Classroom Management Strategies
Knowing some classroom management strategies are important. There are times teachers feel at a loss as to what to do. Some lack support from the schools; sometimes it’s managing a class of troubled students. It could even be just that one student that doesn’t seem to connect with the lesson.
These situations can leave us feeling frustrated and give us a sense of failure in our work. There are a few strategies for dealing with classroom disruptions and struggling students. Hopefully, leading to a deeper connection with the kids you’re working with.
Positive reinforcement
Large class sizes can be difficult to work with because it’s you against them. It can be difficult to find a classroom management strategy to overcome this.
Studies have shown that positive reinforcement can go a long way in dealing with disruptive classes. As explained in this video by Scishow psych, linked below, studies done on classes that emphasised positive reinforcement by allowing students to earn points for good behaviour showed a drastic improvement in overall class productivity.
Going a step further and separating the class into teams does an even better job. Students will start to pressure others on their team to behave in an expected manner. This doesn’t work for every student, but it has shown to improve the behaviour of most large classes.
Hands on work
Another way to motivate students into the behaviour you want is to provide a more hands-on lesson. This story about a principal who improved the behaviour and productivity of a troubled school did so by changing the way they approached their lessons. Although they mostly focused on STEM subjects, these techniques can be used for language learning as well.
you might also like Accent and Pronunciation, are these the key to fluency?
Get students involved in the learning process by having them find the answers for themselves and developing a more self-directed learning plan. this not only motivates and engages students but it also takes a load off of the teacher. Instead of endless boring grammar and vocabulary lessons try word games, story writing, debates and puzzles. This approach keeps students interested in lessons, helping them learn faster by working together to find answers, instead of mindlessly writing rules.
Include students in the lesson planning
What about smaller groups? Large classroom management strategies may not work well for private tutored lessons or small groups of three to five students, so how do we keep them interested and not acting out? I’ve found the best strategy is to allow them to have involvement in the lesson planning.
Ask them what they enjoy doing, what topics they like and what gets them excited. You can plan activities that cater to their interests to make sure they stay engaged. I have students who are really into space, so I incorporate that into reading comprehension or listening activities. I also have students who are really into Kpop so I try to include some writing assignments about their favourite singers. By delivering a lesson they’re interested in and excited about you not only avoid the undesirable behaviour but also get great results with an amazing lesson.
