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Classroom ManagementThe term "classroom management" strikes fear into the hearts of many a trainee EFL teacher. They may ask themselves if they will be able to adequately maintain control of the class and ensure the students exhibit appropriate behaviour. While this is one facet of classroom management that is important, the term encompasses a great deal more than just classroom discipline. In fact, when classroom management is effective, the need for discipline should be very low. So what are the other important aspects of classroom management besides just ensuring that students behave? We must look at when correction of errors is necessary, how to keep lessons moving at an appropriate pace and, perhaps above all, how to foster a positive learning environment in which students feel comfortable to experiment with language. The issue of classroom discipline is probably the most common thing we think of when we hear the phrase "classroom management". A classroom with disruptive or misbehaving students is not a classroom where effective learning takes place. As teachers, we should ask ourselves if we have made it clear what behaviour is acceptable in our classroom. If all students have a clear idea what is expected of them, this will eliminate many behaviour problems and make it easier to deal with problems when they do arise. "75% of bad behaviour is accredited to academic failure" (McCamley, "Margot; "Classroom Management: Classroom Discipline"). Teachers should ensure that the misbehaving student is not simply frustrated and not understanding the material. Another common cause of classroom behaviour problems is a lesson that drags on. We must keep lessons at an appropriate pace for the majority of students. If some students are quicker, it is important to provide them with extra material so that they will not become bored and disruptive. When discipline problems arise, the most important thing we can do is to be fair and consistent. Teachers who are consistent have far fewer problems with students who try to test the limits of appropriate behaviour. Another consideration of classroom management is when to correct students. There are different levels of correction appropriate for different levels of students. For example, we would focus more on the communication of beginner students rather than stopping them to correct every small error that they make. "When you start to learn a language you need to be able to communicate imperfectly in many situations, not perfectly in a few." (Lindsay Clandfield and Duncan Foord; "Classroom Management: The Role of Correction in English Teaching"). If we correct two often, we can expect a number of negative results. The students will become afraid to experiment with new language, and lessons will be paced very slowly, since we would constantly be stopping to correct. Unless the mistake is such that the student's meaning cannot be understood or a mistake so large that bad habits could be formed, impeding further language learning, in many cases it is more effective classroom management to simply let the mistake go. Perhaps the most important classroom management skill is the teacher's ability to foster a positive, encouraging learning environment for the students. A student's success is widely determined by his attitude towards the material. As teachers we should endeavour to make the classroom environment comfortable for students, for example, taking care to ensure that seating arrangements make all students feel a part of the class. If from the very first day we are positive about and engaged with the material we are teaching, if we don't allow certain students to dominate the class, and if we respect diversity and individuality among students, we are well on our way to creating a positive learning environment. Our goal is to "create a relaxed, open classroom environment conducive to inquiry and participation" (Gross Davis, Barbara; "Tools for Teaching"). It is evident that classroom management is a wide topic, with many angles to consider, other than simply making students behave. Every teacher will have his or her own style of classroom management. If we stop to consider how we would feel as a student in our class, many of the skills needed for effective classroom management are common sense, and with teaching practice, they can be developed further. With successful classroom management, we will very likely have successful students. Works Cited Gross Davis, Barbara; "Tools for Teaching"; Jossey-Base Publishers; 1993 Lindsay Clanfield and Duncan Foord; "Classroom Management: The Role of Correction in English Teaching"; http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/methodology/classroom-management/classroom-management-the-role-of-correction-in-english-teaching/146448.article McCamley, Margot; "Classroom Management: Classroom Discipline"; http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/methodology/classroom-management/classroom-management-classroom-discipline/146446.article