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Teach English in Huagou Zhen - Zibo Shi

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How to Overcome Stressful Situations in the Classroom One of the first things I did at the start of the first day of class was to hand out file cards and ask the students to fold it in half (so it would stand up like a tent in front of them on their desk) and then to write their name on it. Then, we went around the room so each student introduced themselves – their name, what school they attended and what they did for fun. And, then to gain the children’s buy-in in the class together create a list of rules for the classroom. We made a list on the white board and with their input created quite a list: respecting others, not chewing gum, not talking unless called upon and on and on. It worked. And, in my limited experience, there was always one student who acted out depending on what their issue was – we recognized it, addressed it and worked to resolve it. Based on reading Unit 5 ‘Managing Classes’ and my limited experience teaching (religion at Sunday School, and high school students who couldn’t read) I feel the key attributes of a good teacher are being confident in the subject matter so when teaching the class the students know you know the subject matter, preparedness with a solid lesson plan and some alternative work if needed, being flexible so that if there is a stressful situation you feel it and act appropriately either holding firm to the lesson plan or stopping it to let the student’s breathe and changing the direction of the lesson depending on the activity and situation. Managing the class takes many skills: organization, patience, and the right personality in other words having both a friendly and relaxed manner while still maintaining the attention of the students and professionalism in the classroom. There has to be a mutual respect – the teacher for the students and the students for the teacher to be successful. Further information gathered from Unit 5 – ‘Managing Classes’ I understand how important it is particularly during a teacher centered exercise to have eye contact in the classroom - as it creates a good rapport with the students and the teacher can know they’re listening. Then, gestures are effective to assist in conveying the meaning of language, reinforcing instructions, increase or decrease the pace of getting something done, managing the class, and potentially reducing the need for verbal instruction. And how important the teachers voice is. How it needs to be clear and to project with clarity, range and variety especially if the classroom is big. Changing the tone giving more variation to the teacher’s voice, will allow the students to more effective hear what’s being relayed. The key to overcoming a stressful situation in the classroom is how the teacher responds to it to defuse it. And, when challenging behavior occurs – a teacher should be prepared to handle it in a professional and in a mutually respectful way that will hold the disruptor accountable and decrease the interruption to learning. I believe any behavior problem must be dealt with when it happens with the right response. A teacher should remain calm and not lose control. If possible, watch the student and attempt to figure out what their issue is. Attempt to be non-confrontational, and most importantly, signal willingness without escalating or adding any more tension to an otherwise stressful or volatile situation. It may be appropriate to address the issue right there in class (depending on the disruption) or ask the student to step into the hall way and speak to them privately to get an understanding of what the issue is.


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