Achieving Good Class Management

3**.6 Achieving Good Class Management** To be successful in achieving good class management, the teacher must pay attention to two qualities namely: authority and efficiency. Authority: Without authority any management is bound to collapse. If everyone does what he pleases chaos will result and wo...

3**.6 Achieving Good Class Management** To be successful in achieving good class management, the teacher must pay attention to two qualities namely: authority and efficiency. Authority: Without authority any management is bound to collapse. If everyone does what he pleases chaos will result and work is impossible. As a teacher there are things you must do if you are to command respect from your students. a. Maintain your dignity: do not lower your dignity by getting involved in argument or physical struggle with your students. Be a good example of what you will like your students to admire. Avoid trying to be too popular with the students it is the mark of a weak character. b. Be consistent: Do not be strict with discipline one day and slack another. Do not show favouritism to any pupil, in dealing with misbehaviour, be just, and fair and do not allow your emotions to control your actions. Never take action over a child if you have lost your temper; wait until you have regained it. Respect the children and their rights. Remember that even the most dirty, unlovable child has as much right to kindness as any other. A sympathetic and understanding attitude to children is not a sign of weakness but of strength. c. Be firm: Your authority will quickly be lost if you appear to be uncertain in your decisions. Do not tell children what you want them to do apologetically, but speak to them in decisive tones showing that you expect obedience. When teaching a class for the first time it is better to be too firm than too easy. It is easier to slacken the degree of strictness than to increase it once authority has been lost. If an offence or disorder occurs, act at once. Delay may be interpreted by the children as weakness. That is not to say that you must deal with the offender at once. It may be sufficient to say to him that you will see him later, if you say so, be sure that you do. An un-kept promise is a lost point. Never make a threat without carrying it out. d. Use punishments and rewards wisely: Punishments should aim at stopping and correcting a practice which has begun and is bad. Rewards should he used to acknowledge success and effort. They can also be used as incentives. Punishments should never be so light that they become ridiculous and rewards should never be so easy to get that they lose their worth. Children, trained well, should outgrow the need for punishments or rewards. Never allow punishments to become a form of revenge. Their object must always be to correct and reform. Children can become hardened to punishment if too frequently or undeservingly given, so always make your punishments are appropriate not only to the offence but to the offender. Do not use big punishments for little offences. You do not need to shoot a mosquito to kill it', or as someone has put it in another way, Don't use your trumps on trifles'. e. Be self-critical: By trying to see yourself as the children see you, you will be spared embarrassment in many situations. To carry authority, you must be aware of both your strong and your weak points. Personal mannerisms and undesirable character traits are what you must be most careful about. Mannerisms may make you an object of ridicule to the children and bad character will undermine any respect the children have for you. You should also use your common sense. Sometime as a joke or to escape punishment, children will try to fool you. Do not allow yourself to be fooled. Use your judgment. There's no fool like an old fool'. **3.7 SUBJECT METHODS** Grouping of students for science teaching can be as follows: i. Large group --- 60 and above ii. Medium group --- 40-55 iii. Small group below --- 40 iv. Individual --- 1 There are various methods of teaching suitable for the various groups of students, the teacher's needs to identify the groups and appropriate method for the impacting knowledge, skill and attitude, during teaching and learning activities. The resources that are at the disposal of the teacher should be an important guide in the choice of teaching methods. Where there are no materials and equipment for school laboratory experiments, individual laboratory activity cannot be expected to be effective. In other words, the selection of methods for science teaching should be based on the instructional resources available for an effective use of method. One clue that can be taken from the above guidelines is that science teachers should not be dogmatic in their choice of methods for class teaching; they should change or vary their methods as many times as the need arises. It is quite possible for a teacher to introduce his lesson with one method, and then goes on to change his method when the lesson is being developed. And, in ending his lesson, the teacher may introduce yet a different method; the frequency with which we change our methods of teaching should depend on the concept, skill or attitude that is being developed in the pupils. Several methods exist that science teachers use in presenting scientific information, principle or skill to the pupils. However, the methods that are frequently used include- 1. Lecture or talk-chalk' method 2. Demonstration method 3. Discovery (guided inquiry and unguided inquiry methods) 4. Discussion method 5. Laboratory activity method 6. Project method 7. Individualized learning method 8. Field trip/excursion **3.7.1 Lecture Method** Lecture method can also be referred to as chalk and talk, expository, conventional, and traditional method. The lecture method is the most popularly used by teachers in our schools. 80% of science information received by students from their teachers is through the lecture method. The reason for that is the fact that our educational system put so much emphasis on paper qualifications which are earned through public examination. Science teachers embrace lecture method because it leads to an easy coverage of the school syllabus. Therefore, rote learning is emphasized rather than meaningful learning. Lecture method as it is traditionally used in our schools involves verbal presentation of ideas, concept, among others. The objective of using lecture method is to stuff the students with information. The teacher does much of the activities in form of talking while the students are passive or slightly involved. Lecture method can be used effectively by following these criteria. **Guideline for effective use of lecture method** 1. Clear and good command of language 2. Ability to write and illustrate clearly and boldly on the chalk board. 3. Support the lecture method with appropriate teaching materials and strategies. **Merits of Lecture Method** a. It allows easy coverage of the syllabus. b. It is less costly. c. It can be used to take care of a large class. d. It is used in emphasizing concept on particular information. e. It is not time consuming compared to other methods. **Demerits of Lecture Method** Like other methods of science teaching, lecture method has it short coming which are: a. It does not produce meaningful learning of science as it appeals to only the sense of hearing. Learning based on hearing alone leads to forgetting b. Most of our class in school consists of mixed ability groups. In each, the ability of students varies very much therefore lecture method cannot meet the different needs of individual student. Some students learn better through manipulation of objects while others learn easily through hearing and seeing. c. The most visible limitation of lecturer method is that the student becomes restless, disruptive or bored. **3.7.2 Discussion Method** Discussion means talking over subjects. It is student-centred. In using the discussion method, the teacher's role is not to dispense knowledge or communicate knowledge but to act as a moderator (i.e. facilitator). Discussion is based on the philosophy that "knowledge arises from individual and not from any external source" Discussion implies that every student has background information that provides him with view point for the discussion. It is not proper for the teacher to ask students to discuss what they know nothing about. During discussion students should be able and allowed to say their view point and should be motivated by the teacher's questions which make them reason rather than recall. Also, the teacher should not distract or influence students view point. **Guidelines for the Use of Discussion Method** i. The topic under discussion should be at the students' level since it is student centered. ii. Students must have previous knowledge/idea of the topic to be discussed. iii. The teacher should be a good moderator; he should allow many students participations. iv. The teacher should make correction where necessary. v. Discussion should start with questions; as such, the teacher's question should not be vague. vi. The teacher should frequently summarize the discussion in order to guide students toward understanding the main concept and principle. vii. Anyone who leads the discussion weather the teacher or student requires thorough knowledge of the topic to be discussed. **Merits of Discussion Method** i. Discussion method can be used to introduce a lesson thereby motivating Students' interest. ii. Using discussion method, there is development of inter---personal relationship for example, student---student interaction, teacher--- student interaction. iii. Discussion method provides students with a sense of confidence. iv. Students gain knowledge on their own through active participation therefore, it makes learning permanent and meaningful. v. Discussion method develop communication skills on the students through improvement of language and verbal expression. **Demerits of Discussion Method** 1. It is time consuming. 2. It does not allow for easy coverage of syllabus. 3. Some topics lend themselves to discussion while other do not. 4. Students who lack background knowledge may be bored and disinteresting. 5. If the topic under discussion is not stimulating enough, the student become less motivated, restless and un-involved.