Teach English in Yangyuhe Zhen - Shangluo Shi

Introduction The important aspect of classroom management Discipline management Time management Classroom arrangement Classroom communication Classroom climate Students’ involvement Students’ engagement Conclusion Keywords; Effective classroom management, learning, motivation, positive teaching The word management was originally used to indicate the process for managing, training and directing. In other words, the management means to get things done. It was first applied to sports, then to housekeeping and only later to government and business. Educational management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which an individual, working together in groups efficiently accomplished selected aims. Classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline. Classroom management is intended to provide students with more opportunities to learn all of the things that a teacher does to organize students, space, time and material so that a students’ learning takes place. Students should be able to carry out their maximum potential, which allows students to develop an appropriate behavior pattern. Teachers must deal with unexpected events and have the ability to control student’s behavior, using effective classroom management strategies. Effective classroom climate construction is essential goals for all teachers. Everything a teacher does has implications for classroom management including creating the setting, decorating the room, arranging the chairs, speaking to children and handling their responses, putting routines in place, developing rules and communicating those rules to students. Classroom management also includes Discipline management, Time management, Classroom arrangement, Classroom communication, Classroom climate, Students’ involvement, Students’ engagement. Moreover, the teacher must make sound managerial decisions. It is quite possible that the most difficult aspect of teaching for many teachers is managing students “behavior” and maintain the discipline in the class. As Alderman says in his book, “it is important that teachers have an in-depth understanding of the subjects that they teach. But the knowledge of subject matter alone is not sufficient to ensure that teachers will be effective and that students will be successful in their learning. To be effective teachers also must have an understanding of their student’s interest and styles of learnings.” Eye contact, gestures and the voice of a teacher are the best tools to maintain discipline in the classroom. A teacher can use eye contact and gestures to hold the attention, to encourage the students and to show them when something is correct. The voice of a teacher also plays an important role to maintain discipline in the class because clear rules are important for students’ academic and social behavior. Students work is much better in environments that are well defined in term of do’s and don’ts and when they exactly know the right and wrong. In the 1800 s, some educators believed that if students kept working, misbehavior would at a minimum. Hence, many teachers assigned “busy work---task” that filled the time but did little to teach students. Today teachers use class time more wisely and efficiently. By communication activities and worksheets, a teacher can enhance the skills of his/her students and help in making confident in practical life. The more time devoted to learning, the more learning that occurs. As a result, misbehavior would be at a minimum. Classroom arrangement has a great influence on the growth and behavior of the students. So Classroom arrangement should be made in a way that a teacher can observe all the students. Communication of a teacher in the classroom is also very helpful for classroom management. Almost every teacher wants his/her student should engage in the lesson. Teacher’s voice plays a primary role in this context. The dull voice of a teacher makes a student bored and the student may misbehave with each other or with the teacher. Teacher’s voice should be convincing, as a clear voice will be useful to gain the attention of students. A teacher can get the attention of students by calling them with their names. It indicates that he/she is important for a teacher and it’s very significant for students to be recognized by name. Classroom climate is considered very important for effective classroom management and it is like a social climate which has the emotional and physical aspects. Classroom climate also has influences on the growth and behavior of the students. A positive classroom climate provides an atmosphere of respectful, welcoming, supportive, and learning for the students. For a good classroom climate, it is also an important factor to promote a positive relationship between teacher and students. Meeting mutual needs is a basic component of a positive approach which builds a strong rapport. Positive approach of a teacher in the classroom is an essential part of classroom management as it is a criterion for all other methods. Ciaccio in his book says, “A positive attitude is fundamental because it is a prerequisite for all the other techniques. For effective classroom management, it is also very vital to involve all students in the learning process. If students are given choices about what they are to learn, they will be actively involved in the learning process. Thus, lessons become more relevant for them and their motivation to learn increases. When students are motivated and involved, they devote a long period of time on one activity. The knowledge base of motivation is so extensive motivational knowledge base, and then our choices are limited. To give satisfactory answers to students questions is also very important for their involvement in the lessons. To remove their anxiety about the topic or any problem in the lesson is the primary duty of the teacher that is very helpful in building a good rapport between students and teacher. Feedback and appreciation is the most important part of any activity. Through an appreciation, a teacher can encourage, motivate the students, and convince the students to like the topic or subjects that they dislike. Students engagement is also an important aspect of classroom management. Students engagement means the actual time when the students are busy learning and practicing the activity. This may be the whole class or group discussion and maybe students working on their own. A whole class grouping and pair work are helpful to build a good relationship among students, by sharing their ideas and thoughts with each other. To conclude, we can say that teachers are decision makers as they manage the daily routine of a classroom. A teacher has the right to arrange his/her classroom and how each lesson is taught. Teachers do need knowledge to teach successfully in different areas, for example, feedback and praise, the question from students and clearly structured lessons. In short, it can be said when a teacher loves to teach, the students may learn well. An effective teaching style displays a high level of enthusiasm that reflects their professional competence and confidence. A teacher can begin to establish a positive learning environment by showing their passions for the subject matter, using the students’ name, reinforcing students ’participation during the class activity and begin active in moving among the students. References: • Alderman. (2004).Motivation for achievement: Possibilities for teaching and learning (2nd ed). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum • Ciaccio, J.(2004).Totally positive teaching ASCD. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Beauregard St. Alexandria, USA.