective tool for class management. The use of gesture can: convey the meaning of the language, increase the pace of a lesson, reduce the need for verbal explanation, etc. The teacher should naturally change his/her voice in different circumstances for effective learning. The pitch and tone of a teacher's voice can be used to get the student's attention, liven up, or relax the class. Using the name of a student is an effective way to: organize activities, acknowledge students, indicate who is to respond, or to get the attention of a student.
Teachers can group students in different ways to make activities most effective such as: whole class grouping, students working on their own, pair work and group work. Different seating arrangements will work best with different group arrangements. Some examples of seating arrangements are: orderly rows, horseshoes/circles, and separate group tables.
The teacher's position in the classroom and if they are standing or sitting plays an important role. Standing is good for the teacher to be able to be seen by all the students, and that all students can see the teacher. Standing allows the teacher to easily move around the classroom to act as a resource or monitor. Sitting can relax the class and make the atmosphere more intimate.
Teachers should know all students' names and make sure all students are equally included in the learning process. Teacher talk time should be kept to a minimum to allow students more time to use and experiment with the language. It's good for teachers to be very clear and precise when giving instructions to reduce teacher talk time and ensure students know how to carry out activities. This also gives students more time to use the language. Giving clear instructions can be done by: using simple language, being consistent, using visual clues, and asking questions to ensure students know what to do.
The general attitude and approach of the teacher is key to establishing and maintaining a good rapport with the students (and between the students themselves). Students will be more likely to contribute in a relaxed atmosphere, thus making them more successful and classes more enjoyable.
Teachers must maintain discipline in the classroom. It is very important for teachers and students to respect each other. Good behavior of the teacher helps to stop problems from arising in the first place like: punctuality, preparedness, consistency, fairness, respect and good rapport with the students. If student behavior problems arise it is important for the teacher to act immediately to keep them from escalating out of control. Teachers should be sure to focus on the behavior, and not the student. The teacher should always maintain self control and refrain from shouting.
I have learned a lot about managing classes during this unit. I think good lesson planning in advance is key for teachers to maintain good management of the class. Well planned and executed lessons can ensure students have the time to get as much exposure to the language as possible. The amount of using and experimenting with the language is maximized with well planned and executed lessons. Teachers should use management strategies to ensure students are equally involved in the learning process, which will help group activities to be more balanced and effective. I think it is very important for teachers to manage classes in a way that promotes a relaxed, playful atmosphere so students feel safe to contribute but also maintain discipline to keep lessons flowing efficiently. A good variety of activities should be used to keep classes interesting, and to promote creativity and experimentation with the language.
