Classroom Management Jeff Bale, Ph.D. FLTA Summer Orientation Tuesday, August 9, 2011 Michigan State University

My assumptions  That there is a spectrum of experience as language teachers  Context (school or university, lead teacher or teacher assistant, etc.)  Length of service (a few months to many years)  That what made you a successful language teacher at home may not automatically make you a successful language teacher here

Goals for this session To help you feel comfortable, competent, and confident in your new classroom  What should I expect from U.S. students?  How do I structure my classroom to best support language learning?

 Take 2-3 minutes and write a response to these prompts:  “My role as a teacher in the classroom is…”  “The students’ role in the classroom is…”

What should I expect from U.S. students  Extra motivation because you’re here  The potential for different attitudes towards  Rewards for doing work  Who works for whom  Technology (cell phones, laptops, etc.)  Attendance and punctuality  In general:  Be explicit with your expectations  Follow through on consequences  Be consistent with both

As you set up your syllabus and lesson plan, what will you do when  a student misses a class? Misses several classes? Arrives late regularly?  There are likely department policies about this - find out. Probably best to follow those policies.  Sends/checks a text message or during class?  Needs to use the restroom?  Talking out of turn?  Is it related to class activities or not?

Redirecting student behavior - what works for me  Confirm the problem before reacting  General reminders - teach your expectations!  I-messages  Discuss with student individually outside of class  Ask for ideas from colleagues who know the specific context  For whatever steps feel comfortable for you:  Be explicit with your expectations  Follow through on consequences  Be consistent with both

Changing gears …  Classroom management and language learning aren’t two separate topics  Without effective management, learning is less likely or less successful  Classroom management can itself be the topic  Learners need to hear, see and engage with lots of meaningful language they can understand  Learners need lots of opportunities to use the language for meaningful, believable reasons  Learners need lots of opportunities for interaction  … sometimes with learners at their own level  … sometimes with more proficient speakers

Classroom management that supports language learning  Organized by groups  Group 1: the layout of the classroom  Group 2: how to group students to engage with activities  Group 3: staying in the target language (TL) with classroom commands  Group 4: using English strategically  In your group  Use the handout to discuss your topic as a table  Prepare to share what you learned to the whole group afterwards  “With me in three” - time to wrap up

As you work, remember:  Learners need to hear, see and engage with lots of meaningful language they can understand  Learners need lots of opportunities to use the language for meaningful, believable reasons  Learners need lots of opportunities to for interaction  … sometimes with learners at their own level  … sometimes with more proficient speakers

Check in before we check out  What should I expect from U.S. students?  How do I structure my classroom to best support language learning?