1. Classroom management strategies Peter Lucantoni

2. Peter Lucantoni
Started teaching in 1979 in UK, MA TESOL University of Edinburgh, lived and worked in Europe and Middle East, now based in Cyprus
Author, Educational Consultant & Teacher Trainer for Cambridge University Press
Cambridge TKT, CELTYL, CELTA & DELTA trainer and Cambridge CELTYL assessor
Examiner for Cambridge ESOL speaking examinations

3. Workshop aims
To establish a classroom definition for classroom management
To establish what factors are involved in managing learners positively
To brainstorm practical techniques for managing learners positively
To consider the stages required in successfully setting up tasks and activities

4. What does “managing” mean?
people controlling and organising different situations that happen in their lives or their work

5. techniques / ensures / behave /allows / lesson / smoothly / learning
Definition
What is classroom management? Work with your colleagues and produce a definition.
Use these words for help:
techniques / ensures / behave /allows /
lesson / smoothly / learning

6. Definition
Classroom management is a set of techniques which ensures that the learners behave in a way which allows the lesson to run smoothly and for learning to take place.

7. Learners, Activities & L2 Time & Ourselves Space & DynamicsWe
manage
Discipline
Learners,
Activities
& L2
Time &
Ourselves
Space
& Dynamics

8. Factors
There are various factors involved in managing learners – those which you can control or improve, and those which you can’t
Complete the table:
Can control
Can’t control
Classroom layout
Learners’ natural abilities

9. Involving learners in decisions Fairness Mutual respect Group dynamics
Can control
Can’t control
Classroom layout
Learners’ natural abilities
Lesson content
Motivation
Classroom rules
Involving learners in decisions
Fairness
Mutual respect
Group dynamics
Previous experience
Classroom size, furniture
Outside noise
Home environment
Imposed coursebook
Length of lesson

10. Setting up
What are the stages in setting up tasks and activities?
For example, you could start with:
Prepare the language you are going to use to set up the task, before going to class
Think of 5-6 stages for teachers to consider

11. Setting up
Look at Handout 1 with the suggested stages, which have been mixed up
Put them into a logical order. There is more than one possible answer 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 G H I A D F C B E

12. Setting up groups
Classroom groups move through various stages (Tuckmen & Jensen, 1977). What do you think each stage involves?
Forming
Storming
Norming
Performing
In 1987, Tuckmen added a fifth and final stage – what do you think he called it?

13. Adjourning Performing Norming Storming Forming
Conflict – minor arguments may arise
Completion – moving on
Socialising – not much actually gets done
Cohesion – listening to each other
Task-orientation – getting the job done
Adjourning
Performing
Norming
Storming
Forming

14. Managing space and dynamics
“Most authentic communication requires the teacher to adapt classroom space.” Vale & Feunteun, 1996
“Newer approaches to teaching … offer us different possibilities of classroom dynamics which make class activities much more communicative and efficient.” House, 1997

15. Managing space and dynamics
Where students sit can determine many things. Try to think of three aspects of classroom management which could be affected by where students sit
their attitude to each other
their attitude to you
your attitude to them
how they interact with each other
how they interact with you
the types of activity they can do

16. Why is group work important?
Communicative language teaching (CLT) encourages the use of pair and group work activities in the classroom.
Why?

17. Why is group work important?
Interaction is the means and the goal
Learning is task-based
Communication of message is more important than exact grammar
Authentic materials are used
Multi-answers are possible
Mistakes are part of learning

18. What are the problems with group work?
Students only speak in Arabic
Students make too much noise
Students get bored
Some students finish early
...
For each difficulty, think of possible solutions

19. 1. Students only speak in Arabic
Give learners the language they need
Close monitoring
Provide feedback
Give incentives
Assign English monitors

20. 2. Students make too much noise
Consider productive vs. disruptive noise
Use ‘quiet signal’ to maintain control
Set clear guidelines about noise levels
Assign ‘English’ monitors

21. 3. Students get bored
Know your learners and what interests them (not you!) and motivates them (not you!)
Match tasks to learners’ levels
Give each student a role/job in the group
Do follow-up feedback, reports

22. 4. Some students finish early
Prepare back-up activities for early finishers
Use stronger students as teaching assistants (‘learn by teaching’)
Give feedback and encourage students to start extension activities

23. Management tips Ask yourself ‘How can I help my students to learn?’
Give handouts, use visuals, realia, etc
Insert pauses into the lesson for students to ‘catch up’ with regular changes of pace / activity / skill
Use students as teaching assistants

24. Management tips
Encourage students to prepare questions and quizzes in groups of 2-3
Get other students to answer these questions and encourage competition
Use: Dictogloss, Jigsaw Texts, Moving Dictation

25. Any questions?

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