Adapted by Lic.

Edel Albarran Aguirre

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIPS
Tip 1 Stand up when you are directing an activity.
Sit dow n only w hen:
Students are doing something w hich does not inv olv e you.
You are hav ing a conv ersation w ith the class.
Why should you (the teacher) stand up?
-

So students can see (your mouth and eyes).

So you can see the students.
So you can use your eyes and hands effectiv ely.

Tip 2 Look at the students.

I f you take your eyes off them for a long period of time, you w ill lose their
attention.
Dont forget that normal human contact frequently depend on, and is
reinforces by eye contact.
Your eyes help your students concentrate.
Tip 3 Keep your language to a minimum when students are doing something.
-

I f you speal students usually listen.

Do not interrupt students unnecesarily w hile they are preparing something.
Do not dominate discussions yourself.
Do not tell student w hat they w ant to say.
Do not use more language than necessary to direct and control classroom
activ ities.
Verbal instructions are giv en using the imperativ e, to av oid unnecessary
language.
Tip 4 Dont be afraid of silence.
-

Constant language is tiring.

Students need time to think, to collect their thoughts, make notesd, etc.
The silent struggle to undestand or recall is a natural part of language
learning.
I f it is a teache the one w ho is constantly injecting ideas, students w ill soon
sit back and expect the teacher to do the w ork.
Because the room is silent, it does not mean nothing is happening.
The secret is a balance of activ ity and quiet moments for reflection.

Tip 5 Demonstrate , rather than explain, new activities.

-

Demonstrate reduces the amount of unnecessary teacher language.

I t is more effectiv e than any explanation.

Adapted by Lic. Edel Albarran Aguirre

Tip 6 Use pair work to increase student talking time.
Your pair w ork w ill be more effectiv e if you:
-

Div ide the group into pairs yurself and make sure that all students know
w ho they are w orking w ith and w hich role they are to take.
Make sure ev eryone is clear about w hat they are meant to be doing.
Go round, listen, and check that they are doing it.
Stop the activ ity w hen it is clear that ev eryone is finished. Pair w ork is not
and excuse for the teacher to sit back..
Follow up the pair w ork with a demonstration or summary from one or more
pairs. I f it is not w ell done, correct and prov ide help and then ask students
to do the same practice again.
Make a habit of it!

Tip 7 Consult Students.

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Do your students enjoy all of your lesson equally?

Are there some activ ities they hate, and others they particularly enjoy?
As teachers, w e too often pretend that w e know w hat our students feel.
When it is extremely easy to find out by simply asking them.

Ask your class:

-

Did you particularly enjoy todays lesson?

Why/Why not?
What activ ities in your English lessons do you particularly like/dislike?

CLASSROOM TIPS
1.-

Milk ev ery activ ity to its fullest

e.g. A Story
a)
Hav e they talked about it?
b)
Hav e they w ritten about it?
c)
Hav e they w ritten about w hat someone else said about it?
d)
Hav e they read w hat other students hav e w ritten about it?
e)
Hav e they done a dictation about it for listening practice?

2.-

Explain the purpose of the activ ities.

Specially to adult learners.

3.-

Reduce your Teacher Talking Time.

4.-

End ev ery class w ith a sense of accomplishment.

5.-

Hav e students w rite you a letter.

a)
About w ha theyv e learnt.
b)
About w hat they are confused about.
c)
About w hat they still w ant to know /learn.

6.-

Teacher Mov ement:

Whey presenting something to students, be aw are of your mov ement, w hich
can conv ey a lot of meaning. Mov ement includes your posture, gestures,

Adapted by Lic. Edel Albarran Aguirre

expressions & appearance, as w ell as v isual aids both planned and

unplanned.
Research show s that:
60% of the impact of a presentation is due to mov ement.
30% is due to v oice and
only 10% is due to w ords.
7.-

Use right brain activ ities.

e.g. incorporate rhythm, music, draw ings, imagination & v isualization into your
lessons.

8.-

Stories w ith holes.

I ncorporate stories or w ell-know n fairy tales.

9.-

Unscramble the letters.

Write a scrambled w ord on the BB and ask students to do as many tw o-letter,
three-letter, etc. w ords as they can.

CLASSROOM PRACTICALITIES
Teaching Under Adverse Circumstances:
1.-

Teaching Large Classes.

Some problems:
-

Ability across students v aries w idely.

I ndiv idual teacher-student attention is minimized.
Student opportunities to speak are lessened.
Teachers feedback on stsudents w ritten w ork is limited.

Some solutions:
1.2.3.4.-

5.6.7.8.9.-

Try to make each student feel important (and not just a number) by learning
names and using them. Name tags or desk plates serv e as reminders.
Get students to do as much interactiv e w ork as possible, including plenty of
get-acquainted activ ities at the beginning, so that they feel part of a
community and are not just lost in the crow d.
Optimize the use of pair w ork and small group w ork to giv e students chances
to perform in english. I n grouping, consider the v ariation in ability lev els.
Do more than the usual number of listening comprehension activ ities, using
tapes, v ideo and yourself. Make sure students know w hat kind of response is
expected from them. Throuhg activ e listening comprehension, students can
learn a good deal of language that transfers to reading, speaking and w riting.
Use peer editing, feedback and ev aluation in w ritten w ork w henev er
appropriate.
Giv e student a range of extra-class w ork, from a minimum that all students
must do to challenging tasks for the better students in class.
Dont collect w ritten w ork from all of your students at the same time; spread it
out in some systematic w ay both to lighten your lead and to giv e students the
benefit of a speedy return of their w ork.
Set up small learning centres in your class w here students can do
indiv idualized w ork.
organise informal conv ersaiton groups and study groups.

Adapted by Lic. Edel Albarran Aguirre

2.-

Discipline:

Some ideas:
1.2.3.-

4.5.-

6.-

7.8.-

Learn to be comfortable w ith your position of authority.

Gain the respect of your students by treating them all w ith equal fairness.
State clearly and explicitly to your students w hat your expectations are
regarding their behav iour in class. E.g.: speaking, turn-taking, respect for
others, group w ork, test talking, attendance (tardiness and absences), and
any extra-class (homew ork) obligations.
Be firm but w arm in dealing w ith v ariances to these expectations.
I f a reminder, reprimand, or any other form of v erbal disciplinary action is
w arranted, do your best to preserv e the dignity of the student (in spite of the
fact that you could be frustrated enough to w ant to humiliate the student in
fron of the classmates!).
Try initially, to resolv e disciplinary matters outside the classtime (ask to see a
student after class and quietly but firmly make your observ ation and let the
student respond) so that v aluable class minutes arent spent focusing on one
student.
I n resolv ing disciplinary problems, try to find the source of the problem rather
than treating symptoms.
I f you cannot resolv e a recurring disciplinary problem, then consult your
coordinator.