1. Teaching Large Mixed Ability Classes
Hanita Haji Tamin & Heidi Fridriksson
Heidi gives context: what is a large mixed ability class? What are your classes currently like in terms of size and level?
Heidi explains the format of the first half of the workshop: we will discuss some problems we face in these types of classes and ways to deal with these problems.

2. Problem #1
6 of your students are fairly fluent and all sit in the front. 10 or so are very low and like to hide in the back. You want to do some student centered activities in groups, but you’re not sure the best way to do this with such vastly differently levels.
Hanita

3. Problem #1
6 of your students are fairly fluent and all sit in the front. 10 or so are very low and like to hide in the back. You want to do some student centered activities in groups, but you’re not sure the best way to do this with such vastly differently levels. Talk to a partner: What are your options?
Hanita

4. Solutions
Put students in groups so that there is a balance of strong and weak students within each group.
The advantage of this is that the stronger students can support the weaker ones.
Hanita

5. Solutions
Put students in groups of all strong students and all weak students.
The advantage of this is that students feel comfortable working with others at the same level.
Hanita

6. Problem #2
You have several students that always finish assignments first and then quickly become bored (and sometimes disruptive), but you also a few who never seem to get past the first question or two.
Hanita

7. Problem #2
You have several students that always finish assignments first and then quickly become bored (and sometimes disruptive), but you also a few who never seem to get past the first question or two. Talk to a partner: How might you handle this situation?
Hanita

8. Solutions Dealing with Fast Finishers:
have them help other students in their area;
have them write some of their answers on the board;
have them do an additional task;
have them do something for you, like erasing the board.

9. Solutions Plan the difficulty of your questions:
Give students practice activities which have a range of difficulty.
Put the easy ones in the beginning and the difficult ones at the end.
Stop the activity when the lowest students have finished the easy questions.
Call on the weaker students for the first few answers and the stronger students for the last few.
Hanita

10. Problem #3
You’re halfway through the term and students are getting tired. Whenever you try to do one thing for too long some students inevitably check out which can then result in either contagiously low energy or disruptive behavior.
Heidi

11. Problem #3
You’re halfway through the term and students are getting tired. Whenever you try to do one thing for too long some students inevitably check out which can then result in either contagiously low energy or disruptive behavior. Talk to a partner: Why do the students stop paying attention? What can you do about it?
Heidi

12. Solutions
Variety – In a large class you are dealing with many different learning styles. Vary your approach and technique throughout the class.
Variety examples: this doesn’t mean you can’t go in depth – just vary what you’re doing. If class has been quiet, give some pair work or get them out of their chairs. If you’ve been doing discussion give Ss some quiet writing time. (Give “learning a language example)

13. Solutions
Variety – In a large class you are dealing with many different learning styles. Vary your approach and technique throughout the class.
Example: Do you like learning new languages?
-Start with a listening
-Do a short writing task
-Share in pairs
-4 corners activity
Variety examples: this doesn’t mean you can’t go in depth – just vary what you’re doing. If class has been quiet, give some pair work or get them out of their chairs. If you’ve been doing discussion give Ss some quiet writing time. (Give “learning a language example)

14. Solutions
Variety
Classroom management – Volume, board work, eye contact, confidence, dealing with the unexpected

15. Solutions Variety Classroom management Interest:
arouse students curiosity
ask meaningful questions
relate to students lives
involve as many people as possible (e.g. team games)
Variety examples: this doesn’t mean you can’t go in depth – just vary what you’re doing. If class has been quiet, give some pair work or get them out of their chairs. If you’ve been doing discussion give Ss some quiet writing time. (Give “learning a language example)

16. Problem #4
It’s several weeks into the term and you find you’ve managed to connect with only a few of the most outgoing students. The impersonal feeling of such a big class is making it challenging to manage the group and to draw out shyer students.
Heidi

17. Problem #4
It’s several weeks into the term and you find you’ve managed to connect with only a few of the most outgoing students. The impersonal feeling of such a big class is making it challenging to manage the group and to draw out shyer students. Talk to a partner: How might you handle this situation?
Heidi

18. Solutions
Learn names
Build it into the work of the classroom in the first few weeks (table tents, name games – name toss, name letters, I am and I love, etc…)

19. Solutions Learn names Table tents Name toss The story of my name
I am & I love
Build it into the work of the classroom in the first few weeks (table tents, name games – name toss, name letters, I am and I love, etc…)

20. Solutions Learn names Set up routines
Checking HW, attendance, giving the agenda, opening and closing class, getting in to groups, functional classroom language

21. Solutions Learn names Set up routines Opening and closing the class
Getting into groups
Checking attendance, HW, etc
Warm ups & cool downs
Checking HW, attendance, giving the agenda, opening and closing class, getting in to groups, functional classroom language

22. Solutions Learn names Set up routines
Create opportunities for personalization & open ended-ness
Activities that ask Ss to share about themselves, give opinions, etc… This can help you get to know your Ss and helps Ss get to know each other. Open ended exercises don’t have one right answer and so allows Ss to self select how much they can do and what language they will use. (E.g. instead of fill in the blank, finish the sentence)

23. Solutions Learn names Set up routines
Create opportunities for personalization & open ended-ness
Instead of: Yesterday, I ____ to class.
Activities that ask Ss to share about themselves, give opinions, etc… This can help you get to know your Ss and helps Ss get to know each other. Open ended exercises don’t have one right answer and so allows Ss to self select how much they can do and what language they will use. (E.g. instead of fill in the blank, finish the sentence)

24. Solutions Learn names Set up routines
Create opportunities for personalization & open ended-ness
Instead of: Yesterday, I ____ to class.
Try: What did you do yesterday?
I _________. (for lower Ss write some
options on the board)
Activities that ask Ss to share about themselves, give opinions, etc… This can help you get to know your Ss and helps Ss get to know each other. Open ended exercises don’t have one right answer and so allows Ss to self select how much they can do and what language they will use. (E.g. instead of fill in the blank, finish the sentence)

25. Problem #5
The same few students answer nearly every question you ask in the large group. You do group work to make sure others get a chance to practice speaking, but you want to start hearing new voices in the large group.
Heidi

26. Problem #5
The same few students answer nearly every question you ask in the large group. You do group work to make sure others get a chance to practice speaking, but you want to start hearing new voices in the large group. Talk to a partner: What can you do?
Heidi

27. Solutions
Use wait time (even after students start raising their hands)
Heidi

28. Solutions
Use wait time (even after students start raising their hands)
Resist the temptation to move closer when a student is too quiet
Heidi

29. Solutions
Use wait time (even after students start raising their hands)
Resist the temptation to move closer when a student is too quiet
Call on students in a variety of ways
Heidi

30. Solutions
Use wait time (even after students start raising their hands)
Resist the temptation to move closer when a student is too quiet
Call on students in a variety of ways
Prepare quieter students to be called on
Heidi

31. Solutions
Use wait time (even after students start raising their hands)
Resist the temptation to move closer when a student is too quiet
Call on students in a variety of ways
Prepare quieter students to be called on
Allow time for prepared participation
Heidi

32. Other Issues Teaching to the middle
But remember high Ss need to be challenged and low Ss need support

33. Other Issues Teaching to the middle L1 versus L2
Use L1: clarification, directions, translation of new vocab
Use L2: routines and repeated activities (CL language), whenever possible with visual support & context to help Ss understand

34. Other Issues
Teaching to the middle
L1 versus L2
Dealing with error

35. Other Issues Teaching to the middle L1 versus L2 Dealing with error
Does a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?

36. Other Issues Teaching to the middle L1 versus L2 Dealing with error
Does a teacher need to correct every error a student makes?
No! Choose what errors to correct based on the objectives of your lesson.

37. Application Task
Describe your teaching context in terms of class size and student ability. What’s one thing we just talked about that you could use with your group?

38. Workshop Reflection
Write down 1 take away and 1 question or concern you still have