Classroom Management Techniques and Their Influence on the School Environment
Classroom management and the ability to lead your course and keep students on task is a trait that any great educator needs to have. While in college, I was taking courses that were made specifically for educators and they seemed to focus heavily on managing the classroom and being able to connect to your students. Whether it had to do with the organization in the class, behavior management, or simply the ability to ensure that the environment one is teaching is suitable for all students, management skills are essential to any educator's career. If one's class is not under control, well put together, and a place where anyone can learn, then the teachers will find themselves will an overbearing amount of problems. With these problems adding up, this will only hinder lessons that are being taught, which in return will negatively affect students. Due to this domino effect, I would argue that classroom management is essential.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Russell B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Key Principles of Management
The organization of a class is one simple, yet key aspects of managing the course. If the teacher is not prepared, students will only follow suit and also not be ready. This is why key features such as a lesson plan, daily agenda, and even a calendar of the week's events and lessons are all useful tools in assuring that the class is well organized. Furthermore, one can also argue that the physical layout of the room, whether that would be in the placement of the desk. tables, seating charts, or even something simple like how students face the whiteboard and where the educator's desk is located, are also important. If the desk does not make sense in the classroom, for example, not facing the board or spread out too far away causing lectures to be straining, then this will hinder the student's ability to be engaged. Seating charts, though optional to many, are something that can be utilized in positive ways. They allow a repetition of students' seatings, which in return, makes it easier to either learn students' names, establish rules, or even know who is absent.
Also Read: Are Teachers Responsible for Students' Willingness to Learn English?
Behavioral Aspect
Managing behavior is also important. If students are being disruptive and not being able to follow corrections, this will lead to a major hideousness in the course. When one or two students begin to act out, this behavior actively makes slows down the learning process for every other student in the class, if not, stops the learning altogether. Establishing a verbal warning, followed by a write-up, followed by whatever disciplinary action the facility in which one is teaching allows, is an important way to keep the class under control. In an ideal world, problems will begin and end with a verbal warning, many times, this is just the case. With that said, students will sometimes "test" or "challenge" teachers. This is when it is important to follow the progressive discipline rules and regulations set out by the school. When the behavior is under control, students are willing to work harder along with understanding the material faster. This is because there is nothing to hinder their focus.
Also Read: Can I get a work visa to teach English in Germany?
Inclusive Environment
Along with those two points, my final point on why classroom management is incredibly useful and mandatory is that the learning environment must be suitable for all students. What I mean by this, is that in conjunction with and organized and well-behaved class, the classroom must be open for questions, concerns, and comments. An educator can easily have a well put together class, where students do not act out, but if they are rigid and not able to help students achieve their goals, then learning will be slowed down. Ways to ensure that this does not happen is to make sure that your lesson plans throughout the week will category to all sorts of learners. Whether that would be audible, visual, or kinesthetic learning, making sure that you have a variety of ways to relay information for students.
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As one can see, being able to run a well organized and well behaved, learning environment that is suitable for all sorts of learners are essential to a teacher's career. When these aspects are achieved, it is simply easier to tailor lessons to ensure students are meeting the standards that they are set to meet. This will allow a productive workflow, yet, also inviting and simple. Classroom management is incredibly important and I look forward to exercising my skills with my future classes.
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