Classroom Management and Student MotivationClare Heaney: Director of Studies

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT??

What is Classroom Management Effective Discipline Being prepared for class Motivating your students Providing a safe, comfortable learning

environment Building your students’ self-esteem Being creative and imaginative in daily

lessons

Different for everyone…..Why?? Teaching Styles Personality/Attitudes Not all management strategies are

effective for every learner

Try different strategies to see what works best for you!!

TASKDISCUSS WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN DESIGN A LESSON FOR STUDENTS WITH A VARIETY OF LEARNING STYLES.WHAT STRATEGIES CAN YOU IMPLEMENT TO TAKE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT INTO CONSIDERATION?

Prepare in groups and then relay to the class

WHY IS CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?? Satisfaction and enjoyment in teaching

are dependent on leading students to co-operate

Classroom management issues are one of the main concerns of beginning teachers

Principles for successful classroom management Deal with disruptive behaviour – have a clear code of conduct Teach students to manage their own behaviour Focus attention on entire class Direct your instruction so students know what is going to happen Monitor all groups – move around the room so students have to

pay attention more readily Make sure classroom is comfortable and safe Over-plan your lesson so that learning takes place Keep a steady pace Show confidence in your teaching Make class expectations clear and realistic and stick to them Be consistent – set realistic goals Work to engage all students

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES Make a good first impression Come in with enthusiasm and show that

you are excited to be there

THE TEACHER AS DIRECTOR Sitting behind a desk creates distance

between the teacher and learner Get down to their level when teaching Know how to work one on one while not

turning your back to the class

DEALING WITH DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR Remain focused and calm Respond decisively Follow the school’s policy and

procedures Avoid confrontation

THE KEY TO GOOD CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Use consistent, explicit instructions and praise any attempts to communicate

Speak clearly using the normal rhythm and patterns of English

Use repetition and non-verbal supports

Observe and interact to ascertain how much the student understands

Allow students time to tune into English – they will understand more English than they can articulate

Model correct structures

The Old Way” – Teacher-dominated

WHY USE THE NEW WAY??1. Students pay more attention and learn

better from each other when their performances and processes of negotiation of meaning are more closely adapted to one another’s level of ability

2. Group work is especially effective because ESL students are often hesitant to speak in large settings

SOME CHALLENGES OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

Students find it difficult to participate because they don’t want to make a mistake

Students insist on translating every word Students speak in their own language Students have varying levels of

commitment Students insist on translating every

phrase into their own language

Motivation: How do we get our students excited?

TASKDESIGN A PLAN OF STRATEGIES YOU USE TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

PRESENT TO THE GROUP

Motivation in the ESL Classroom Motivation has long been a major problem for

most teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) or as a foreign language .

Motivation in the ESL/EFL classroom is easily one of the most important factors as most of our students have low motivation to learn English. In addition to that, while most of them have a vague sense that "English will be useful for my future," they don't have a clear idea of what that means, nor is that a very strong motivator; it's too vague and too far off.

First step in tackling motivation problem: teachers need to understand and appreciate the role of motivation in language learning. According to William Littlewood (1987:53):“…motivation is the critical force which determines whether a learner embarks on a task at all, how much energy he devotes to it, and how long he perseveres. It is a complex phenomenon and includes many components: the individual’s drive, need for achievement and success, curiosity, desire for stimulation and new experience, and so on. These factors play a role in every kind of learning situation.”

Principle Ways of Motivating Students in the Classroom Use Pair-Work or Group-Work appropriately.

Language is best learned through close collaboration and communication among learners. Learners can assist each other during tasks such as writing, dialogues, role plays etc… Some students find it less stressful to learn from their peers than their teacher. Communicative language teaching requires a sense of community and an environment of trust and mutual confidence which “pair work” or “group work” can provide.

Provide some “friendly” competition. Adults like to compete as much as teenagers (sometimes more!!).

1. Quizzes2. Games (Stop The

Bus/Pictionary/Taboo/Charades

Cater to their skills and exploit their talents

Integrate technology into the classroom: Web-quests - an online, inquiry-based activity where students are required to search for specific information within links provided by the teacher, and then produce a report or a PowerPoint presentation

The Seating Of The Students: determines the dynamics of the lesson – a simple change in seating pattern can make an incredible difference to group coherence. Keep the following in mind:

1. Maximise eye contact (teacher to student and student to student)

2. Ensure students are seated at a comfortable distance between each other but also ensure that no students are isolated

3. Think in advance about how you will organise changing partners or changing groups

Role-Play: This is another technique to vary the pace of the lesson and to respond to the fundamental notion of variety in teaching. Teachers are advised to use the role- play activity in order to motivate their students and to help the less motivated learners take part in the lesson. Besides, certain tasks in the student’s book are followed by a role- play activity where it becomes a necessity to undergo such an activity. As good examples of that we can state the obvious examples of dramatizing an interview of customer and shop assistant, doctor and patient conversation, etc..

Also… phrasal verbs () – students prepare a role-play using the verbs that they have learned – highly motivating!! ()

Use Realia and Flash Cards: Realia is an authentic material that helps the teacher to overcome classroom artificiality

Songs: An excellent medium to heighten motivation in the classroom – grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation and community building can all be taught. Teachers can elicit students’ ideas about the song through activities such as prediction, mind maps, word splashes etc… Students discuss questions such as the feelings in the song, what will happen next, etc… and write their responses in an interesting manner. Students may write and present how the song makes them feel and then draw a picture of their feelings while listening to the song. Teachers respond to this presentation and ask questions. Then, feedback is provided from the group.

Strategies for success Little compliments along the way Reinforce accomplishments Make it a game

“How many can you get done in 5 minutes? Play the game with child Role reversal

Focus on end result What is the student’s goal? Address motivation directly

Helpful hints Give a choice whenever possible Use the foundation of your relationship Be creative Insist on responsibility Warn them of the consequences of their

behaviour

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, dividethe work and give orders. Instead teach them to yearn for the endless immensityof the sea”— Antoine de Saint-Exupery

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. DO YOU HAVE ANY

QUESTIONS??