Combined TESOL Lessons

Classroom ManagementClassroom management is a term usually used by teachers when referring to handling students in class to be able to produce a smooth flowing discussion. This includes handling various personality types of students inside the classroom setting. As we go through this research, terms may need to be defined. Classroom is a term used to conduct classes especially in a classroom and management means the act of controlling or directing. For this purpose, management refers to issues of supervision, refereeing, facilitating, and even academic discipline. Not all students have the same personality and attention that they need to have in class. According to Moskowitz & Hayman (1976), once a teacher loses control of their classroom, it becomes increasingly more difficult for them to regain that control. Also, research from Berliner (1988) and Brophy & Good (1986) shows that the time that teacher has to take to correct misbehavior caused by poor classroom management skills results in a lower rate of academic engagement in the classroom. From the student’s perspective, effective classroom management involves clear communication of behavioral and academic expectations as well as a cooperative learning environment. The students in the class need motivation, discipline and attention in class. As per George Evans, “Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way”. It is the teacher’s responsibility to give the appropriate knowledge to students; however, it should be in accordance with the student’s ability and paced in a timely manner. The teacher needs to take hold of the responsibility to direct the class by imposing rules to be followed. Classroom management and management of student conduct are skills that teachers acquire and hone over time. These skills are not acquired and gained without years of experience. Effective teaching is also about facing all the problems and possible trials and tasks that the teacher will encounter in everyday classes. Effective classroom management skills are very important to teaching and require "common sense," consistency, a sense of fairness, and courage. The teacher should also be able to develop skills that can understand not only the mental ability of the students but so as their psychological and developmental skills. The skills associated with effective classroom management are only acquired with practice, feedback, and a willingness to learn from mistakes. When a teacher willingly learns and is open to criticism, this classroom management will be at its best. As a teacher, based on my personal experiences and from previous researches, beginning teachers have a hard time dealing with students with different personalities and as well as creating a good environment which is conducive for learning. It is also very difficult to establish rapport when the students are not yet very familiar of the teacher. As the teacher gains more experience, he will be equipped with the proper skills as to how to deal with these situation and also how to deal with this. Since dealing with students of different personalities is really difficult, it requires patience and perseverance and skills of the teacher. There are various strategies that a teacher can implement in the class to create a good environment for learning. The room is very important to create an environment which is conducive to learning. The atmosphere inside the room should be light and good. Materials should be well arranged and readily available for use as well the student’s arrangement. The arrangement should be done in a way that the students will be able to see the teacher clearly without any barriers. Keeping the room decorated can also help attract the student’s attention. Before beginning the course, rules and regulations that the teacher wants to enforce in the class should be laid and explained well to students. The teacher should always be consistent with the ruled being set and willing to implement the said rules for the class. Any mistakes done in class should be dealt with according to the rules being set. Successive mistakes can also imply poor classroom management so the teacher must also be aware of these situations. Any misleading attitude should be observed and monitored from time to time to prevent further misunderstandings and more serious problems. It is very important also to build a bond with your students. Simply by making eye contact with the students is enough to deliver the message that you want to say if you have established a deeper sense of teacher-student relationship with your students. Indeed, nobody is perfect. A teacher also commits mistakes in the classroom. In an effort to resolve problems occurring in the class, the teacher may unconsciously aggravate the problem. Students, as individual beings, have different needs and a teacher should know that. They require different levels of understanding and a teacher should be flexible at times. If the approach being incorporated in class is not working, there is no room for frustration. Instead, it should be a challenge for a teacher to do well and find more interesting activities that would benefit the whole class. Shouting or raising one’s voice in class in not important. Better yet, find more interesting activities to gain the student’s interest. As per the chinese proverb, “Even the longest journey starts with a single step”. A teacher, though new in class, must learn to make a start even though how unsure the future will turn out to be, or where the class is heading. If you don’t take the first step, you’ll never get anywhere and be successful. We must remember what Robert Hutchins said that “It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts... it is to teach them to think, if that is possible, and always to think for themselves.” We, as teachers, don’t only think that we are giving knowledge to our students but also most importantly we are giving values for them to uphold and keep within themselves. This is why teaching is a profession and will always be a vocation. We give more than what we thought is enough for our students. The real essence of being a teacher is to have the chance to teach the essence of being a person to an ordinary human being.