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Classroom Management Classroom management refers to the techniques teachers use to ensure that lessons run smoothly. Recently it has become more associated with student behaviour in the classroom but it also covers a much wider range of issues that fall into three main categories – the managerial, physical and instructional aspects of the classroom. The managerial aspect: rules, respect and rapport Robert C. Di Giulio (Positive Classroom Management) points out that “students do best when they believe the teacher cares about them”. For this to happen teachers need to show that they are interested in the students and their progress. This involves the 3 ‘r’s of classroom management. From the very first meeting teachers should be engaged in building rapport with their students, getting to know them and their interests and finding out about their personal language learning aims. When teachers also promote a safe atmosphere where students know they will be supported and helped then they will have created a very positive learning environment based on mutual respect. Add to this some rules that are followed consistently and fairly and discipline within the classroom should be fairly straightforward. There may, of course, be occasions where pupils are difficult despite the teacher’s best efforts. Unwanted, disruptive behaviour can occur for many reasons and all avenues to motivate and engage the student have been explored without success then the teacher needs to seek further support and help from more experienced colleagues and their employer. The physical aspect: classroom space When planning lessons teachers need to consider the classroom space. Is there enough room for an activity? Can the furniture be rearranged quickly and easily to change between paired and group work? The amount of light in the classroom is important too. Is it bright and welcoming? What about fresh air – does it get stuffy? These may all seem like trivial matters but they can have major impacts on the learning experience, for example a student may get a bad headache if it is too dark, the class may be lethargic and unresponsive if it is too warm, a game could result in injury due to lack of space. Another important physical aspect to consider is display space. Having their work on show tells students that the teacher is pleased with it, generates a sense of achievement and pride and implies shared ownership of the classroom. All of these factors contribute to increased motivation, a positive learning experience and good discipline during lessons. The instructional aspect: planning and resources For a lesson to be successful it must have clear learning objectives and meet the needs of all students. Teachers need to differentiate lessons appropriately. Tasks that are too hard will demoralize students while those that are too easy will cause boredom and lower motivation. Plans should include how students will be organized during activities, requiring the teacher to be aware of any adverse dynamics in the class and to ensure that dominant students don’t take over. Teachers should provide a good range of authentic and created resources that are interesting, culturally suitable and matched to the students’ levels. These go hand in hand with good plans and help the teacher to overcome expectable problems and avoid chaos in the classroom. Conclusion: For ESL teachers, classroom management can be a difficult part of their work. They do not always use the same classroom. They often have different sizes of class with different ages and abilities of students who can also be from different countries and cultures and speak different languages! These extra elements also need to be considered alongside the above aspects of classroom management if lessons are to run smoothly. Experienced teachers may well find that this becomes easier the longer they teach but it is something that can be extremely daunting for those that are newly qualified. Either way, it is crucially important that all teachers, and especially those who are new to the profession, prepare thoroughly and take enough time to think through their lessons, considering them through the students’ eyes and doing as much as possible to manage their classroom well and thus produce high quality language lessons. Word count: 667 excluding headings. References: Positive Classroom Management, Robert C. Di Giulio, 2007, SAGE-USA Teaching english as a Second or Foreign Language. Jerry Greer Gebhard, 1996, University of Michigan Press The Five Golden Rules of Classroom Management, Shelley Vernon, 08/04/2011 http://www.teachingenglishgames.com/Articles/Classroom_Management.htm