Classroom Management Forum Discussion

Presenters ALTs JTE Ashley Williams Lacey Love Ryan Love Nakayama Midori

Today’s Plan What’s the goal of classroom management? What works and what doesn’t work Problem Solving

Goals of Classroom Management Many people have different ideas about this It can mean something different to every teacher What do you think?

Goals of Classroom Management Our Idea: Teachers should manage the atmosphere of a classroom so that: it becomes a place of active learning and participation it fosters both individual and group thinking teachers respect students students respect both teachers and each other

What doesn’t work… Yelling Yelling shows the class 2 things: 1. They’ve gotten to you and you lost your cool 2. You are working against them, not with them Yelling in English: they probably won’t understand you Yelling in Japanese: they’ll probably make fun of your Japanese Yelling does not show or earn respect, even when the words are understood

What doesn’t work… Sarcasm Corporal Punishment It just doesn’t translate Corporal Punishment Don’t hit kids! Being short-tempered/mean Not communicating well with your JTE/ALT about expectations

What works? Be a role model! Show your students the attitude you expect them to have If they have a “bad attitude,” don’t react with one. Keep your composure no matter what.

What works? If you are tired, sick, hungover, miserable, or anything else, leave it outside the classroom As soon as you walk in the door, your “teaching persona” should switch on and you should become genki, cheerful, and confident

What works? Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer? Oh no!! Dogs!!

What works? Students, like dogs, can sniff out your fear and lack of confidence. If you think they won’t listen to you, they probably won’t. Students instantly detect your lack of confidence/authority

What works? Bad dog owners… give their dogs whatever they want let the dogs become dominant don’t enforce rules let dogs do whatever they want As a result, dogs are unhappy and become rebellious. They need structure to thrive.

Doesn’t that sound like teaching?! What works? Good dog owners… give their dogs clear jobs with clear guidelines show their dogs respect and love have rules with very clear consequences/rewards As a result, the dogs feel comfortable, trust their owners, behave well, and become happy and productive. Doesn’t that sound like teaching?!

What works? So, project confidence, kindness, and respect no matter what, like a good dog trainer does!

What works? If you: are inconsistent talk down to students talk too far above their level aren’t prepared for class show no enthusiasm blur the line between teacher and student …they may not be on your side or respect you as a teacher.

What works? So, in a practical way, what works? Walking by a misbehaving student… Tap the desk of a sleeping student… Encourage pair/group work

What works? Take advantage of Japan’s love of group thinking Western classroom management often singles out students Positive and negative However, in Japan, this often leads to frustration, tension, and a widening gap between ALT and student

Specific Problems Let’s solve specific problems. We will work in groups. Each group will get a problem and a paper to brainstorm some ideas on. After a few minutes, we’ll go over the ideas together.

Problem #1 My students don’t like English and don’t participate in games. Even with stickers and prizes as incentive, they still cheat or don’t participate. The JTE wants more games, but I’m having trouble getting students to play them.

Problem #2 My JTE translates everything I say and speaks too much Japanese in class. I think the students understand and don’t need all of this translation. I want more of an active role in leading the class.

Problem #3 My class is controlled by a small group of baddies. No one participates, even with hanko points. To get them to answer, I have to draw names. I wish more students would participate.

Problem #4 One class has a ringleader who doesn’t like me. He sleeps in class. The 8 boys around him do whatever he does. The JTE will touch his shoulder gently and ask him to participate, but this doesn’t help. I ignore his actions and teach around him, but other students are starting to copy his behavior. I'm not sure how to address this without insulting my JTE.

Problem #5 Some of my students say mean and hurtful things to me in Japanese when I walk by them in class. Many of my students are nice, but the few who say mean things really hurt my feelings. My JTE doesn’t understand how hurtful this is, or if he does, he doesn’t know what to do.

Silent Class Ideas Give some kind of incentive for answering, such as stickers, hanko points, etc. Allow students to talk to a partner or group before answering/make the questions into a group competition Give students cards when they walk in and ask questions that students with a specific suit have to answer (a competition between suits)

Silent Class Ideas Be perceptive about your class! Sometimes, a class is silent because there are too many students who are stuck sitting next to their worst enemies/secret crushes/frenemies Try changing the seating chart (number them 1-3-5-7 instead of 1-2-3-4), or give them a card when they walk in that determines their seat at random This can make a big difference!

Noisy Class Ideas If your classes are too noisy, they probably have a lot of energy Harness their energy!! Give them activities with lots of physical movement, competition, and stimulating props like videos, images, or audio Don’t try to stop their noisiness. Try to turn it into noise that’s working with you rather than against you.

Noisy Class Ideas If there are problem students who actually like individual attention in your class, then it may be okay to single them out once in a while – but try to do it in a way that appeals to their need for attention for the group For example, in a class about gestures, I had a “problem student” who was making disruptive gestures to many students around the classroom…