Teahing Skills Ib Classroom Management

в... . Introduction

The pupils (young learners) market continues to grow a decade of changing attitudes towards this sector of teaching. The teacher is now viewed as a highly-skilled professional who has the knowledge, skills, flexibility and sensitivities of a teacher both of the pupils (children) and of language, and one who is able to balance and combine the two successfully(Gail Ellis). In this sense, to be a qualified teacher of English for pupils requires not only the excellent language ability and well-master of linguistics, but also the attractive personality and skills of effective classroom management.

II . Personality and Skills

A . Personality of a qualified teacher

Considering the special traits of pupils which are different from teenagers and adults, it is important for the teacher to be responsible, knowledgeable, versatile and creative. Plus, they should be passionate, willing to share with the pupils and love them. Being responsible and keep passionate, so that the pupils will be influenced by the teacher’s enthusiastic actions and have positive mood in the class. Being versatile and creative, the teacher may be able to make the classroom teaching enjoyable by singing, dancing or other interesting ideas in designing the lesson.

In the observing the teaching of English for pupils in a training centre (average age: 7-8), it was impressive that both the pupils and the teacher were so happy and exciting in the class. It was hard to tell who was teaching and who was learning like in the traditional classroom teaching. In a harmonious atmosphere, the learning process occurred unconsciously to pupils. What’s more, the pupils who like the teacher were incredibly active in doing the activities. Some pupils saw the teacher as “pop star” or idol, who is an excellent singer or dancer in the class. Some pupils had made friends with the teacher who had get along with them for a long time. Once upon a time, a little girl shared her chocolate with the teacher at the beginning of the class. The teacher’s attractive personality is an important factor in helping achieve the natural and stress-free learning atmosphere.

B. Classroom management skills of the teacher

To be a highly-skilled professional teacher, it is necessary to acquire a set of effective classroom management skills and hone over time. Skills like effective classroom management are central to teaching and require “common sense”, consistency, a sense of fairness, and courage. These skills also require that teachers understand in more than one way the psychological and developmental levels of their students (Dr. Robert Kizlik). As this paper concerns teaching pupils, the classroom management skills will be discussed based on the psychological and developmental features of pupils.

In practical teaching process, the teacher spend more time on organizing and controlling the class, then the following are discussion and some tips on organizing the classroom.

One of the teacher’s major tasks is to design and organize the tasks that pupils can

perform. Some of the key points are discussed as follows.

a. Warming-up

Pupils are not like adults who have certain self-control and are able to shift their attention to the class soon after their arrival at the classroom. Sometimes they do not want to be in class in the first place and often their minds can be on other things when we are giving an English lesson (Kevin Thomson). In order to calm the pupils down and get them involved, the warm-up section is vital to a successful start.

It is a good idea to do the warming-up by doing simple activities. For instance, to offer an opportunity for one of the pupils give a show or performance in the class, like sing, dancing, telling a joke or riddle etc. The performer can be chosen randomly or according to their seat order. If the pupils are extrovert, the teacher may have them volunteer. If they are the opposite, the teacher may as well using the game “passing the flower” (While the teacher hitting the drum, the class pass the flower from one to another until the hitting stops. Then the one with flower in hands will give a show.).

Another idea is to play learning based-games. For example, playing the “Hop, Hop, Hop” game. (Note: it is only suitable for teaching the words of movements/actions and requires a big empty classroom.)

E.g.

Teacher (sing): Walking, walking; walking, walking: hop, hop, hop! Hop, hop, hop! (Demonstrating by exaggerated body gestures)

Pupils (imitate and follow the teacher singing and moving): “вЂ¦Ð²Ð‚Ñœ

T: Stop! ( or orders like three in group, …) (Randomly and suddenly, the teacher give orders to catch the slowest one)

This game helps enhance the pupils’ memory of the learned language and also help the teacher to check their learning achievements/problems. Then it will be easier for the class continuing to learn the new language points, as it helps to get the pupils think and respond in English environment.

b. Game-based tasks in the practice and production part

i. Advantages

The teacher cannot force the pupils to learn, but can only provide a conductive enjoyable environment, useful and funny resources, and practice opportunities, for example designing game-based tasks.

Firstly, pupils have highly inquisitive minds and enjoy learning through playing and using their imagination by observing and copying, doing things, watching and listening. Usually, games involve these ways of learning.

Secondly, games are fun for pupils and are very useful and important for learning. This is not only for the reason that they are fun, but also that fun elements create a desire to communicate and games can create unpredictability (Halliwell).

Thirdly, games can provide a meaningful context and help create a positive classroom atmosphere. Playing games help the pupils learn in playing and change pupils’ passive learning to active learning.

Therefore, game-based activity has lots of advantages in managing pupils in the classroom.

ii.