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How to Manage Large Classes Managing a large class is no small feat. Often times, figuring out how to teach a large, diverse group of people will appear more challenging than how it appears on paper, right? Doing it the correct way will lead to a smoother learning experience. Taking precautions such as issuing a diagnostic test, grouping, and ice-breakers are essential for utilizing a large class environment. Taking the time to use these tools will make the daunting task of teaching a large class a breeze. First, when an instructor starts the course, it is a good idea to give a diagnostic. A diagnostic test is a test that is given at the beginning of the course to give a rough estimate of each student’s level in a particular subject. This is important to gauge how far along each student is in the subject. More importantly, by knowing the level of each student, the instructor can properly group the weaker students with the stronger ones, which will be covered more in detail later in this essay. An instructor is simply one person and will have difficulty meeting everyone’s needs in a limited period of time for a class. However, by pairing the weak with the strong, the students at a lower level can get the help they need by the students on a higher level. Next, it is important for the instructor to use ice-breakers. The teacher may find himself in a situation where he is teaching a large multinational, multi-gendered, class with a colossal variance in ages. Many students will have different agendas, goals, as well as motivation levels. As a result, some students may not be comfortable around other students as well as the instructor. This will lead to a lack of participation in class. How can an instructor make the class comfortable for the students to participate? It is good to have the students introduce themselves and have them talk about themselves, too. Have the students get in a circle and pass a rainbow-colored ball around. Each color has a question pertaining to something in his or her life. On each color have them answer the question. Likewise, the instructor can play a funny video that relates to the course. Nothing opens up people like a little laughter. Lastly, the proper grouping will guarantee the success of the class. Grouping depends on a myriad of things, such as the physical shape and size of the room the instructor is teaching in, as well as the desks that the students sit in. As mentioned above, grouping the strong and weak students together will help the weaker students in the lesson. There are other ways to group, too. It is best to make the groups smaller, to prevent just a few students from doing all of the work. Making smaller groups will force the students to share the workload. Likewise, smaller groups will be more intimate. Students who are shy will have a harder time participating when placed in a larger group. Desk arrangement is important, too, and it all depends on the activity that the teacher would like to do. Some activities, such as a presentation, may require the students to put their desks in a circle, while the group presenting gives their presentation in the middle. Other times, it is best to have the students side by side with each other to work on a worksheet together. It all depends on the environment, but it makes a huge impact. In summary, taking on a large class can be as daunting as David taking on Goliath. Using diagnostic tests, ice-breakers, and grouping will help. With the proper tools, a large class can become as easy as a small one.
