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In my own teaching experience, I have found students learn best when they are relaxed, feel safe, and have internal motivation—personal interest or curiosity—to engage in learning. A student will shut down in a stressful environment, if he or she is confused, or if the motivation to learn is shame-based. The best way to create a classroom environment where students feel ready and confident to learn is to implement classroom management. There are many elements and tried and true practices to managing a classroom. The following essay covers two key areas of classroom management: structure of the language lesson and clarity and consistency in directions and expectations. Structure – ESA Lesson There are various ways to structure a language lesson. A well-tested and effective model is the Engage, Study, Activate, or ESA, model. In an ESA lesson, students are given a variety of ways to interact with the material, each other, and their teacher. During the Engage stage, students are encouraged to communicate freely in English. The beginning of the lesson is for students to practice their English without being corrected. Speaking a new language aloud can be intimidating and many students face insecurity and limited confidence. The Engage stage is thus very important to build confidence in students and help them gain experience speaking English without correction. Further, the Engage portion should peak students’ interest and curiosity and be fun! The Study phase is designed to drill the specific learning goal and language material into students. In this phase, the teacher can correct students, give direct instruction, and implement individual work time. The study phase varies in time length depending on the age group. The Activate phase usually occurs at the end of a lesson and is designed to “activate” students’ understanding of the lesson target by activating it with creativity, prior knowledge, and real-world application. The language teacher should encourage students to be creative and practice English; the teacher should not correct language like in the study phase. Often the activate stage looks like group projects, presentations, or creative writing. These three portions—Engage, Study, and Activate—provide structure to the learning time in a classroom. Students will not want to try their English if they are constantly corrected by the teacher. Thus, correction is only given in the Study phase. Students need to have fun and be free to test their language knowledge without direct instruction; thus, the Engage stage is imperative to building student motivation. Students are more likely to try if they know what is expected of them. The teacher can set high expectations and encourage students when they are working hard for a portion of the lesson, not the entire lesson. The ESA model provides classroom management that increases language retention and student desire to learn. Students lean best when they know what is expected in each learning segment. Thus, clarity, simplicity and consistency are key to aid student learning. Clarity, Simplicity & Consistency Clear and concise instructions help students learn. If the directions for an activity are too long or confusing students will not know what to do. This situation limits learning time because the teacher has to repeat or restate instructions, causing decreased motivation to engage with the learning activity. Too much instruction feels like criticism. Therefore, a good teacher will give clear instructions. When teaching English, it is important for the teacher to limit the use of slang. Spoken English verses written English differ greatly. A good teacher will use clear and familiar language, limiting the use of overly challenging words or complicated grammar. As well as clarity in instructions, it is important the language teacher provides clear expectations. For example, if the language lesson involves a new activity, providing clear expectations for correct engagement help students know how to behave. These expectations should be simple and attainable. It is also necessary for a language teacher to be consistent. It is unfair for students if on a Monday, speaking in their native language is allowed and on a Wednesday it is not. Inconsistencies in expectations create a mistrust for the teacher. Further, students begin to question their behavior and if they will be corrected. When students feel this way, they do not feel safe or relaxed to learn. A good teacher implements classroom management strategies, such as the ESA lesson model, to increase student learning. A good teacher provides clear instructions and simple phrasing to set and achieve learning goals and limit confusion. Finally, a good teacher is consistent so that students can learn English efficiently and effectively!
