TESOL Dublin

This unit gave some very good advice for classroom management. It discussed the importance of first impressions and creating a good rapport between and with students on the first day of class. It touched on the importance of introductory games, warmers at the beginning of classes, and many possible issues that could come up in a class. For example, there will often be students who don't participate as much as the teacher would like. This can be cultural or could be a lack of confidence or something else. The teacher can use group work, pair work, and other interactive activities that don't put reluctant students on the spot too much. There is also often an issue of the students being at different levels within a class, and the students progressing at different paces. This can be handled in a variety of ways, and the best way is often to combine strategies. For example, stronger students can be placed with weaker students, stronger students can be divided into a separate group from the weaker students, and the stronger students can be given extra material to practice or more complex worksheets and tasks. The use of the home language can also arise in the classroom, and this is generally not malicious, but often the result of confusion, lack of comfort with English, or could be a way to more efficiently clarify directions with classmates among other reasons. Overall the teacher should be patient, aware, and in tune with the class in order to manage the classroom efficiently and effectively.