Young Learners Course: How to Handle Mixed Groups PDF

Young Learners Course How to handle mixed groups Children come in all types A primary school teacher was asked to list some of the differences she noticed among her pupils. Here is what she had to say: My pupils differ in their… Perception of the language Relationship with the teac...

Young Learners Course How to handle mixed groups Children come in all types A primary school teacher was asked to list some of the differences she noticed among her pupils. Here is what she had to say: My pupils differ in their… Perception of the language Relationship with the teacher Family background Types of intelligence Interests Gender Attitude and motivation for learning Experience of the world There are many ways in which a class of pupils differ, quite apart from academic ability. For example, if there are more boys than girls in the class, it may affect the participation of the girls. The economic background of the children’s family will affect their attitude to schooling in general. An important question to consider is whether and how to respond to these differences. Managing classes of mixed ability children As all classes contain children with different abilities and characteristics teachers find different ways to cope depending on the resources available and the situation in which they teach. Some suggestions are: Use group teaching – group pupils according to abilities. Give differentiated tasks, i.e. activities designed to suit particular levels/needs. Give attention to different groups at different times Vary teaching/learning methods to include activities like problem solving, games, stories etc. 1 Many teachers find that catering for differences in learning is very challenging. Some of the challenges are: It consumes lot of time to devise different activities to cater to different groups. Allocation of time and attention given to different groups. Insufficient time to cater to all the different needs. It is difficult to aim the lesson at the right level in the presentation stage. Pupils’ lack of interest or low ability in certain skills and certain types of activities. Meeting the challenges – Some useful suggestions Planning differentiated activities It does take time but this has to be weighed against the satisfaction of seeing children make progress at their level. One way of reducing the problem is to collaborate with other teachers or to develop a materials bank which contains activities at different levels for particular lessons. Giving enough time to different groups Plan your time so that every day you allocate a certain amount of time to work with particular groups. During a lesson the teacher can work with each group for an equal amount of time. So if there are four groups and the lesson lasts an hour the teacher will work with each group for about 15 minutes. Other pupils will work on activities set by the teacher either individually, in pairs or in groups. The groups rotate at the end of 10 minutes with approximately 5 minute for change over. The teacher can select a monitor from a group which has completed an activity to explain to another group how to do it. Children can check their own answers. Here is an example 10:00-10:10 Setting up of groups, briefing for class monitors Group Red Blue Green Gold 10:10 -10:20 Teaching Dictionary work: Individual or Cross word group: teacher activity based on paired story activity tells story. previous lesson reading 10:25- 10:35 Draw and color Teaching group: Dictionary work: Individual or teacher tells activity based on paired story 2  story. previous lesson reading 10:40-10:50 Listen and write Draw and color Teaching group: Dictionary work: teacher tells activity based on story. previous lesson 10:55-11:05 Draw and write Listen and write Draw and color Teaching group: teacher tells story. 11:05-11:10 Teacher checks on group progress, monitors help. Catering for all the different needs Set work which children can start during class hours and finish off at home. Alternatively, gradually prepare a bank of self- access materials in particular problem areas at a range of levels. You can cut up old workbooks and adapt activities. Children can also make activities, if you provide them with a model to work from. Once or twice a week, children can work with a peer to practice a particular skill. This could also be a useful area for collaborative material design or adaptation with other English teachers. In this strategy, children work together with a partner or buddy. Slower or weaker pupils can be paired with a stronger partner for some activities. For example, getting one pupil to listen to another pupil read a story book provides excellent practice for pupils who may be slow or lacking in confidence in their reading in the early stages. Aiming your lesson at the right level One possibility is to introduce an activity to the whole class and demonstrate what is required very clearly, involving pupils so that everyone gets the time to observe the procedure and work out their activities. Then they work in mixed ability groups or pairs to complete the task. If one group faces a problem then the group that has successfully completed the task helps them to do it. Catering for pupils’ lack of interest or ability Lack of interest may mean that the child has a problem in a particular aspect of the language. He will therefore dislike activities involving that particular skill. So the first step is to find out what the problem is. This will help to adapt activities to provide more support and time to work with that learner. 3 The following is an example of how a particular activity can be adapted to suit various proficiency levels: 4 GROUP WORK The importance of group work in a language classroom cannot be stressed upon enough. Group work is grounded in research principles and is a successful technique in teaching and learning. 5 The advantages of group work are: It generates interactive language. Small groups provide opportunities for student initiation, for face-to-face give and take, for extended conversational exchanges and for student adoption of roles that would otherwise be impossible. It offers an embracing affective climate: The small group provides security. Individual students are not on public display and are vulnerable to what the student perceives as criticism or rejection. The small group becomes a community of learners cooperating with each other in pursuit of a common goal. It promotes learner responsibility and autonomy: It is difficult to hide in a group because the group places responsibility for action and progress upon each member somewhat equally. Some points to consider while doing group work: The teacher is no longer in control of the class. Students will use their native language. Student’s errors will be reinforced in small groups. Teachers cannot monitor all groups at once. Some learners prefer to work alone. Typical group activities: Games Role play and simulations Drama Projects Interview Brainstorming Problem solving and decision making. Planning Group Work Introduce the technique – it can be a brief explanation and should include statement of the ultimate purpose. 6  Model the technique – especially for a new task it is always advisable to make sure that the students know what exactly they have to do. Give explicit detailed instructions – after the students know the purpose and have seen how they might proceed, give specific instructions which may be: A restatement of the purpose, Rules that they are to follow, A time frame, Assignment of roles to students. Divide the class into groups – this will not just be counting off them into equal number groups but will be affected by: Proficiency levels Age or gender Personality type Cognitive developmental stages Interests Prior learning experiences. Check for clarification – before students start moving into groups check to make sure they thoroughly understand their assignment. Set the task in motion. Some dont's: Don’t sit at your desk and grade papers. Don’t leave the room and take a break. Don’t spend an undue amount of time with one group at the expense of others. Don’t correct students’ errors unless asked to do so. Don’t assume a dominating or disruptive role while monitoring groups. Activities and ideas courtesy: Children learning English by Jayne Moon. Further Reading: Cooperative language learning and affective factors by Jo Ann Crandall ESL Teacher’s Activities Kit by Elizabeth Claire Young Learners Course 7 Classroom Management There are many different practices that are used for good classroom management. Here is one teacher's opinion. As with all classroom management practices, adapt what you like to your classroom, taking account the age, ethnicity, and personality of the class as a group, and of you as a teacher. Maintaining good order in classrooms is one of the most difficult tasks facing young inexperienced teachers. The task has become more difficult over the past few decades as young people's attitudes to people in authority have changed dramatically. Some of the changes have led to greater self-confidence in students. Others--such as the acceptance of violence to achieve ends, attitudes to substance abuse and an increasing lack of respect for authority- - have made classroom management and life in school generally more difficult, and more demanding, on those who are charged with maintaining a positive learning environment. Many disruptive behaviors in the classroom can be alleviated before they become serious discipline problems. Such behaviors can be reduced by the teacher's ability to employ effective organizational practices. Such practices are at the heart of the teaching process and are essential to establishing and maintaining classroom control. The following set of organizational practices should help to establish effective control of the classroom by the teacher: Get off to a good start. The first "honeymoon" encounter between the teacher and the students is when they formulate their impressions of the teacher. Students sit quietly, raise their hands to respond and are generally well-behaved. The teacher is easily misled into thinking that this is an ideal class and may relax the vigilance. Students within a week will begin to test the waters to see what they can "get away with". It is during this period that the effective teacher will establish the expected ground-rules for classroom 8  behavior. Learning School Policies. Prior to meeting the class for the first time, the teacher should become familiar with school policies concerning acceptable student behavior and disciplinary procedures. The teacher should definitely know what the school expects from both student and teacher in regard to discipline. Establishing Rules. Establish a set of classroom rules to guide the behavior of students at once. Discuss the rationale of these rules with the students to ensure they understand the need for each rule. Keep the list of rules short. The rules most often involve paying attention, respect for others, excessive noise, securing materials and completion of homework assignments. Over-planning Lessons. "Over-plan" the lessons for the first week or two. It is important for the teacher to impress on the students from the outset that he or she is organized and confident of their ability to get through the syllabus. Learning Names. Devise a seating arrangement whereby students' names are quickly learned. Calling a student by his or her name early in the year gives the student an increased sense of wellbeing. It also gives a teacher greater control of situations. "JOHN, stop talking and finish your work" is more effective than "Let us stop talking and finish our work". Be Firm and Consistent. A teacher can be firm yet still be supportive and friendly with students. A firm teacher can provide an environment where the students feel safe and secure. Many teachers report that it is easier to begin the year in a firm manner and relax later, than to begin in a lax manner and then try to become firm. The Ideal Teacher!!! As a teacher of young children it helps if the person has a sense of humor, is open minded, adaptable, patient and the list is endless. However not all of us possess all or most of these qualities. Does that mean we cannot be good teachers? The answer lies in the fact that in order to be good teachers, we have to be good learners. We therefore have to work on our attitudes and abilities. 9 We may not have the ability to be a music teacher but we can at least make the effort to sing or play an instrument. We can all learn to mime, to act and to draw simple objects. We can handout neat worksheets and be organized in our work. These are not difficult abilities to have, but can be easily acquired but makes a tremendous difference in the classroom. The teacher needs to be respectful to the students at all times and be realistic about what they are capable of doing. He or she should treat all pupils equally as all children have a very keen sense of fairness. One of the requirements of good teaching is good voice projection. The teacher needs to be heard by all students. The pace and rate of delivery should be normal unless it is a beginner level where the pace may slow down very slightly. Clarity is very important because the teacher is the primary source of language. In language classes especially where students may not have all the skills they need to decipher verbal language, their attention is drawn to nonverbal communication. Here are some important points: Let your body posture exhibit an air of confidence. You should reflect optimism, brightness and warmth. Use facial and hand gestures to enhance meanings of words and sentences that might otherwise be unclear. Make frequent eye contact with all students in the class. Do not plant your feet firmly in one place for the whole lesson. Move around the classroom, but not to distraction. Follow the conventional rules of ―distance‖ and ―touch‖ that apply for the cultures of your students. Dress appropriately, considering the expectations of your students and the culture in which you are teaching. Classroom Atmosphere Children learn better in a secure, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Here are some ways 10 that the teacher can create that atmosphere: Be prepared and organized. The pupils need to know what is happening and to feel that the teacher is in charge. Respect your students Listen to what the pupil is saying and accept what he/she is saying along with the errors. Correction can wait for guided exercises and is not welcome when language is being used for communication. Children can sometimes be cruel to their classmates. The teacher has to help them become aware of the fact that mistakes are a part of the learning process and everyone makes them. The teacher needs to establish routines. Apart from daily greetings and the timetable it will help if there are weather charts and birthday calendars. These lend familiarity and security for all. Children should be given responsibilities for performing simple tasks in the classroom – distributing books, sharpening pencils, watering plants etc. Children have the natural ability to be competitive, so avoid organized competition. Language learning can be a situation where everyone can win. Success is a great motivator. The teacher should avoid physical rewards. It is better to display or read aloud a good piece of work. This gives a sense of achievement and at the same time includes the others. The teacher should refrain from giving English names to his pupils as this undermines their individuality. The Room The Sights To create a visual environment that: Is Attractive Is Functional Is Stimulating Is Motivational Creates pride and self esteem 11 Attractive materials are neat, colourful, and pleasing to the eye. These materials may be self-made, purchased, or textbook resource materials. Functional materials, in addition to being attractive, teach or reinforce a concept or skill. Calendars and current event notices are functional materials. Stimulating materials would be thought-provoking and questioning in nature. Motivational materials are often in the area of morals and values, with the goal of raising viewers' awareness and offering hope and encouragement. Materials which create pride and boost self esteem may be student work or posters celebrating students' accomplishments or birthdays. The Sounds There is a substantial amount of research in support of relaxation being an important ingredient in improving and/or accelerating learning. Such research further supports the idea that instrumental music by such composers as Mozart and Bach are calming and actually help to raise student test scores. Soft music can be played as students enter class, during the introductory activity while roll is being taken, during class work times, as well as during testing, to help set a calm, relaxed pace and tone for the class. The Temperature Temperature is another important element in the environment. If you are in a classroom without air conditioning it is important that you do all you can, especially in warm weather, to get the best air flow to help keep students comfortable and alert. Research suggests that we are most alert in rooms that are on the cool side - in the low 70s. A well ventilated room is better than a close, stuffy one. Try to open as many windows and doors as necessary to create a good cross-ventilation. The use of a fan may help create a comforting air movement on warmer days. Feelings Creating an environment conducive to concentration, study, and learning is more than having attractive, stimulating sights, relaxing sounds, and good ventilation. It is creating a place where all feel comfortable and at ease, a place where the surroundings are neat and 12 orderly. It is a place where there is mutual respect in a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, a place where everyone can bloom and do their best. A few sitting arrangements: Advantage Disadvantage No major disadvantage. Can teach the class easily Can work in groups of four. Can do pair work easily. Can utilize space in the middle Advantage Disadvantage 13  Can do individual and Does not encourage natural whole class work. communication as students can see only the back of the heads of Can do pair work if half the students in front of them. the class turns their back to the teacher. Techniques for Working with Emotionally and Behaviorally Challenged Students: The following techniques can be especially effective with students exhibiting emotional and behavioral disorders: Planned ignoring Behaviors that are exhibited for the purpose of seeking attention and do not spread or interfere with safety or group functioning, are most effectively extinguished through planned ignoring. This technique should never be used with aggressive behaviors. The class may need to be taught to do this as well. Peer attention can be even more powerful than adult attention for some students. Signal interference If a student is calm enough to respond, has a positive relationship with the teacher, and is free from uncontrollable pathological impulses, a nonverbal signal may be all that is necessary to assist him or her in regaining focus. Proximity and touch control Moving closer to a student in distress or placing a hand on the shoulder can be effective in showing support in a non-threatening way. When using this technique, refrain from pointing out inappropriate behavior. Comment positively on any move toward compliance. Interest boosting Change the tempo or activity, comment on the student's work, or inquire about a known interest related to the assignment if a student shows signs of restlessness. Do this before off-task behavior occurs. Hypodermic affection Express genuine affection for, or appreciation of, a student to assist the student in regaining self-control. 14  Easing tension through humor Humor can often stop undesirable behavior if it is used in a timely and positive manner. Sarcasm, cynicism, and aggression are not appropriate uses of humor. Hurdle help Before a student begins to act out, assist the student with a difficult section of an assignment or task. Regrouping Change the seating arrangement for the small-group assignments of students to avoid specific problems. Do this in a non-punitive and, if possible, undetectable way. Restructuring If an activity is not successful, change it as quickly as possible. It is important to always have a backup plan. Sometimes it is best to move from an interactive game to something like Bingo that requires no interaction. This can be done smoothly and non-punitively when a group is becoming over stimulated. At other times, offering a choice might be more effective. Students could choose to cover information orally through discussion, or copy notes from an overhead, for example. Direct appeal If a student or group has a positive relationship with the teacher, it is sometimes effective just to ask that a behavior stop due to the problems that it is creating. No consequence or reward is intended or implied. This is a simple, straightforward request from one person to another. Antiseptic bouncing Remove a student from a distressing situation before inappropriate behaviors occur. Be careful not to inadvertently reward a student who is instigating a problem. Support from routine Schedules and routines are often overlooked by adults, while considering behavior management interventions. Knowing what to do and when to do it provides structure, security, and predictability in the lives of students who may not experience such support in other areas of their lives. Limiting space and tools Rather than taking away items that distract or create potential harm after a student is engaged with them, keep them out of sight and reach from the beginning. This is especially important when tantrums might escalate to unnecessarily dangerous or 15  reinforcing proportions, if too many items are available for throwing and breaking. Negotiating Rules: It is important that children realize and accept responsibility for their behavior. Mere preaching will not make any difference. Teachers should also be aware of not being judgmental but try to correct unacceptable behavior. But what is acceptable and what is not will be more effective if the children are involved in the process. Here are some ways this can be done: Level: all Activity Time: unspecified Concepts Taught: Discipline behavior modification Give one or more worksheets to student when you send him/her to detention or send him out of the room or put him aside from other students because his behavior was not accepted. Have them write/devise a plan on how they can change their behavior to be allowed back in class. This plan must be brought to you before you should accept the student back in class. RESPECT LESSON "Respect". We all need and deserve to be respected. However, we cannot respect others when we don't respect ourselves. When you are rude, put people down, talk negatively, or insult people, you are hurting your respect for yourself as well as for others. Everyone needs to feel good about themselves in order to get along with others. When someone does not feel good about himself or herself, he or she speaks and acts in ways that hurt others. When you don't feel good about yourself, everyone loses. We all have bad days. No one is immune to having things go wrong. That is why we always have to remember to treat people with respect, even if we are not feeling very good about ourselves, or can tell that they may not be feeling much respect for themselves. When you automatically treat people with respect, you help everyone 16  feel better about themselves. How can I treat people with respect automatically? 1. Ignore them when they say or do something that hurts my feelings. 2. Don't argue or fight with someone who is obviously not feeling good about him/herself. 3. Overlook it when someone is trying to tease me to get me mad. 4. Don't say things in anger-count to ten before I speak or don't say anything until the anger has passed. 5. Don't say negative things. I have a right to my opinions, but I do not have the right to express it. 6. Always try to think of everyone as doing the best they can-see everyone as the best that they can be. 7. Put myself in the other person's place and try to understand what their point-of- view is. 8. Treat others as I would like to be treated. TALKING LESSON "Talking Lesson" I understand that time is one of the most valuable things we have. Forty-eight minutes is so little time to do all the things we need to do in class, so it is crucial to make every minute count. When I talk or goof off or disrupt the class, I am wasting valuable learning time. That is not fair to my teacher, my classmates or to myself. I understand that it is okay to talk: 1. If I raise my hand and the teacher calls on me. 2. If talking is necessary to complete my assignment. 3. If it is free time and I have completed my assignments. But I know that I must not talk: 17  1. When the teacher is talking. 2. When a student is asking or answering a question. 3. When the teacher has instructed the class to be quiet. I can see that learning how to talk only when it is proper to do so is very important, so I will copy this paper as many times as it will take to show you that I have learned this lesson. THINKING ABOUT BEHAVIOR LESSON Answer the following questions in complete sentences, using most of the words in the question in your answer. If the children are at an age where they do not have enough writing skills then this can be a discussion session. Please think carefully about your answers. An administrator and/or your parents could read them in the near future. 1. What did you do that got you into trouble? -------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------2. Why was it wrong to do what you did? ---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------3. What can you do differently in the future so that you will not get into trouble? --------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------4. What can the TEACHER do to help you stay out of trouble and to help you succeed in her class? -------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- TIME OUT LESSON I understand that school is a place for learning. I understand that I choose how to use this time. I can get an education and learn more about myself and the world around me, or I can waste this time. I understand that the teacher is responsible for many things. She needs to plan the English lesson and then do everything possible 18  to help students understand the material. The teacher has a big job because it is not easy to help a class full of students. When I behave disruptively, I am making it hard for the teacher to do her job. This isn't fair and I don't have the right to do this. I understand that the other students in my class have a right to the best education possible. When I behave disruptively, I not only keep the teacher from doing her job, I am also keeping students from getting the best education possible. This is not fair and I don't have a right to do this. I am here copying this because I was sent out of the room. I was sent out of the room because --------------------------------------------------------------------I understand that right now, I am missing out on valuable learning time. Instead of learning, I am copying this lesson. I understand that I made a decision to behave unacceptably in class and the consequence for this was being sent out of the room and points are deducted from my grade this week. I understand that I have the power to make good decisions or bad decisions. When I make good decisions I am rewarded. In school, this means getting a good education and feeling good about myself as a student. I understand that I deserve a good education and I have the power and responsibility to make this happen. When I return to class, I will ________________________________________________________ Group and Pair Work Why should a teacher study group dynamics? The following are the reasons The teacher has to deal with groups from five to six periods daily. In order to make his/her teaching effective, he/she must study group dynamics of small group. Class is collection of pupils coming from different socio-economic backgrounds. If the teacher is well equipped with the basic knowledge of group dynamics, he/she can provide better guidance fro adjustment. GROUPS RELATIONSHIP IN THE CLASS The analysis of socio-metric studies shows the following patterns of relationship among the members of a class of children who are 8 years and above. Stars: there are pupils in the class whom majority of the students like. They are called the STARS of the class. Isolates: the members of the class are indifferent towards these pupils. The isolates 19  make no choice and receive no choice. Rejected: Pupils whom no members of the class likes or wants to associate. These receive only rejections. Mutual Pairs: there are students who mentioned each other. There is reciprocal relationship among mutual pairs of students. Chains and Cliques: There were chains where A chose B and B chose C. another phenomena which is evident from the analysis of the closed circle where A likes B, B likes C and C likes A. This is named Cliques. Helping the Isolates: The teacher can help Isolates in the following ways: - The teacher must maximize the chances of early success in children because failure at early stage develops frustration and withdrawal from social situation. The teacher must select few students from the class who show least aversion to the isolates and form an occasional group, small in size of isolates and other promising classmates. The group should be asked to work together on a task, which gives them some success. The teacher should make moderate praise of the isolates whenever they succeed in some schoolwork. The teacher must find out those skills and hobbies in which isolates show some promise and should try to develop them. The teacher should discuss the problems of the isolates and try to solve them. How to Improve Group Relationship in the Class. Teacher’s behavior. The teacher is a model for the students. His/her behavior should be impartial; he/she should provide help to individual students who need it. Discussion. To improve classroom emotional climate, free discussion should be occasionally arranged for the group. Suggestions should be invited from students to improve upon the existing conditions. Effective communication. The teacher should help students to understand 20  each other in formal and informal meeting. The classroom communication should be a two way process. Students should not remain passive listeners in the class. Cohesiveness. Teacher should encourage the feelings of cohesiveness among team members of the class through effective communication. Counseling. Teacher can use group counseling to improve the emotional climate of the class. Tours and visits. The teacher can organize educational tours, picnics and excursions to bring the students more close to each other. Dynamic and Group Activity Dynamic and group activity — deals with those activities that challenges the mind of the children and compels them to question their intellect. Dynamic activity can be given from kindergarten to primary level. Two illustrations have been provided as example modules. Dynamic Activity For kindergarten children Project Title--- HOW TREES HELP US Aids used by children -Make charts illustrating theusefulness of trees. Enact a skit where the children dramatizes the Importance of trees. The teacher can help the children make up a poem for Them to recite stressing on the importance of trees Example --- Trees give us food Trees Paper oxygen and wood It gives us rain That is important to grow grain 21  Without trees we will die Mother Earth will cry All animals will fall sick And no birds will fly So I am going to plant a tree each day They are our friends Will you join me? What do you say Project Title--- POLLUTION Teacher helps children to choose a pollution, e.g.; Air Pollution Aids used by children Make colorful Charts showing air pollution.Enact a skit showing the ill effects of air pollution and ways to prevent it. Teacher can help the children to make a poem for For them stressing on the dangers of air pollution And methods of prevention. Example Air Then why does it smell so bad? And its filthy also, OOOh ! The dustbin is open It’s bursting with garbage Houseflies, germs and foul gases Are oozing out at a stretch! My! My! People are falling sick! Their lungs cannot tick! Tick! Diseases have us by the stick No! No! This cannot go on We need to move on We need pure clean air We need health that is robust and fair So close the dustbin lid 22  And sweep the litter around If you are LAZY Then give me the broom I can do the rounds. I will sweep! And swish! Till The air is Squeaky-clean Yes, friends join me! Lets breathe fresh air! – As it has never been Classroom Language If cooperation and communication are to be a part of the process of learning a language then the sooner the learners learn simple, meaningful expressions in English the easier it will be. Classroom language is an important tool in helping the children become less dependent on the teacher and the book. Some useful phrases should be taught as phrases and not as words or structures. The children are interested to know when they are used and helps them to communicate meaningfully not only in the classroom but outside it too. For example: Good morning/afternoon, Goodbye, Can I ….., please?, Sorry I don’t know, Whose turn is it, It’s my, Pass the …..please etc. Try to speak English as much as possible using mime, acting, puppets and any other way that you can get the meaning across. The teacher may be the only source of English, so the children should have the opportunity to hear the teacher the most part of their time in class. The teacher’s language should be simple, natural and suit their level. Meaning can also be conveyed by the tone of voice and body language so it is not necessary for the teacher to switch to the mother tongue. At the same time the teacher should be aware that he/ she does not monopolize talk time in class but try to create situations where the pupils will have a chance to use the language. Reference: Effective Class Management by M. Underwood, Longman 23 Young Learners Course Self-Assignment What is your classroom management profile? Answer these 12 questions and learn more about your classroom management profile. The steps Read each statement carefully. Write your response, from the scale below, on a sheet of paper. Respond to each statement based upon either actual or imagined classroom experience. Then, follow the scoring instructions below. It couldn't be easier! = Strongly Disagree = Disagree = Neutral = Agree = Strongly Agree (1) If a student is disruptive during class, I assign him/her to detention, without further discussion. (2) I don't want to impose any rules on my students. (3) The classroom must be quiet in order for students to learn. (4) I am concerned about both what my students learn and how they learn. (5) If a student turns in a late homework assignment, it is not my problem. (6) I don't want to reprimand a student because it might hurt his/her feelings. 24 (7) Class preparation isn't worth the effort. (8) I always try to explain the reasons behind my rules and decisions. (9) I will not accept excuses from a student who is tardy. (10) The emotional well-being of my students is more important than classroom control. (11) My students understand that they can interrupt my lecture if they have a relevant question. (12) If a student requests a hall pass, I always honor the request. To score your quiz, Add your responses to statements 1, 3, and 9. This is your score for the authoritarian style. Statements 4, 8 and 11 refer to the authoritative style. Statements 6, 10, and 12 refer to the laissez-faire style. Statements 2, 5, and 7 refer to the indifferent style. The result is your classroom management profile. Your score for each management style can range from 3 to 15. A high score indicates a strong preference for that particular style. After you have scored your quiz, and determined your profile, read the descriptions of each management style. You may see a little bit of yourself in each one. As you gain teaching experience, you may find that your preferred style(s) will change. Over time, your profile may become more diverse or more focused. Also, it may be suitable to rely upon a specific style when addressing a particular situation or subject. Perhaps the successful teacher is one who can evaluate a situation and then apply the appropriate style. Finally, remember that the intent of this exercise is to inform you and arouse your curiosity regarding classroom management styles Authoritarian The authoritarian teacher places firm limits and controls on the students. Students will often have assigned seats for the entire term. The desks are usually in straight rows and there 25 are no deviations. Students must be in their seats at the beginning of class and they frequently remain there throughout the period. This teacher rarely gives hall passes or recognizes excused absences. Often, it is quiet. Students know they should not interrupt the teacher. Since verbal exchange and discussion are discouraged, the authoritarian's students do not have the opportunity to learn and/or practice communication skills. This teacher prefers vigorous discipline and expects swift obedience. Failure to obey the teacher usually results in detention or a trip to the principal's office. In this classroom, students need to follow directions and not ask why. At the extreme, the authoritarian teacher gives no indication that he\she cares for the students. Mr. Doe is a good example of an authoritarian teacher. His students receive praise and encouragement infrequently, if at all. Also, he makes no effort to organize activities such as field trips. He feels that these special events only distract the students from learning. After all, Mr. Doe believes that students need only listen to his lecture to gain the necessary knowledge. Students in this class are likely to be reluctant to initiate activity, since they may feel powerless. Mr. Doe tells the students what to do and when to do it. He makes all classroom decisions. Therefore, his style does little to increase achievement, motivation or encourage the setting of personal goals. One Middle-school pupil reacts to this teaching style: I don't really care for this teacher. He is really strict and does not seem to want to give his students a fair chance. He seems unfair, although that is just his way of getting his point across. Authoritative The authoritative teacher places limits and controls on the students but simultaneously encourages independence. This teacher often explains the reasons behind the rules and decisions. If a student is disruptive, the teacher offers a polite, but firm, reprimand. This teacher sometimes metes out discipline, but only after careful consideration of the circumstances. The authoritative teacher is also open to considerable verbal interaction, including critical debates. The students know that they can interrupt the teacher if they have a relevant 26 question or comment. This environment offers the students the opportunity to learn and practice communication skills. Ms. Smith exemplifies the authoritative teaching style. She exhibits a warm and nurturing attitude toward the students and expresses genuine interest and affection. Her classroom abounds with praise and encouragement. She often writes comments on homework and offers positive remarks to students. This authoritative teacher encourages self-reliant and socially competent behavior and fosters higher achievement motivation. Often, she will guide the students through a project, rather than lead them. A student reacts to this style: I like this teacher. She is fair and understands that students cannot be perfect. She is the kind of teacher you can talk to without being put down or feeling embarrassed. Laissez-faire The laissez-faire teacher places few demand or controls on the students. "Do your own thing" describes this classroom. This teacher accepts the student's impulses and actions and is less likely to monitor their behavior. Mr. Jones uses a laissez-faire style. He strives not to hurt the student's feelings and has difficulty saying no to a student or enforcing rules. If a student disrupts the class, Mr Jones may assume that he is not giving that student enough attention. When a student interrupts a lecture, Mr. Jones accepts the interruption and believes that the student must surely have something valuable to add. When he does offer discipline, it is likely to be inconsistent. Mr. Jones is very involved with his students and cares for them very much. He is more concerned with the students' emotional well-being than he is with classroom control. He sometimes bases classroom decisions on his students feelings rather than on their academic concerns. Mr Jones wants to be the students' friend. He may even encourages contact outside the classroom. He has a difficult time establishing boundaries between his professional life and his personal life. However, this overindulgent style is associated with students lack of social competence and 27 self-control. It is difficult for students to learn socially acceptable behavior when the teacher is so permissive. With few demands placed upon them, these students frequently have lower motivation to achieve. Regardless, students often like this teacher. A Middle School student says: This is a pretty popular teacher. You don't have to be serious throughout the class. But sometimes things get out of control and we learn nothing at all. Indifferent The indifferent teacher is not very involved in the classroom. This teacher places few demands, if any, on the students and appears generally uninterested. The indifferent teacher just doesn't want to impose on the students. As such, he/she often feels that class preparation is not worth the effort. Things like field trips and special projects are out of the question. This teacher simply won't take the necessary preparation time. Sometimes, he/she will use the same materials, year after year. Also, classroom discipline is lacking. This teacher may lack the skills, confidence, or courage to discipline students. The students sense and reflect the teacher's indifferent attitude. Accordingly, very little learning occurs. Everyone is just "going through the motions" and killing time. In this aloof environment, the students have very few opportunities to observe or practice communication skills. With few demands placed on them and very little discipline, students have low achievement motivation and lack self-control. According to one student: This teacher can't control the class and we never learn anything in there. There is hardly ever homework and people rarely bring their books. Mrs. Johnson is a good example of an indifferent teacher. She uses the same lesson plans every year, never bothering to update them. For her, each day is the same. She lectures for the first twenty minutes of class. Sometimes she will show a film or a slideshow. When she does, it becomes a substitute for her lecture, not a supplement. If there is any time left (and there always is) she allows students to study quietly and to talk softly. As long as they 28 don't bother her, she doesn't mind what they do. As far as she is concerned, the students are responsible for their own education. Young Learners Course Lesson Planning Young children are usually full of enthusiasm and energy and the language lessons have to have variety. So there is very little time during the lesson for the teacher to think. If the lesson has to be effective then it has to be carefully planned. All good teachers plan but at the same time are prepared to adapt their plans and know that they have to be prepared for last minute changes too. Why Do We Need to Plan a Lesson? The answer may be some or all of the following: Helps the teacher to be more confident in teaching Provides a useful outline, reference for smooth and efficient teaching Helps the teacher to mentally prepare Provides a basis for future planning Helps the teacher to be organized Helps the teacher to plan to cater for different pupils Helps the teacher know whether he/she has achieved objectives Enables teacher to judge own performance Shows teacher’s effort Gives direction to syllabus Helps to identify problem areas Is an administrative requirement To summarize the Main reasons for lesson planning are Practical – It helps the teacher prepare for a class, organize time, and keep in mind the different needs of the learners. Personal development – It helps the teacher monitor, assess and improve teaching. The plan has an objective and we can check if we have been able to meet those 29  objectives. A mismatch tells us that something is wrong and needs investigating and this helps in self- development. Accountability – It serves as a proof or record to school authorities regarding what the teacher has done which demonstrates our ability to do the job. Confidence – It makes us feel secure about what we are doing. More often than not teachers are faced with the dilemma of what to do at various stages of the lesson which can be nerve wracking. A well-planned lesson helps the teacher run smoothly through the class. If the lesson goes as planned and meets the desired objective then it encourages the teacher and develops self-esteem. We can divide lesson planning into three stages: Long-term – for the whole term. Short term – for a unit of work One class – for individual lesson Long-term planning: Long-term planning will take place either before or at the beginning of a term. You can discuss with other teachers using the textbook what they think about aims, methods and assessment. If you are using a textbook look at the contents or topics. You may decide to change the order or skip something which isn’t suitable for your students. If you are not using a textbook then decide what you want to cover for the term and how long it will take to complete each language item/unit or topic. Try to work with other teachers so that the language topics can be theme based and other subject teachers also cover the same topic during that time. Materials to be used can also be planned and prepared. Materials used for other subjects can be used for English as well. Sample of a Long-term lesson plan without a book: Period per Total no. of Term 1 Class 1 week: 3 classes: 36 Topic to be Month covered 30 January My family My pet My city Colours and February The classroom. Outside the class numbers March The body Food Clothes Short term planning: Long-term planning makes short term planning easier. Short term planning may be a plan for one week, one unit or one topic. Most text books are written by experienced teachers and are well thought out so you may follow them as far as possible initially and later with experience will learn to work around it. Decide what language item you are going to teach and how you are going to teach. Assessment is a part of teaching, so write assessment into your plan at this stage. Do keep in mind local holidays. Remember the plan is a rough guide to show where you are going and what you hope to cover. Sample of a short term lesson plan: No of Language Language Method and Week Level classes: Topic Structure Aids Used Activities Remarks Date: 5 Age 3 Expressing Phrases used Magazine Pair Comme 9 Likes and during meals. pictures, interview nts on dislikes - Recipes, chants on Whether food favorite 31  food. objectives Make were poster met. if on not daily then meals. reasons Read a text on food. Some points to remember when making your lesson plans: Decide when and how to use group work Link this lesson with the one before and think about the one after. The time of the day is important – whether you have a morning or an afternoon class. Indicate how much time an activity is going to take. Always be prepared with more activities than you require, incase you finish before time. Balance – quite/ noisy exercises, listening/ talking/ reading/ writing, individual/pair/group/whole class work, teacher-pupil/pupil-pupil activities. Lesson Plan format: Lesson Plan Part 1 - Content Age: Time: No. Of students: Terminal Objective: What you want pupils to achieve at the end of the lesson. Enabling Objectives: What the students will be able to do after each stage of the lesson. 32 Language skills: abilities related to the four language skills. eg, reading for detail, identifying the describing words, answering from context etc. Functions: how sentences are used in particular communicative situations eg to describe, to greet to apologize. Vocabulary: The known and the new words pupils will use in the lesson. Language structures: language patterns that the pupils will be expected to produce verbally or in written form or revision of simple statements. New language: Resources: Attitudes: interests and what they enjoyed. Lesson Plan Part 2 Procedures Time Teacher’s Activity Pupil’s Activity Notes Problems that Time taken for may occur each stage of the Everything that Everything that during the the teacher does the pupils do lesson course of the lesson Information to help decision Decisions making Which functions, language - previous lesson plans in textbook structures, skills have the pupils 33 already learned? - list of vocabulary and structures form behind and content of the book - pupil’s exercise book Which content to include as the - knowledge of pupils’ language new items for the lesson level Eg understand questions with have, has go - grammar reference book to check Include all the vocabulary items or the use of have, has got only some - knowledge of pupils’ needs, What are the objectives for the lesson levels, previous learning - activities in the textbook - knowledge of pupils’ interests, Do I want to use the activities as they are or adapt or leave out some how they seem to learn best - lesson objectives - time available What resources do I need for the - check lesson plan lesson Example: tape recorder, pictures, - check activities Reference books - listen to their responses How do I check their understanding - check actual against expected outcomes - previous experience of what worked well 34 Other….. Feed back While planning, you need to consider how you will whether you have achieved your objectives. You might watch for pupils’ interaction to see how they are communicating, go around ad check how many students have successfully written down what you wanted them to. Here are some ways: Count how many hands go up when you say the wrong word. Get pupils to write down words which you changed. Check how many words they noticed. Identify what words they have problems in recognizing or pronouncing when reading. Note how they react to the activity. Therefore, planning a lesson includes: selecting and sequencing learning activities, selecting and checking the content, setting objectives, deciding how to assess your lesson. There is no fixed way of organizing a lesson plan; the way you approach it and the level of detail you include will vary depending on your experience and your purpose for planning. When things go wrong Even if your pupils are mostly angels and you are a fantastic teacher, you must be prepared for things to go wrong. Young children are spontaneous and enthusiastic and this sometimes directs the flow of the lesson out of the hands of the teacher. The fact that they cannot concentrate for long also has its bearing on a lesson. Sometimes a lesson where nothing goes according to the plan can be a successful lesson. An external disturbance: An insect can send the whole class into a tizzy. Either get rid of it immediately or use it to teach vocabulary. A passing vehicle with horns blaring may force you to pause for a while, let it pass and continue. An internal disturbance: A child bursts into tears or a fight starts between two students. Take the child of the class ensuring that the others have work to do and are engaged for the time that you are away 35 from class. Return as quickly as possible. Class is out of control: Use a calming activity like story-telling, some filler activity, a song. This means you have to be prepared with some fillers or emergency activities. When you run out of time: Ask pupils to complete it at home with clear instructions. Go back to it another day. If it is very important then adjust the lesson plan for the next day and find place for it. If you see that they can handle it then say that they are good at it so you need to move to the next activity. You have extra time: Use your filler activities however keep in mind the mood of the class and try to adapt it to fit what you have been doing. An activity does not work: Move on to something else. If the problem lies with the materials being used like a tape player that do9es not work then use the tape script or sing the song your self. Don’t waste time trying to repair it. An activity is too difficult: If the language is too difficult, stop is gently and move on to an easy one, which you are sure, they can do. Referred to: Teaching English to Children Further Reading: Planning lessons and units by Katherine B. Purgason A Practical Handbook of Language Teaching by David Cross. 36