WORKING WITH STUDENTS

Students are very resourceful. They can create problems or generate solutions, depending on how you engage and maintain their atten-tion. Getting students on task requires a repertoire of strategies that range from praise and encouragement to peer pressure or punish-ment. As we share some of these strategies, we'll begin by emphasiz-ing traditional management techniques. Once you have gained con-trol of your class, you can teach the students to manage some of their own activities.

23

20

Before we discuss management strategies, we'd like you to envision a learner-centered classroom. Try to picture a large class where the teacher has taught the students to take responsibility for doing their assignments within small cooperative groups. Throughout this book we will talk about the benefits of cooperative learning more fully, but for now we are introducing this model to prepare you for some of the language teaching approaches that will be developed in the following chapters.

CREATING A VISION The picture of your desired classroom is a "vision." In many plan-ning seminars, managers are reminded to envision or picture their goals before they attempt to frame their priorities. As you create a vision, you may not be able to duplicate the ideal situation in your

mind, but you can come close. Without a vision, your greatest efforts are often aimless.

When you are facing a crowded class of 60-150 students, you need help. And your most talented assistants can be found among the energetic adolescents you are trying to teach and control. Unless you plan to sustain mechanical drills throughout the year, you will need to create class "helpers" and develop their management skills. Don't limit your classroom role to teaching. Your success will also depend on your ability to manage students who have learned to take more responsibility for themselves.

Close your eyes and picture small groups of four to eight students working quietly together. Each group is trying to accomplish a clearly defined task. One student in the group seems to be

manag-ing the activity. Another is takmanag-ing notes. A timekeeper keeps every-one on schedule. Everyevery-one contributes by sharing ideas, offering suggestions, and making corrections. You have planned the activity, provided clear instructions, delegated responsibility for organizing and timing, and made the students accountable for the success of the group. Once you have set the stage, your students know how to take control of themselves.

In this situation, students are improving their language skills while they manage themselves in cooperative learning groups. They are responsible for accomplishing specific tasks, and the teacher is

mon-itoring and acting as a facilitator.

Cooperative learning may not be familiar to your students, and they won't react positively if you try to introduce innovations too quickly.

If your students expect the teacher to he completely responsible for controlling the class, you need to establish your competence in this expected role. Once you establish your credibility, you can begin to

incorporate innovative approaches to language learning. So the first step in developing classroom management strategies is to become familiar with the traditional teacher-student roles in your school.

BEGIN WITH FAMILIAR ROLES To find out more about the expected roles of teachers and students, we recommend that you do some investigation. Try to observe some of the other language classes. How do students behave with other

teachers? How do the teachers manage their classes? What are the school policies regarding discipline? Before you can establish your credibility as a teacher, you need to understand what your students have been programmed to expect.

You and your students will start within those parameters. Once you understand how the other teachers control their classes, you can begin to plan your own strategies. As you learn more about the system, hold on to the pearls of wisdom and discard any harsh sug-gestions. We will try to help you address the obvious problems.

Learner-centered management is only possible if the teacher is will-ing to step back a little. But a teacher who has not first established control cannot possibly consider stepping back. If you are working

in a system where students are accustomed to authoritarian

approaches, DON'T make the mistake of walking in with unrealis-tic plans for learner-controlled activities. Only after gaining respect can a teacher, gradually, with clear directions, begin to include less familiar activities that include pair work, small group work, and independent study.

During her second year of teaching, Corey learned that it is best to begin with firm, predictable rules. Every teacher can anticipate basic

problems, including tardiness, disruptions, cheating, or lack of stu-dent preparation. From the beginning, establish a bedrock of rules that are clear and non-negotiable. Don't wait for a crisis to hit.

ESTABLISHING EXPECTATIONS Asyou introduce yourself and your course objectives, establish a contract with the students. Emphasize hat you will work hard to prepare the lessons, you will deal with the students politely, and you will create fair tests designed to evaluate what you have taught. By the same token, you expect the students to be prepared for each

lesson, to behave in a manner that does not interfere with class learning, and to respond fairly with their own answers to tests.

Students need a written statement that clarifies school rules and pro-cedures. Most high schools have a student handbook which contains the school rules. Parents and students are required to read the hand-book and sign a statement of understanding.

22

Find out if your school has a handbook or written summary of rules. If your school does not have such support, you will need to talk to your colleagues and create an in-class substitute. Be sure to discuss your intentions with your school principal or director, who must approve your policies. Provide a copy of the contract to the school administration.

Every student in your class needs to understand the class contract, which shouldn't include more than ten key disciplinary rules. Have your students copy the contract into their notebooks and sign their names. You may also want to sign those individual contracts or dis-play a copy by the board.

The rules that you establish will be the result of discussions with school administrators and other teachers, but they must also reflect your own values and judgment. Some Volunteers have discovered that teachers in their schools use harsh physical punishments or require students to do chores at their homes. By American cultural standards, some of these disciplinary measures would be considered abusive.

Volunteers have been disturbed by harsh punishments, but they draw on their own judgment and creativity to establish moderate alternatives.