Teach English in Yijing Zhen - Yangquan Shi

Classroom management is one very important aspect of a teacher's overall professional responsibility. There are many methods of doing so and these methods are mirrored by an equal number of reasons as to why it is of great significance. To what degree effective classroom management techniques are or are not learned and practiced by the teacher will have a tangible effect on their student's language proficiency. Learning environments correlate directly to learning itself. As to the definition of "classroom management", there are differing points of view as to which teacher activities should be included under this heading and which should not. Some people have a much broader or more encompassing understanding of it while others tend to define it more narrowly. For the purposes of this essay, I have selected a cross-section of teacher activities which definitely are under the umbrella of classroom management. These are: classroom design, organization and discipline/rules. Classroom design is important because it can effect the mood of learners and thus, their enthusiasm and motivation. It also has a very large bearing on learning efficiency and inter-personal contact within the classroom. A classroom is fundamentally a place of learning and learning is a serious undertaking. This fact should not, however, dictate that a classroom should be bland and somber in appearance. It is a good idea to provide color and variety to the classroom environment. This can be easily achieved by installing wall posters, motivational pictures, certain student projects, maps, etc. The idea is to provide students with an uplifting and motivational environment. A very important aspect of classroom design is the arrangement of desks and/or tables. Certain desk configurations are better suited for certain types of classroom activities. For example, when the activity is centered around teacher instruction, desks should be arranged in rows/columns or in a semi-circle. When the activity is student-centered,(pairs or groups), having the desks in clusters is an effective formation. Having the most effective desk formations relative to the current activity is very important because doing so can have a positive effect on a teacher's ability to captivate student attention and during other activities, with a different formation, can promote positive student-student interaction. Organization is another aspect of classroom management which has a direct bearing on the effectiveness of classroom time for the students. A teacher must practice good organizational habits in order to maximize actual learning/teaching time and also to serve as a role model for the students. A key element of organization for the teacher is to always have lesson plans completed prior to class commencing and to keep it on hand for quick reference. It is also a good idea to post such things as classroom calenders, homework and assignment-completion schedules where the students can easily reference them. Also important is to have homework and examinations evaluated and back to the students in a timely fashion. Practicing the aforementioned habits and others serves to set a good example for students and will hopefully give the students reason to believe that the teacher takes their time seriously and is focused on being as productive as possible on behalf of his or her students. Witnessing firsthand the positive results of organizational proficiency will provide the students with great material for emulation. The implementation of classroom rules and the imposition of discipline is not necessarily the most enjoyable aspect of classroom management however it is vital for the integrity of learning time. Of course, the types of rules and discipline which must be in place will vary(to a degree) depending upon the age of the students. For example,when teaching adults Business English, one would expect the students to be largely self-governing insofar as conduct is concerned, however this is not always the case. When teaching young learners, more emphasis will need to be placed on clear communication of rules and expectations. This communication must take place at the outset of the course and, at times, must be accompanied by periodic reminders throughout the course. It is worth emphasizing that classroom rules and discipline must always be fair and consistent. Discipline must never, ever be as a result of a teacher acting in an uncontrolled manner and must never involve any form of abuse directed at the students. The main reason as to why having rules and discipline in the classroom is to help prevent the student's learning process from being negatively impacted by behavior which would typically be regarded as unacceptable. Examples of unacceptable behavior include tardiness, disrespect directed towards the teacher or other students, disruptive actions such as interrupting another student's question or answer, aggression, etc. A classroom has traditionally been viewed primarily as a setting created for the advancement of knowledge however, in reality, it is much more than that. It is also the place wherein students learn social skills and where they can be psychologically affected by such things as bullying. Having established rules and maintaining consistent discipline can help students to have a positive and life-enhancing educational experience. The preceding paragraphs have only touched on the reasons why the practice by teachers of good classroom management is so important. Given that all aspects of a teacher's habits and conduct should have as their first consideration the well-being of his or her students, classroom management must be viewed as an area of significant importance. This aspect of an educator's job profile involves careful thought, planning and a consistent focus on details. Those details can, and usually do, have a notable impact on any student's level of motivation and enthusiasm. Thus, a notable impact on their education experience as a whole.