Teach English in Huancheng Zhen - Jining Shi

When a student describes a class that they’ve enjoyed, they often attribute their positive experience to interesting content of the class, friendly classmates, or an inspiring teacher. A well-organized class can contribute to building these healthy student-student and student-teacher relationships, as well as create an environment in which a student can comfortably listen and learn the content given. Classroom management is described as “the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline.” From this course, I’ve learned how an effectively managed classroom can have a significant impact on the student’s experience, and furthermore can help a student succeed in an English as a Foreign Language classroom. Classroom arrangement can be the first step in creating a comfortable environment that helps nurture positive relationships in the classroom. My personal favorite arrangement I learned about in this course is the horseshoe arrangement. This arrangement is ideal for smaller classes, and establishes an intimate environment for the teacher and students. This intimacy can create a comfortable environment for English learners to participate, and even take risks to build fluency. Of course, a teacher’s decision on how to arrange their classroom may be impacted by logistical factors such as space available and types of furniture available. However, this arrangement is just one example of how the arrangement of a classroom can help put students at ease, and make them feel relaxed enough to interact in lessons and step out of their comfort zone—both important steps in learning a new language. Organizing classroom activities to be engaging and interactive can also help students build rapport with each other and create a positive environment in the classroom. A teacher that is consistent in coming to class with a plan for classroom activities and is consistently prepared with the materials will also establish rapport and trust with the students. Grouping can also play a big role in these classroom activities. Pairwork can help students create strong relationships with each other, share ideas, and may be more suitable for shy students who may not want to interact with an entire classroom yet. Bigger group activities are helpful in increasing talk time and interaction, and students can learn from each other if the group is well-mixed with weaker and stronger students. In order to effectively organize pairs, the teacher must make sure that personalities in the classroom don’t conflict, and that they are monitoring groups in a way that is not super imposing, but is helpful in guiding the students through the activities. The organization of these activities can have a big impact on the student’s opportunities to build relationships and practice their new language skills. Finally, the presentation of the teacher in front of the students is a detail that can really affect the way a student views the teacher and how the student views the atmosphere of the classroom. A teacher that makes eye contact with students shows them that the environment is interactive and involves the students. It can also help hold the attention of the students so that the classroom does not get unruly. Eye contact can also be a powerful tool for the teacher to alter the pace of the lesson depending on the looks of the students. These looks may indicate confusion or understanding. Another part of a teacher’s presentation is their tone of voice. A teacher with a dull and monotonous voice can easily bore and demotivate a student who may already be unmotivated, or may just discourage those who are motivated. A teacher with an excited, clear, projected, and varied voice can help a student feel more engaged in the lesson and create interest in a lecture that may otherwise be boring. The teacher’s self-presentation is a detail that makes a huge impact on the students’ learning experience. From classroom arrangement, management of group activities, and teacher presentation, we can see that a well-managed class can really set up a fun and engaging environment for an English language learner. While fun doesn’t necessarily equal high marks, it can definitely help students want to listen and stay in engaged in lessons, which can in turn lead to a student’s success. It is up to the teacher to put in the effort to present themself in a positive way, arrange a classroom sensitively and logistically, and prepare class activity materials. While it may seem like quite an effort, the result is an effective and positive classroom environment that can inspire English learners.