Teach English in Qinggangji Zhen - Heze Shi

Classes come in many sizes such as big and small. The most common type of classes is probably large. This depends on the area. For example, in population dense areas such as Asia classrooms are larger to accommodate the students. There can be more than thirty students in a classroom. To take advantages of large classes and overcome challenges, teachers should have strong classroom management and teaching skills. Large classes can bring a lot of benefits to students such as enhancing their teamwork skill, improving their social skill, and gaining more confidence. Students have more opportunities to work with other students in a large classroom. They can share their ideas and learn from each other. One of the advantages of teamwork is collaboration. Students usually come up with more ideas, finish difficult tasks, and solve problems better when working in pairs or groups. Therefore, teachers should use a lot of teamwork to maximize students’ output. Teachers can also arrange students’ seats as circular, semi-circular, or group tables to help them communicate with each other better. Learning how to act appropriately and talk to other people nicely are important for students. Following teachers’ directions and working with other students can help them improve their social skills. They can learn how to communicate effectively to complete tasks or assignments successfully. Speaking in front of teachers and classmates may be a huge obstacle to students’ learning progress. Large classes can be a perfect place to practice public speaking for shy students. Students can gain more confidence when speaking in large classes by presentations, role plays, interviews, etc. Encouragement from teachers is very important because students may feel shy, uncomfortable, or nervous when they speak in front of their classes, especially for their first time. Large classes cannot be beneficial to students unless teachers use appropriate teamwork activities and encourage students. Teaching large classes is also a challenge due to the big number of students in a classroom. It can be difficult to get to know students, provide them equal opportunities of participating in activities, and deal with grading or feedback on time. Each student is different. The best way to help students learn effectively is to identify their strengths and weaknesses. However, teachers may need a lot of time to know every student and evaluate his or her skills in large classes. In addition, it is not easy to pay attention to many students at the same time and involve all of them in a classroom activity. Teachers should use some different activities, so their classes can be more interesting, and all students can have at least one opportunity to participate in dissimilar tasks. For example, if a student answers the first question of reading comprehension exercise, he or she may not answer other questions or participate in other activities. Therefore, his or her classmates also get chances to improve their skills. Hand out worksheets are another effective teaching technique to help each student participate and understand materials or lessons better in large classes. Examinations are usually required to evaluate students’ learning progress. Grading students’ tests and providing detailed feedback to students on time can be a challenge for teachers, especially when they teach a lot of classes. Teachers should manage their schedules effectively, so they do not miss any deadlines. For example, teachers should grade students’ tests which are done first, then finish grading other tests which are done second, and so on. Large classes have both advantages and disadvantages. Teachers should know how to manage their time inside and outside the classrooms effectively, prepare lesson plans carefully, assign tasks to students equally, and use activities appropriately. No matter the situation, classroom size, or location a good teacher knows how to captivate his or her students, listen, and mold the students’ minds into better versions of themselves.