Job Discussion Forums

[Sapa2008UK]

Are there any books you can recommend that would give advice on classroom management, how to deal with naughty pupils and how to set up reward systems?
Im just starting to look into teaching and would like to get a grasp of these issues before I even think about doing a course.

Thanks

[surrealia]

There are two excellent titles about classroom management specifically for language teaching:

Classroom Dynamics by Jill Hadfield

and

Dealing with Difficulties by Lindsay Clandfield and Luke Prodromou

These two books will give you a lot of ideas to help you with problems that come up in the classroom. You can order these two books here.

[tanuki]

Hi there Sapa

I heartily agree with surrealia's suggestion of Classroom Dynamics. It's written primarily with language teachers in mind (and although I haven't read it for a few years now, I seem to recall the first section had some excellent activities for multilingual classes).

Having said that it's mostly for language teachers, I have also bought it for friends who work in the regular state school system (science, history, math teachers!). Highly recommended.

[Don't know the other one so I won't comment on it. But I'll definitely take a look into it myself. Thanks surrealia! )

This might be more what you're after, though, based on your comments:

"how to deal with naughty pupils and how to set up reward systems"

It's written primarily with state school teachers in mind and will quite thoroughly answer the sorts of questions you seem to have. It will also provide you with a raft of strategies for doing what it sounds like you want to do. (Actually, now that I think about it, I might start sending copies of this one to all my friends in the state school system too!)

Hope it helps! And good luck with the career choice

Tanuki

[The_Hanged_Man]

Try:
The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher by Wong
http://www.amazon.com/First-Days-School-Effective-Teacher/dp/0962936022

It is written from the perspective of a public school teacher, but it has excellent general advice for classroom management.

[Baba O'Riley]

I notice you were looking for activity books too, so you might consider Language Activities For Teenagers, edited by Seth Lindstromberg Cambridge
This has a good selection of activities you can use in class and of practical suggestions about maintaining discipline with this age-group, as well.

[Anda]

Warning on putting too much faith into books. What works in one class usually doesn't work in all the classes that you have in the same school.

What works in one location might not work in another location that isn't that far away from the first.

Teaching English changes from one country to the next. Here where I teach in China my students that are mostly around twenty years old; are less worldly than twelve year olds in the West.

Most English teachers only see the same students once a week as we are an expensive show piece. This has one big advantage to us as we in general only need to come up with one great interesting lesson a week.

Once again here in China classes are big around 55 students per class. At some institutes you might only have to teach as little as four students. Many places you will only have a classroom with a blackboard and nothing else. Other places you might be lucky and have lots of multi media equipment.

So don't get stuck on books and courses as the real workplace can be quite different.

[Insubordination]

I have recently starting teaching (mostly Chinese) teenagers for the first time in my (6 year) teaching career. It certainly is different and much more difficult.

I am finding it hard to discipline them because I'm not that kind of teacher. I cannot raise my voice, scream or even bring myself to give detentions. I'm not sure why I can't do this since all my colleagues manage to. I obviously need some new techniques other than entertaining them or being their best friend. That approach is working for now but I am already noticing that they think I'm soft and don't do their homework or arrive a little late.

Any insights?

[Anda]

First off your teaching material has to have some interest to you students. I teach at a teacher's college for elementary teachers. My 20 year old students are more interested in things that would interest a twelve year old in the West. Nowadays I get them to take turns to teach the class for about 5 minutes each and have the other students help and correct the student that is teaching. They like this method.

I also teach ten to twelve year olds where I work part time. For my young students I use DVDs where I stop start and ask questions. Beginners I get to repeat after me statements like he is running, that's a car, etc. So when they can make statements I start to teach questions and answers. So next are just questions that they have to answer, and then they can talk.

For my college students I keep reminding them that factory work pays 700 to 1,200 RMB in the city where I teach. A public school teacher gets up to about 2,000 RMB after a number of years of teaching plus less work hours and more holidays than a factory worker. An Chinese English teacher at a top University in China can earn up to 6,000 RMB a month. So I say what do you want low money with long hours and little time off or a better job. I tell them that it's up to them. Poor marks get you a 700 RMB factory job.

Students must know that you are interested in their futures and them as people. You must also go into a class with more than enough material for the lesson so things are kept on the move.

There is a lot of other stuff that goes into teaching and we must all work out ways that suit us individually. You can only copy another teacher up to a point.

[arioch36]

Insub

[mcsam]

Hi

This may sound a bit nuts but it's worked for me........You could ask you teenagers to make the rules with you and get them to design a poster that you display in your class. You will probably find that they will come up with much tougher sanctions than you would. The problem then is that you must stick to them. If your not comfortable with that negotiate the rules at the setting stage e.g. if you don't do your homework the first time you have to sit out of the class and finish it. I'm sure your classes are much more interesting than that and they won't want to miss it. If you don't do your homework a second time you have to do it twice and set extra and the third time is a letter or phone call to mum or dad.
Just a suggestion.
Good luck.

[arioch36]

[Serious_Fun]