Catedra de Limba si Literatura englez

Methodology majors, year II, autumn 2009

PUPILS, TEACHER AND SCHOOL

Establishing a productive learning environment is a big challenge for teachers. For
beginning teachers, it may be the primary concern. Studies show that nearly half of the
teachers who leave the profession during the first three years do so because of problems
with managing pupils.
This unit and the next will help you establish and maintain a productive and orderly
learning environment, i.e. a classroom that is safe, orderly and focussed on learning.
Such an environment will enable your pupils to feel safe and to learn as much as
possible. Their shared classroom routines, values, expectations, learning experiences,
rules and procedures will increase their engagement, their sense of autonomy and will
enhance the use of instructional time. All this will result in their improved achievement
and motivation and in your job satisfaction.
After you have completed the study of this unit, you should be able to:
explain how you can enable your pupils to learn English more happily and
effectively
describe how the class atmosphere can assist language learning
identify the qualities of a good learner of English
identify essential teaching skills that help promote learning
identify the talents and skills of a good teacher of English
explain how creating and teaching rules can eliminate management problems

1 Learning English Inside and Outside the Classroom

Throughout the world, the majority of English language learning takes place
outside the classroom. Learners are exposed to English in the course of their everyday
life: they interact with other English speakers, listen to the radio and TV, read
newspapers, write letters, socialize, etc., in a word, they do things with English.
However, formal classroom learning may suit better some kinds of learners. These
prefer that the responsibility of learning be taken away from them. In the classroom,
frequency, pace and order of exposure to English is determined by a syllabus and/or a
coursebook, and the teacher determines the learning activities. The control by the teacher
of the organization of the classroom provides support to the learners lacking in motivation
or confidence. Nevertheless, the same control may be a source of frustration to other
learners, who know both what and how they want to learn.
As an English teacher, you must bear in mind that you are responsible for the
learning of all pupils within the classroom. You must also train them in good strategies to
enable them to continue learning outside the classroom. You must develop in them pupils
habits of independence and autonomy, preparing them to organise their own learning and
to exploit other sources of language outside the classroom.

2 The Complexities of the Classroom

Classroom activities have characteristics that make them complex and demanding:
o Several activities and tasks occur at the same time. When you teach a classroom, you
need to maintain order, attract and keep your pupils attention, and keep them
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involved in a learning activity (individual, whole class, small groups, pairs). You may
also have to deal with discipline problems.
o The events occur rapidly. Things happen quickly and you need to make many of the
decisions right now. This need to make quick decisions can be almost overwhelming,
particularly for beginning teachers.
o Events often take unexpected turns. You must always plan your classroom activity,
and try to anticipate as much as you can of what will happen. And yet it is impossible
to plan for all of your pupils responses. Pupils and classroom activity are often
unpredictable, but experienced teachers get used to expecting the unexpected. The
unpredictable nature of classrooms increases their complexity and challenge.
o You teach in front of people. In a sense, you are on a stage and your successes and
mistakes occur in the public space. The pupils (and possibly other observers)
perceptions of your actions can have unintended consequences.

3 Getting to Know Your Pupils

To be able to predict as much of the unpredictable as possible, you need to know
your pupils and to build up a wide repertoire of skills and techniques. All these will enable
you to develop useful structures and a personal style of teaching. You will then maximize
both your pupils potential and your own in the limited time and with the limited resources
of the school.
In an ideal classroom, management is invisible. The atmosphere is calm,
movement and interaction are comfortable, and pupils work quietly. The teacher gives few
directions and reprimands pupils infrequently. In the real world, some classes are tough to
manage. In most instances, however, a teacher can create an orderly classroom. Doing
so requires good knowledge of the pupils and careful planning. It also requires the
existence of a clearly understood and consistently monitored set of rules and procedures
that prevents management problems before they occur.
Before planning rules and procedures, you must consider both the characteristics
of your pupils and the physical environment of your classrooms. The relationship among
these factors is illustrated below.
Planning for
effective
management

Pupil
characteristi
cs

The
physical
environmen

Procedures
and rules
(after Paul Eggen and Don Kauchak 2004 Educational Psychology, Pearson)

The complexity of a teachers activity is especially apparent in the large classes of

the primary and secondary schools, where the number of pupils and their immaturity
combine to put to constant test the teachers classroom managerial skills. In such a
context, knowing your pupils and knowing how to approach them is crucial.

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SAQ 1
You know that pupils think, act and feel differently at different
stages of development. What are the general characteristics
affecting classroom management of the primary school pupils
(grades 2 to 4) compared to those of the lower secondary school
pupils (grades 5 to 8)?
Whether you teach younger or older children, your way of approaching them,
especially in the early stages of the classroom activity, will be a major factor that affects
your pupils confidence. Learners of all ages should be treated with care and respect.
Knowing your pupils by name, knowing their backgrounds and interests, knowing about
their previous language-learning experiences and their attitudes to English will enable
you to help them learn more happily and effectively.
Before you start teaching a new group, you will want to find out what your pupils
have already learnt.
Being able to address your pupils by name has considerable advantages both for
you and for them. It avoids confusion which might arise in identifying which pupil should
be responding. Also, it is the natural way to attract somebodys attention; it speeds up the
organising of pair and group work; it generates a friendly relationship with the pupils and
among them, and it produces a secure atmosphere.
SAQ 2
What can you do if you have large classes and you are not
good at remembering pupils names?

A language class gives you more opportunities to discover details about your
pupils lives than most other classes. Very often you may find yourself wondering what
you can ask and what is better to be left unasked. A good principle is never to ask your
pupils anything that you yourself would not wish to be asked.
Your pupils will find their English lessons more stimulating if some of their work is
concerned with things that interest them. You will want then to find out what these things
are. Almost any hobby which a pupil has can be incorporated into an English lesson.
Think First!
Before continuing to read this text, think where you can find
information about your pupils previous experience of learning
English.

There is always an official syllabus (programa) of what needs to be taught at

each level, which you can consult. You can also ask your pupils to bring you the
coursebook(s) and notebook(s) they used. Sometimes, you can talk to the previous
teacher(s). This kind of discussion is very important as you may be able to find out what
your pupils strengths and weaknesses are. Both the pupils and the previous teacher may
also tell you what kinds of learning experience they had.
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Sometimes, however, you will find that the class is different from what you would
have expected. This may simply mean that the class, or individual pupils within it, have
changed.
Think First!
Before continuing to read this unit, think of what you can do to
find out what your pupils really know. Note down a few ideas in the
space below.

The best way to establish what your pupils already know is to start with a
diagnostic test to discover what they can and cannot do. However, when you give them
such a test, you must make sure that your pupils understand that the test is given only to
help you decide what gaps they have in their knowledge, so that you can help them to fill
these gaps.
In most cases, the young pupils attitude to English is more influenced by you than
by their wants or needs. Your enthusiasm and skills have an enormous effect on the
attitude of your pupils. However, positive attitudes to learning English need to be fostered
constantly, as pupils almost always reach a stage when they feel that they are not making
any progress. At this point you need to find new ways of motivating them and making
their study seem worthwhile by seizing every opportunity to make their learning
meaningful.
Remember that no matter what facilities the school offers, it is the lively, purposeful
class atmosphere with plenty to do, which you create, which will maintain your pupils
positive attitudes. The most important factor in keeping your pupils motivated is your own
skill and enthusiasm.

3.1 The Good Learners of English

Drawing on your experience as learners of English, you could draw the profile of
the good learners of English. Consider these features:
Perceptual skills: they can perceive new sounds.
Analytical skills: they can formulate hypotheses, memorise language items,
monitor their own speech and that of others.
Motivation: they have a high motivation.
Strategy: they concentrate on meaning rather than on form when practising;
they look for cues in the context.
Study: they can organise their studies and study independently (e.g. they
make vocabulary lists and use them).
Experiment: they try out their language knowledge and are uninhibited about
making mistakes.
Sociability: they mix well and work well in groups. They can transfer from
Romanian to English communication strategies such as paraphrasing,
circumlocution, checking that listeners have understood, etc.
Exposure: they seek out every opportunity to come into contact with English,
(watching films and TV programmes, reading books and newspapers, etc.)
Cultural openess: they are open-minded and open hearted with regard to
foreign cultures and individuals.
Age: young children do not make good learners of grammar.
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Adaptability: they learn well despite the method, the teacher, and the school.
Think First!
What fundamental skill is hidden behind most of the features
listed above?

It would be difficult to imagine that all your pupils show all the above mentioned
features and are all good learners of English. However, you should be able to show your
pupils how to be good, which clearly involves helping them to become independent.
Independence is a quality which seems to cut across most of the features listed above.

4 Class Atmosphere
The general atmosphere in the class can assist learning. Both your behaviour
and language and those of the pupils can contribute to this atmosphere.
Think First!
What factors are the most important, in your opinion, for
building a good atmosphere in your classes? Put in order the
following suggestions according to how important they are for you
and the pupils you are teaching.

addressing pupils by name

encouraging the whole class to use first names
always being polite to your pupils
expecting your pupils to be polite to each other as well as to
you
always being punctual to classes
encouraging your pupils to arrive to classes on time
encouraging pupils to apologise for late coming
making sure you do not show favouritism towards any particular
pupil
planning clearly what you are going to do in each lesson
allowing valid questions and interruptions
telling your pupils from the beginning what you want to achieve
in the lesson
saying, at the end of the lesson, how successful you think it has
been
including, if possible, every pupil in some way during each
lesson
not letting one or two pupils monopolise the class
providing opportunities for the pupils to talk and listen to each
other
reducing communication between you and your pupils to an
optimum amount
saying what you mean and meaning what you say: being firm in
approving or disapproving
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 doing the things which you have told your pupils you will do
treating all your pupils alike.
4.1 Discipline
Discipline is an important matter. As a teacher, you should be able to solve a
number of questions, referring to maintaining order, the amount of noise you can tolerate,
what you consider unacceptable behaviour and how you can punish misbehavers.
SAQ 3
How much freedom do you think you have in dealing with
discipline problems?

It is important to try to be fair, and not to punish misbehaviour severely on one

occasion while ignoring it on another. It is always better to avoid situations that may lead
to misbehaviour. If you keep your pupils busy and if they believe that what they are doing
is worthwhile, they will be less likely to become disruptive. Also, if you are well organized,
you are less likely to have problems with discipline.

4.2 Involving All the Pupils

You should seize every opportunity to give encouragement to those pupils who are
making a real effort and not just to those who are being successful. This can be done
briefly and frequently, without interrupting the flow of the lesson, by the use of Yes,
Good, Thats right and even by a simple nod of the head.
Avoid comparing one pupils performance with that of other pupils. It is always
more constructive to compare a pupils work with his/her own previous performance as
this gives the pupil a sense of ones own progress.
Ensure that all the pupils are included in the class activity. In large classes in
particular, it is very easy to miss some pupils out. Often teachers tend to focus on one
particular section of the class the area where the very good pupils sit, the front of the
class, or the area by the window , without realising it.
Think First!
Before you read the rest of this section, write down the means
you can think of used for including all the pupils in the class activity.

Here are some ways of making sure that you involve all the pupils.
Use the class register list. Your pupils will know if you are calling on them in
the order of the class register list. To avoid this, use every second or third name, or some
other pattern, so that they may not realise what order you are using. Avoid looking down
at the list (by putting it where you can see it easily). Also, to prevent the switching off of
pupils who have just responded, ask one or two for a second response.
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 Think of your class as a set of lines or rows of pupils and address a

question to a pupil from each line or row in turn.
Set rules. If your pupils tend to shout out the answers before the others have
time to try, make a rule that the pupil who has responded once must miss the next three
questions before s/he can answer again. This keeps the pupils busy counting, while
waiting to join in again.
Invite the pupil who answers to name the one who will answer next. If the
pupils get used to this system, it can move quite briskly and be successful. However, it
can become unpleasant if the pupils see it as a way of victimising their slower classmates
Repeat the question and/or prompt. If the pupil you nominated is unable to
respond, help him/her by repeating or prompting, while insisting that the rest of the class
remains quiet. Sometimes, however, you may wish to pass a factual question to another
pupil, or the class in general.

4.3 Extra-Curricular Activities

Activities conducted outside lesson times can make an important contribution to
maintaining a good atmosphere in the classroom. If their knowledge of English opens the
way to other interesting activities, the pupils will take a more positive attitude to their
studies.
By organising a class library or an English club you can provide your pupils with
the possibility of extending their knowledge and interests outside the classroom as well
as giving them an opportunity for genuine communication. Try to help your pupils set
these up and then give them assistance in running them.
SAQ 4
What advantages or disadvantages can you see in your
pupils attending the activity of an English club?

5 The Teacher
5.1. Essential Teaching Skills
What kind of knowledge do you need to help your pupils learn as much as
possible?
Knowledge of content. You should know not only English but also be familiar
with the concepts used in the lessons.
Pedagogical content knowledge. You should be able to illustrate the
concepts used (with examples, drawings, charts, etc.)
General pedagogical knowledge. You should know how to organise orderly
classrooms and use questioning skills that involve your pupils and lead to thorough
understanding.
Knowledge of learners and learning. You should be able to understand
when your pupils need concrete examples and what kind of tasks increase motivation
and learning.

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Positive teacher attitudes are also fundamental to effective teaching as personal

teaching efficacy, energy, enthusiasm, caring and high expectations promote pupil
motivation. For instance, if you are an elementary school teacher, you can communicate
your personal efficacy and caring by calling a pupils parents and soliciting their help as
soon as the pupil fails to turn in an assignment or receives an unsatisfactory grade.
Besides all the types of knowledge and attitudes, there are basic abilities that all
teachers should have to promote order and learning in the classroom.
Think first!
Before reading the following section, make a list of the skills
that are essential, in your opinion, for any teacher.

You should know how to increase learning by using time efficiently. Different types
of classroom time influence learning in different ways:
Type of classroom time
Allocated time
Instructional time
Engaged time
Academic learning time

Description
The amount of time a teacher uses for a content
area or topic
The amount of time left for teaching after routine
management and administrative tasks are
completed
The amount of time pupils are actively involved in
learning activities
The amount of time pupils are actively involved in
learning activities during which they are successful.

As you move from allocated time to academic learning time, the correlation with
learning becomes stronger. Unfortunately, teachers do not always use time effectively.
Some teachers seem unaware of the importance of time, viewing it as something to be
filled or even killed. In order to increase learning, you should increase instructional,
engaged, and academic learning time to make as much use of the allocated time as
possible.
Organisation determines how efficiently time is used. It includes starting on time,
preparing materials in advance, establishing routines, etc. Routines reduce the load of
your working effort and memory, save your energy, and create a sense of order and
equilibrium in your classroom.
There is a strong link between effective communication, pupil achievement and
pupil satisfaction. The way you interact with pupils influences their motivation and
attitudes toward school in general and English in particular. Four aspects of effective
communication are especially important: precise terminology, connected discourse,
transition signals and emphasis.
Precise terminology is language without vague terms, which would leave the
pupils with a sense of uncertainty and detract them from learning.
Connected discourse is talk that leads to a point. If the point of a lesson is not
clear, if your talk is sequenced inappropriately, if incidental information is
included, discourse becomes disconnected. Keep your lessons on track,
minimising time spent on matters unrelated to the topic.
Transition signals indicate that one idea or activity is ending and another is
beginning (e.g. All right, now well turn to). They alert the pupils that the
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lesson is making a shift and allow them to adjust and get prepared.
Emphasis consists of verbal (e.g. Listen carefully now) and vocal cues (such
as raising the voice) and repetition, which alert pupils to important information
in a lesson.

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SAQ 5
What practical implications may terminology, connected
discourse, transition signals, and emphasis have for teachers?

To check on your organisation and communication skills, you can ask another
teacher to visit your class and observe your language and nonverbal communication or to
see how many minutes you spend before actually beginning instruction. You can also ask
your colleague to see whether you clearly emphasise the important points in the lesson,
sequence the presentation logically, communicate changes in topics or the way you give
feedback.
Introductory focus attracts pupils attention and provides a framework for the
lesson. In addition, it can increase motivation by arousing curiosity. In an English lesson
you can use concrete objects, pictures, models, materials displayed around the room,
information written on the board all meant to maintain pupils attention during learning
activities. Use objects, photos, maps, charts, etc. to provide introductory and sensory
focus during your lessons.
The information pupils receive about the accuracy or appropriateness of their
responses and work is crucial in promoting learning. Feedback gives pupils information
about the validity of their knowledge or skills. It also helps them to elaborate on their
existing understanding. Feedback is also important for motivation because it provides
pupils with information about their increasing competence. Effective feedback has four
essential characteristics:
it is immediate or given soon after a pupil response
it is specific
it provides corrective information for the learner
it has a positive emotional tone

Provide feedback throughout all learning experiences.

SAQ 6
Look at the following teacher pupil dialogue. Which of the
characteristics of feedback listed above is not illustrated by this
dialogue:
Mr. B: What kind of an animal is shown in the picture, Jill?
Jill:
A panther.
Mr. B: Not quite. Help her out, Betty?
Using questions, you can guide learning rather than simply deliver information. By
questioning you can assess pupil background knowledge, cause pupils to rethink their
ideas, help them form relationships. You can also involve shy pupils, recapture pupils
wandering attention, promote success, and enhance self-esteem. Questioning can also
maintain the pace and momentum of a lesson. Effective questioning

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is frequent
is equitably distributed
uses prompting
allows adequate wait-time
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Lessons are more coherent when review and closure are used to summarise and
pull ideas together. Review is a summary that helps pupils link what they have already
learned to what will follow in the next activity. It emphasizes important points and
encourages elaboration. It can occur at any point in a lesson, although it is common at
the beginning and end. Closure is a form of review that occurs at the end of a lesson. It
pulls content together and signals the end of the lesson.
Begin and end each class with a short review. Guide the review with questioning.
For instance, say We studied present perfect yesterday. Give me an example that
illustrates this, and explain why your example is correct.
These skills are interdependent as none is effective alone, but only in combination
with the others. Their interaction and integration are crucial.
Besides knowledge, attitudes and essential teaching skills that are common to
teachers of all subjects, the teachers of English can use successfully a variety of other
abilities, skills and talents.

5.2 Language Ability

Fluency and accuracy in English do not make anyone automatically into a
successful teacher of English. Many good teachers of English have a limited command of
English. However, these teachers may have the advantage of understanding better their
pupils difficulties. The secret lies in being confident about your English without being
embarrassed about your lack of greater knowledge.
When your pupils will ask you Whats the English for .? and you do not know the
answer, it is better to say I dont know, but Ill find out for you rather than to try to avoid
answering the question. Do not feel embarrassed that you dont know every word of
English. Think how many words of Romanian you dont know! We all continue to learn
throughout our lives. What is important is to work on improving the quality of the English
you use and want to teach your pupils. And there are lots of ways in which you can
develop your language skills.
Think First!
Before reading the following section, write down in the space
provided the answer to this question: What ways of improving
your classroom English can you think of now?

Here are a few solutions:

Make sure that you are familiar with the language in the lesson. The day before the
class, prepare the lesson by speaking out the words, phrases, and sentences, so that you
can hear how they sound. See if there are words which you have difficulty in pronouncing,
and try to get them right. If there is a cassette to be used with the book, listen to the
recording too, as this can help with pronunciation.
If you can, have regular meetings with other teachers of English to help each other
with the preparation of classes, and share with them your difficulties and your successes.
You may soon discover that each of you can gain something from the experience of the
others. There are also teachers clubs (cercuri) or teachers centres (CCDs) where you
may check up on anything you are unsure of by asking colleagues or experts.

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SAQ 7
How big an advantage is, in your opinion, the knowledge of an
English-speaking country? Explain why you think this is so.

5.3 Teacher Talents

A clear voice, good presentation skills, self-confidence are all big advantages. Or,
perhaps, you are good at singing or playing an instrument. If you cannot play or sing well,
you can still have a song in your class by playing a tape or a record and singing along
with the recording. If you cannot lead the singing yourself, just join in and encourage the
pupils to sing.
Drawings are often used as a way of presenting new language and explaining new
vocabulary. You do not have to be an artist: just make sure that you keep the drawing
simple and you draw it big enough to be seen by every pupil in the classroom. Always try
it out or prepare it in advance.
Use your acting skills if you decide to read out a dialogue or organise a role play
activity. You will sound more convincing if you use different voices to indicate changes of
speaker. Even if you only change the loudness or speed or pitch of your voice, you will
still make the contrast between speakers clear. This will show your pupils what you
expect of them and will encourage them to take part in the activity. Otherwise, it is
unreasonable to expect your pupils to do things that you are not willing to do yourself. It is
always acceptable to say Im not very good at this, but Ill try.

5.4 Practical Classroom Skills

Your good performance in the classroom will have a significant effect on the way in
which the pupils see you and, consequently, on their behaviour.
Think First!
Before reading the next section, think of the practical skills that
a good teacher needs.

Here are some necessary practical skills:

In the classroom, you should read clearly and loudly, without stumbling over difficult
words, with a good intonation and sounding as if you care about what you are reading.
Always practise any piece you want to use in the next lesson.
Organise your board work well, write legibly and quickly on the board. Write your
lines right, and your letters clear and big, so that they can be read easily from the sides
and back of the class). Clean the board before you start writing on it.
It is important for you to master the equipment. You need to know how to use an
overhead projector or a video player. The best way to learn is by hands on experience:
have someone explain it and demonstrate it, and then go through the various steps a
number of times yourself. Read carefully the instruction manual, if it is available. If you
cannot handle the equipment, you will get angry and frustrated, and you may lose the
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respect of your pupils.

5.5 Opportunities for Self Development

By thinking critically about yourself, you may have identified aspects of your
professional performance which you want to improve. Opportunities for self-development
may be offered by attending refresher courses, classes in art, music or drama, by joining
a local library, arranging to work with teacher colleagues, finding out what local
organisations exist and asking what they can do to help, reading books about teaching,
etc.

5.6 The Good Teacher of English

As a teacher you should be aware of the factors affecting learning. This awareness
will help you to enhance your pupils learning. Also, you should be aware of what makes a
good learner in order to try to make your pupils good learners. Moreover, you should be
aware of what motivates your pupils to learn English and try to bring about factors which
increase your pupils motivation.
However, some of the factors that affect your pupils leaning either cannot be
changed or are difficult to change.
SAQ 8
What factors cannot be changed and what factors can you
influence or change in making your pupils good learners of
English?

6 The School
6.1 Getting a New Job
No two schools are alike. Schools may range from very formal, with strict discipline
to very casual, where discipline is not considered important. School principals also range
from authoritarian to permissive. It is important for you to realise what type of school you
are in and to adjust your own behaviour accordingly. While you are new, keep your
teaching style rather formal until you learn more about how the other teachers work. It is
always easier to become more relaxed with your pupils as time goes on rather than to
become more formal with them.
It is important to respect the norms of the school in which you are working and not
to impose your own system from the beginning. Once you have become accepted by the
other members of the staff, you may perhaps suggest ideas which they can consider and
possibly adopt.
In the beginning, you need to be careful about how much noise your classes make.
You may need to try to convince the other teachers and the school principal that in order
to learn to speak English and understand the spoken language, your pupils will need to
make some noise, that group and pair work cause some noise.
School responsibilities are relevant for teachers of all subjects. They are important
aspects of school life and affect the status of English in the school. This in turn affects
what you can achieve. Understanding the system can save you a lot of time and trouble
and leave you to devote more energy to the actual teaching/learning process.
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6.2 The Classroom

Few classrooms are ideal. They may be too small or too large, too dim or too
bright, storage space may be limited, maps may cover the board, etc. Rearranging desks
is sometimes impossible, but if it is possible, try to experiment with different arrangements
to see what works best for you. Do not forget to consider the room arrangement in your
planning.
In most cases, you have to accept the room(s) you are allocated for your work. In
the schools where there are fixed rooms for English or language labs, you will have the
opportunity to create an appropriate environment (with wall-charts, posters photos, pupils
work, and the like) so that everyone coming in knows immediately that English is the
focus of attention there. But if you must move from class to class, you can still do quite a
lot to ensure that the environment in which your classes are held is as encouraging as
possible.
SAQ 10
How would you describe the ideal room in which you would
love to teach?

6.3 School Routines

The first few days of the school year are crucial to classroom management,
because they create lasting impressions and patterns of behaviour for the year are
established in these first days. Spend a little time at the beginning of the year explaining
how you intend the class to operate, and making it clear what you consider to be
acceptable behaviour. This should be done in a friendly but firm manner, without sounding
threatening.
Here are a few guidelines for beginning the school year:
Establish expectations

Plan structured instruction

Teach rules and procedures

Begin communication with

parents

Explain requirements and grading systems

(particularly with older pupils)
Emphasize that learning and classroom order are
interdependent
Plan with great care during this period
Conduct eye-catching and motivating activities
Assess pupils skills and background knowledge
Use large- rather than small-group instruction
Minimize transitions from one activity to another
Begin teaching rules and procedures the first day
Discuss and practise rules and procedures during
the first few days
Intervene and discuss every infraction of rules
Meet the parents or send them a letter, and state
your positive statements for the year
Call or visit parents after the first or second week to
nip potential problems in the bud

Your life will be made easier and your class more successful if you establish rules
for your lessons which everybody understands and accepts. Here are a few examples of
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teachers rules:
Primary school
We raise our hands
before speaking
We leave our seats only
when given permission by
the teacher

Lower secondary
Be in your seat and quiet
when the bell rings
Raise your hand for
permission to speak or to
leave your seat

Upper secondary
Be in your seat before
the bell rings
Give your full attention to
others in discussion, and
wait your turn to speak

SAQ 11
What rules that you have already used with your pupils would
you like to add to the lists in the table above?

Such rules can be worked out together with the pupils. Although involving pupils in
rule making does not solve all management problems, it is an important step in gaining
their cooperation. Once established, rules create a sense of ownership, and contribute to
the development of responsibility and self-regulation in your pupils.
Try to find out what the norms there are in your school, and comply with them. For
instance, the pupils may be expected to stand (or not) when you come into the room.
Homework may be collected by a pupil rather than by you. The board may be always
cleaned by the pupil sitting nearest to it or by a pupil on duty. If there are no norms, it is
wise for you to establish some of your own.
Asking your pupils to put up hands is not always appropriate in a class where
everybody must speak. Sometimes you need responses from pupils who do not know
them, or who do, but do not put up their hands. Make sure you first ask the question and
then name a pupil to answer. Ask a second or a third pupil if the first pupil is unable to
answer.
Get your pupils to put up their hands before they want to ask a question. This helps
to prevent noisy interruptions. However, do not insist on your pupils always raising their
hand before asking, as one of the skills they must acquire is that of being able to interrupt
and seek clarification.
SAQ 12
When would you insist on your pupils raising their hands?

Your pupils need to know in advance of the lesson what will need to bring to class.
You have to plan this and ask them to bring only what they will use. Then you should be
firm in reprimanding those who fail to bring what is needed to the first few lessons, so that
it becomes second nature for your pupils to bring the right things. On the other hand, if
you ask them to bring something and never ask them to use it, dont be cross if someone
fails to bring that thing to the lesson when you finally decide to refer to it.
With younger pupils, insist that they do not keep on the desk things which are not
to be used during the lesson.
Help your pupils establish an organised way of keeping their notes by using the
lesson/unit titles of the coursebook and perhaps the exercise/section/activity number as
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headings. The pupils can then write under these headings and the notebook can be
referred to alongside the coursebook. If your pupils buy their own coursebooks, do not
forbid them to write in them or mark things they want to remember, or even colour the
pictures. If, however, books belong to the school, the notebook must become an essential
tool for the pupil.
There is almost always an established way in which young pupils will address you
and you them. With older pupils you may establish the form of address together.
However, this will depend largely on school custom and pupils expectations. Make it
clear from the outset what your name is and how you like to be addressed.

Summary
This unit presents the complexity of the job of being an English teacher and the
many requirements that you need to comply with: you must have a deep understanding of
the topics you teach, be able to represent the topics in ways that are understandable to
pupils, to organize and maintain productive learning environments, and understand the
learning and the characteristics of your pupils.
As a teacher, you are responsible for classroom learning and should be able to
increase it. You should be caring and enthusiastic, a good role model, and have high
expectations for your pupils. You should be well organized, know what is going on in your
classrooms, use your class time well, and communicate clearly. You should present
content in attractive ways, provide clear and informative feedback, and review important
ideas. You should use effective questioning strategies, prompt pupils who do not answer
successfully, and give pupils time to think about their answers. You should be able to
draw, write legibly and speak convincingly, and maybe have other talents, too.
You should be able to create a classroom atmosphere conducive to learning and
establish rules and routines which enhance the use of classroom learning time.

Key Concepts

productive and orderly learning environment

formal classroom learning
multidimensional activities
characteristics of classroom activities
good English learner profile
building a good atmosphere
means for including all pupils in the activities
types of knowledge needed by the teacher
types of classroom time
essential teaching skills
language ability
practical classroom skills
factors affecting learning
guidelines for beginning the school year
establishing classroom rules

Further Reading
1. Harmer, Jeremy (2001) The Practice of English Language Teaching, Longman
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2. Underwood, Mary (1987) Effective Class management. A Practical Approach,

Longman
3. Ur, Penny (1996) A Course in Language Teaching. Practice and Theory, Cambridge
University Press

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