Managing the class

1. Use of eye contact, gesture and the voice

Eye contact

(1) How can you use eye contact?

(2) When should you avoid eye contact?

(3) Is there any point in encouraging the students to look at each other? (Yes, very much so.

1. Use of eye contact, gesture and the voice

Use of gesture, facial expression and mime

(1) Conveying meaning

(2) Managing the class

(3) Is there anything to be avoided?

(unclear, ambiguous, rude gestures &

irritating habits)

1. Use of eye contact, gesture and the voice

Using the voice to gain attention

(1) when students are standing around at the

beginning of a lesson, talking;

(2) when you want to stop a group activity;

(3) when there’s a lot of general noise and

you want to regain control.

1. Use of eye contact, gestureand the voice

Using students’ names

It is important to make sure you know everyone’s name and that they know both yours and each other'

2. Classroom arrangement

Students’ seating arrangements

(1) their attitude to each other and to you;

(2) your attitude to them;

(3) how they interact;

(4) the types of activity they can do.

2. Classroom arrangement

The teacher’s position and movement

(1) what type of activity it is;

(2) what your role is;

(3) what the students’ role is expected to be;

(4) who you are attending to and

not attending to;

(5) whether you expect a student to talk to

you or not.

3. Attention spread

How can you give individual attention? What about students who don’t want ‘public’

attention? Attention during pairwork and groupwork.

4. Teacher talk and student talk

Advantages vs. disadvantages of teacher talk How can you help the students understand

what you say? How can you avoid unnecessary and

unhelpful TTT?

5. Eliciting, giving instructions and setting up activities

Usually eliciting consists of giving clues and prompts in order to get the students to make an appropriate contribution. Eliciting should never be simply guessing what’s in the teacher’s head.

5. Eliciting, giving instructions and setting up activities

Use simple language and short expressions. Be consistent. Use visual or written clues. Demonstrate. Break the instructions down. Target your instructions. Be decisive.

(How can you make your instructions effective?)

5. Eliciting, giving instructions and setting up activities

Different types of activities: Controlled activities / Guided activities / Creat

ive or free communication Why are pairwork and groupwork useful? Planning the activity Organizing the class: putting the students into

pairs/groups Random pairing / You choose the grouping /

You let the students choose who to work with

6. Monitoring

Monitoring the class Monitoring groupwork Monitoring pairwork Monitoring individuals

Managing groupwork

Stand back Quickly check Don’t interrupt unless: Spread your attention Be easily accessible If you need to feed in ideas Provide encouragement Give correction and/or gather data for feedback

7. Starting and finishing the lesson

Punctuality How can you make the starting point of a

lesson clear? Should you announce what the class is

about?

7. Starting and finishing the lesson

Summarizing and evaluating Making announcements Farewells and socializing

8. Establishing rapport and maintaining discipline

Establishing rapport and motivating students How can you establish a good working relatio

nship with your students? How can you encourage good group

dynamics and interdependence between students?

Maintaining discipline How do you deal with problem students? How do you control noise levels in the class?

How can you establish a good working relationship with your students? Don’t prejudge a class Look as if you enjoy

your job Be positive Show personal interest

in the students

Personalize materials and activities

Respond and react to what students say

Be interested in their progress

Ask for comments on the classes

9. The monolingual and the multilingual class

Advantages and disadvantages of teaching a monolingual and a multilingual group

Avoiding the use of the mother tongue in pairwork and groupwork