Classroom Management as a Skill of Relaxing Manner
In my opinion, classroom management is the most important part of teaching. Classroom Management does not have only the skill of organizing and managing but also a relaxing manner. It is a critical skill.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Huyen P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Classroom management as it is
Simply put, classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to ensure that their classroom runs smoothly, without disruptive behavior from students. According to me, it boils down to having a structured learning environment with clear rules that promote learning as well as consequences that diminish or eliminate behaviors that get in the way of learning. During my 7 – year – teaching, I always remember the days I began teaching. My classes were very noisy and I could not teach and felt happy. At that time, I was confused about building my character's teaching: whether a stick mirror or a friendly mirror was suitable for me. Of course, the ultimate goal for any teacher is an academically productive classroom with focused, attentive, and on-task students. Unfortunately, any teacher can tell you this is way harder than it sounds and usually takes years to accomplish. Even for teachers who consider themselves relatively skilled managers, things often change depending on the new mix of students they teach every year. So really, being skilled at management is an ongoing process, part of the lifelong learning that makes teaching so interesting.
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Building teaching character
First of all, teachers need to build a character who is strong enough, strict and friendly, too. They will show their characters throughout their eye contact, their body language, and their voice. Especially, they need to remember their students ' names and some necessary information.
Rules
Secondly, in my class, I always use the classroom's rules, for example, number 1: please sit down, number 2: be quiet, number 3: listen to me ( point to the teacher). I have a lot of chants for classroom management rules. With the young learner, I usually sing their favorite song to manage my class. I think we should teach them some rules in the classroom first. After reminding some rules, I will arrange their sitting suitably following seating management. With me, I set my classes to follow the classroom routine which helps me a lot. That's why I feel easier and reduce stress every day.
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Relationships
Thirdly, Teachers need to build their relationships with students. Get to know your students. What are their strengths? Their challenges? What are they really into? Investing in them as individuals build trust, and that is the key to successful classroom management Without active maintenance, relationships deteriorate over time, the study authors point out. Teachers may focus too much on academics and not enough on supporting students' emotional well-being, slowly using up the banked time they initially built up with students. Teachers can maintain relationships by continuing to implement the strategies above, and also, they can understand more about their students included in their hobbies, their strengths and weaknesses.
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Clear routines
Next, have clear, reliable routines and procedures. When students know exactly what is expected of them daily, they feel safe and secure. It's our job as teachers to create a space that is predictable and productive. Create daily routines that make it easy for students to live up to your expectations. Have an arsenal of predictable cues for your students to keep them on track when they are chatty or disruptive. Create interesting activities throughout the lesson.
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Finally, teachers should maintain discipline. Depending on my teaching situation, I may think that maintaining discipline isn't that big of a deal. I want to make the time you spend with my classes fun instead of spending the time policing the children and doling out punishments. However, discipline is an important part of any classroom. A disciplined class is one in which students know how the class is structured and what their role is during different parts of the lesson. Maintaining rules and structure allows you to be more productive in your class, making it more productive and fun for everyone. Students will vastly prefer a class with clear-cut activities they can participate in over one with no rules where nothing gets accomplished.
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