Teach English in Sun Zhen - Weinan Shi

   In order to make the classroom interaction more effective, the importance of the relationship between the teacher and the student cannot be overlooked.  A good teacher ought to know his students well, for understanding of the students' background provides an important basis for the teacher's planning at each step of the teaching process. A sound relationship needs to be established on the basis of mutual respect between the teacher and students. Respect for people is considered as an essential part of education and the most important contributor to good rapport between the teacher and students. When the teacher comes to a class, he gets a first impression of it. If he is interested in the class, he will work hard to meet the students' expectations. On the students' part, as they see their teacher so enthusiastic about and interested in them, they will participate actively to cooperate with the teacher and help create a climate within the classroom. As a result, both the teacher and students will become equally responsible for themselves and the class will be more effective making the learning process easier .    The more harmonious the relationship between the teacher and the student grows the more conspicuous the dynamic qualities of classroom learning.  Students, in such an atmosphere, become more independent in learning.  They feel that they have the responsibility to behave well, to perform well, to learn and to respond more actively than before.  Rather than passively sitting there and receiving facts and knowledge, they become active participants in the classroom activities.  Rather than lecturer of information, the teacher is now a guide and helper. In a word, when there is a lively classroom climate, if the teacher is in good rapport with the students, they will feel more at ease in doing whatever in class.    But the teacher should not get too close to the students or they will lose control over the class.  A proper distance is always necessary.     In a classroom, the teacher often ask students questions and the students answer them, or the students raise the questions and the teacher answers, or the teacher participates in the activities. These are interaction between the teacher and students. And another interaction is that among students. In this kind of interaction, always, the teacher is a monitor and the students are the main participants.   Teaching is always a shared-relationship job. It always involves persons. It never involves only one person or one thing.  Just because of that, the teacher has to change his traditional role as a lecturer. So the teacher should show the same interest in all students, make all students participate, and especially, show great patience to the weakest among them. The teacher will have to provide guidance and inspiration, decide what questions to ask and how to ask them, and create learning situations that stimulate students to listen, read, write, discuss, ask questions, perform tasks, solve problems or engage in other activities.  The teacher-student interaction in classroom setting is bound up with the teacher's teaching style.  Many years ago classroom provides for chalks and talk teaching methods, with a class of students sitting in straight rows facing the teacher and the blackboard.  The teacher sits or stands behind a desk,, and spends a large proportion of his time giving lectures and directions. The students sit passively listening and busily taking notes, needless to say, they have no opportunity to ask questions.  In this way, the teacher is physically separated from the students. Consequent1y, students tend to rely a great deal upon and always expect to receive very concrete and explicit instructions from the teacher. Hence, they are at a loss when the teacher leaves them.    Thus, the teacher should tend to adopt a more flexible teaching style in classroom teaching, which involves better use of his territory and more mobility in the room. He behaves in a warmer, more responsive manner toward the students and fosters interpersonal communication skills and patterns of cooperative interaction. As a result, the climate becomes more harmonious. In a classroom like this, students will have more opportunities to express themselves, to participate in classroom activities and to interact with the teacher.     The teacher’ teaching style is also affected by student behavior. When the students are highly attentive, the teacher is lively and relaxed. But when they become bored and restless, the teacher shows signs of impatience and exasperation.    Teachers should talk to the students, but also assume that students show what they have learned by answering the teachers’ questions. teachers talk in class and they also allow their students to talk. Many students are not confident of themselves in an English class and that they are afraid of losing face before their peers.  In such a situation, the teacher’s interaction with individual students is based on his own selection.  Very often, he tends to ask more with the bright ones to answer questions because he is more likely to get correct answers from them. This inevitably discourages poorer students. They are doubtful about their own opinions and judgments, and might not take much part in classroom activities with others.  They prefer to remain listeners. To activate the teacher-student interaction and ensure that all students participate, attention should be paid to the protection of students' self-esteem and the development of their self-confidence.  It is preferable to ask students questions that they can answer. While questioning, it is necessary for the teacher to ask questions depending on the different levels or abilities of his students. Here, what is important is that the teacher needs to ensure that questioning takes place in an encouraging and supportive atmosphere. Teacher-student interaction can be influenced by the seating arrangement. There is clear evidence that students' seating position affects whether the teacher interacts with them or not. It does, to some extent, determine the number of times a student is called upon to answer questions. So teachers`mobility in the classroom is very important in managing the classroom .         One very important factor that may influence the classroom management is the language the teacher uses in his interaction with the students. Every utterance that a teacher makes during a class conveys the teacher’s underlying feelings and expectations to the students. This is particularly evident in how teachers react to the student’s incorrect contributions in class.  A teacher's language and manner should be commendable, for they have direct influence on students. For a teacher, situation-specific language with familiar vocabulary is most appropriate instead of language with high vocabulary. When a student gives a wrong answer in class, it is important for the teacher to comment on the contribution itself rather than the student and to avoid remarks that might discourage the students .   Teachers should keep in mind that students are easily humiliated into obedience by the use of sarcastic remarks. In order to maintain an effective classroom , a little bit of humor is necessary. They can often serve to enhance a sense of well-being and belonging. Furthermore, when the students appear tired in class, humor and jokes can help arouse their interest in learning so that the teacher can carry on his class continually without disruption.    To conclude , the efficient classroom management can be achieved when teacher plays appropriate roles , provides clear instructions ,students are grouped in a way suitable for the learning process , teacher ask appropriate questions , discipline and harmony in class and students` errors are treated properly .