TEYL - Classroom Management Tips

Summary

The video discusses classroom management for English teachers, especially when working with young learners. It highlights how teachers manage various classroom elements like student behavior, class activities, and transitions. The video offers practical tips such as allowing students wait time to process answers, using 'brain breaks' to shift the class atmosphere, and creating an English-speaking environment. Engaging activities like quick games or songs can help maintain students' energy and focus. The key message is that teachers are not just instructors, but also managers of the overall classroom experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 Classroom management requires energy, patience, and understanding of young learners' behaviors.
• 🎯 Misbehavior can stem from short attention spans or the need for physical movement.
• 📝 Teachers are managers of time, activities, transitions, student behavior, and classroom atmosphere.
• ⏳ Wait time (3-5 seconds) is important after asking questions to give students enough time to process and respond.
• 🎉 Brain breaks are useful to reset the classroom atmosphere and refresh students' focus.
• 🎶 Simple activities like shaking hands or a one-minute dance party can change the class mood while keeping students engaged.
• 💬 Managing language is crucial; English should be the primary language used in class, with native language as a last resort for complex explanations.
• 🔮 Fun tools, like a magic stone, can encourage students to speak in English during activities.
• 🎯 The key to classroom management is finding methods and activities that suit the specific learning environment and context.
• 🧑‍🏫 Teachers must balance maintaining an English-speaking environment with ensuring students understand key concepts.

Q & A

What are some reasons why children misbehave in the classroom?

Children may misbehave because they are playful, have short attention spans, or have been sitting for too long and need to move around.

What aspects of the classroom should teachers manage?

Teachers should manage time, activities, transitions, student behavior, conflicts, atmosphere, students' feelings and emotions, and the use of native language.

What is 'wait time' and why is it important?

'Wait time' is the period a teacher waits after asking a question before students respond, typically 3 to 5 seconds. It is important because young learners need time to process their answers in English.

How can teachers improve classroom climate during lessons?

Teachers can use 'brain breaks,' short transition activities like dancing, playing games, or shaking hands, to help students relax and refresh their focus.

What is a 'brain break' and how does it benefit students?

A 'brain break' is a transition activity that allows students to relax or change the class mood. It benefits students by energizing them for the next activity.

How can teachers manage the use of native language in the classroom?

Teachers should aim to create an English-speaking environment, using native language only when necessary, such as to explain difficult expressions or instructions.

What is a classroom management tip related to speaking English in class?

Teachers can use tools like a 'magic stone' to encourage students to speak English. For example, the teacher gives a student the stone and asks them to answer a question in English before passing the stone to another student.

Why is it important for teachers to manage the pace of the class?

Managing the pace of the class helps maintain student focus, gives them adequate time to think, and ensures that the lesson flows smoothly.

When is it appropriate for teachers to use the native language in class?

It is appropriate to use the native language when explaining complex idiomatic expressions or giving instructions for games that may be too difficult to understand in English.

How can teachers manage student behavior effectively?

Teachers can manage student behavior with routines and rules, creating a structured environment that promotes focus and good conduct.