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As an experienced TEFL/TESL instructor for primary school students, I believe one of the most important aspects of the job is classroom management. I have used three techniques throughout my early career as a TEFL/TESL instructor to establish effective classroom management skills. The first technique is a definitive and organized whiteboard with our daily schedule posted. The second is a clear understanding of the classroom rules and a consistent punishment system. The last technique is the use of tone and body language. It is important to understand that there is no perfect recipe for classroom management; every teacher is different, class dynamics always change and we all make mistakes. The combination of these three classroom management skills will give any new TEFL instructor and solid foundation to start on. An organized whiteboard with a definitive daily schedule has worked wonders in the past. I have always posted a classroom schedule with daily objectives on the whiteboard. The purpose is to prepare the student for the lesson, make transitions more fluid, and promote excitement for the activate phase of the lesson. In the past, my students would excitedly walk in my class before school starts to see what we will be doing for the activate phase, usually a game. If the class misbehaves during the engage or study phase, I simply change the game to something less exciting. This tactic usually produces good results without having to continually punish individual students who disrupt the class. If the schedule is disorganized and not consistent, children will have a hard time following the lesson, they will get bored or confused which usually leads to misbehaving students. Classroom rules are immensely important. The rules teachers choose and how we enforce them set the tone for the entire year. On the first day of the school year, I establish 3 to 5 rules with the help of the students. I let the students help chose because it helps promote a sense of ownership of the classroom. By letting them be part of the process, I am attempting to show them that their opinions of the classroom dynamics are important to me. A consistent punishment system is equally as important as the rules themselves. Generally, I like to have a visual representation of the classroom rules and punishment system located next to each other. I prefer the three cards (green, yellow, red) punishment system. An important note, when I move a green card to yellow I always state why. For example, "Jonny you broke rule 3, no food or drinks in the classroom. This is a warning and I am moving your card to yellow. If you break another classroom rule I will change your card to red and the punishment will be (insert punishment)." I refer to the school’s discipline policies when a red card is used. I believe some teachers underestimate the power of body language and tone in respects to classroom management. Body language is something I continually work at as a teacher because it is easy to forget but extremely important. Using my proximity to students can deter misbehaving students and I can also check on work without interrupting the flow of an assignment or activity. The use of proper hand gestures and movement around the classroom is also important to consider. The use of a positive tone in the classroom is straight forward. A warm welcome, positive encouragement and smile can go along way to a student who feels that they don’t belong or who are having a hard time understanding the material.
