Teach English in Yangjie Zhen - Kunming Shi

This section goes over the basics of managing classes. It explains the usefulness of eye contact, which can be used to encourage students and signal to them, but should be avoided during activities that are not teacher-centered. Gestures should be used to convey meanings and keep student's interest in a lesson. Voice level should vary depending on the situation (clearly and loud for big groups, softer for smaller groups), but should always be clear, proper English. Students names can be used to indicate who should answer a question, acknowledge a correct answer, and get attention. The teacher should know all student's names and the students should know each other's names. Classroom layout involves student grouping, classroom arrangement, teacher position, attention given to students, and teacher talking time. Larger grouping tends to be easier organizationally for the teacher and can foster group cohesiveness, but it reduces student talking time, especially for shy students. Grouping students into smaller groups can be more difficult organizationally and lead to high volume levels, but it increases student talk time and the chance they have for sustained interaction. Classroom arrangement is how student are laid out in a classroom, ranging from the traditional orderly rows that help manage larger groups to the more intimate circles and horseshoes that encourage collaboration. The teacher should be positioned at the front of the classroom when doing teacher-centered activities (writing on the board, giving instruction, etc.) but should not be the focus of the classroom during other activities. Students should be given attention when they need help, but a teacher has to avoid only teaching the weak students as well as avoiding a strong student dominating the classroom. Teacher talking time should be simple, concise and clear. It should serve as an example of correct English and deliver clear instructions. Having students explain what they have been instructed to do is a helpful way of seeing if they truly do understand. Interpersonal classroom management involves rapport and discipline. Student-teacher rapport is dependent on teachers being interested in their students' learning and lives, and showing a positive interest in their jobs. It is also bolstered by teacher's respecting their student's time (being punctual, being prepared, being knowledgeable, being consistent, and returning homework promptly). Intra-classroom rapport is established through ensuring that students know and respect each other and want to contribute and help one another. Regarding discipline, it is best to err on the side of control with younger learners as it is always possible to relax control. Discipline should be focused on correcting the problem behavior, not the student. Discipline should be consistent, calm, and immediate. Unenforceable threats should not be made. I feel I have learnt from this lesson how to be a student-centered teacher. All actions the teacher takes, ranging from their personal performance, classroom set-up, and classroom dynamic should be focused on the student and their learning experience. I feel the most important lessons I have learned are those regarding rapport and discipline. Feeling comfortable in a class seems to be a basic condition for successful language learning, and ensuring that I have rapport with my students is a critical part of this. Additionally, I believe I have learned some good discipline techniques, as that was one area I felt I was lacking. Calmly and consistently focusing on the behavior and not the student satisfies the goals of maintaining classroom discipline without alienating students or making them feel like there is something wrong with themselves.