MANAGING THE CLASSROOM

MANAGING THE CLASSROOM

1. Classroom management

   • When we want to manage the class in an effective way, we must be able to handle the different situations in the classroom. Among them the organization of the classroom space, the way that the students work, and how we organise our classroom time. Is also necessary to consider how we use our voice and how we talk to the students.

2. The teacher in the classroom

   • The classroom environment is managed according to the physical presence of the teacher. Our behavior shows a clear effect on the management of the class. The way we stand and move, the way we react to what happens in the classroom, and if we are aware of what is going on.  And that is how we know when teaching is succesful or if the lessons are unsatisfactory.
   • Proximity
     • Teachers need to be conscious on how close they are to the students, because there are some students that feel uncomfortable if the teacher stands in front of them but there are other students that might feel distance as apathy. So the teacher should analyze the students' reaction to know how to behave.
   • Awareness
     • The teacher has to be aware of what students are doing, this includes if they are watching and  listening carefully. For the students to learn a language is necessary that the teacher keeps in contact with them. But as teachers is also necessary self-awareness of our behavior and undertand how our students see us in order to succed in the development of the class.
   • Appropriacy
     • As teachers we must consider how we can behave in a way which is appropriate to the students, how we are teaching and the relationship that we want to establish with them, so we have to decide how close we should be with them. It means that the way we sit and stand in classrooms is crucial because if we want to  manage a class efectively we must create a friendly atmosphere.
   • Movement
     • Where we spend our time class depends on our personal style. Some of the teachers keep in front of the class just moving side to side or in the middle which can be bored for students. Others spend their time class striding up and down the aisles between the chairs, but teachers who are constantly in motion but that makes students exhausted because they keep moving their heads side to side.

3. Using the voice

   • One of our most importart instrument is our voice. The way we talk to the students and the tone is }very crucial of the impact that we cause in the class. There are three important issues to take into account.
   • Variety
     • According to the type of lesson or activity teachers must vary their volume and tone of voice. When giving instructions or introducing to a new activity is different to a conversation. Also when they want to get the students' attention vary from teacher to teacher, some use very loud voices but others talk softly, so they will want to stop to listen to the teacher. 
   • Conservation
     • The teachers have to demonstrate that they are relaxed, therefore, it is important to breathe correctly, and in that way they can conserve their vocal energy, because conserving the voice is one of the things teachers will take into account when planning a day's or a week's work.
   • Audibility
     • Teachers, must be audible by the students at the back of the classroom as those that are in front, taking into account that shouting is not necessary to be audible, because good voice projection is more important than volume, but in the other hand is also unpleasant  speaking softly, because both are unhelpful for the students. 

4. Talking to students

   • The language is a skill that teachers and parents have in common, and the way that the talk to the children and interact with them is very different because of the kind of relationship that they have.  They are constantly of the effect of their words so they are able to adjust their language use.  Language, teachers need to be aware of three things. Firstly, they should consider the kind of language that students are able to understand. Secondly they need to think about what they want to say to the students and the best way to do it. And thirdly, they must consider the manner in which they will speak.

5. Giving instructions

   • When we give instructions to the students, the way we talk to them is crucial, because if they do not understand what they have to do because if we are not clear, even the best activity will be a waste if time.  There are two important rules when giving instructions: they must be keep as simple as possible, and they must be logical. And teachers must keep checking that the students have understood.

6. Using the L1

7. Student talk and teacher talk

8. Creating lesson stages

9. Different seating arrangements

   • Orderly rows
   • Circle and horseshoes
   • Separate tables

10. Different student groupings

    • Groupwork and pairwork
    • Whole class
    • Solowork
    • Class-to-class