I teach ESL to adults (of all levels) in Boston, MA. Most of my students are Spanish-speakers and I happen to teach to Mono-Lingual (Spanish) classes. Any words of advice on how to deal with poor behavior in the classroom? Problems I regularly encounter are:
1)too much chatter/loud voice-levels
2)students always using their first language to speak to each other
3)students using their first language to address me (because I speak Spanish)
4)CELL PHONES CONSTANTLY RINGING!
5)Talking while I'm talking
6)Talking while another student is talking
7)And more...
What am I doing wrong? We have class rules, which I remind them of regularly, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other. I've tried giving them the "eye", interrupting the chatter to ask if there's a question, etc., but nothing seems to ever change.
How to deal with poor adult behavior in the classroom?
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poor adult behaviour
Hi Brookee, try and find out why are they visiting the English course, it might be that they just have to they don't want to learn English. Relax, change the "school" atmosphere, be friends first, even if you have to use Spanish for this; it's worth spending two hours finding out their motivation. Adults are reluctant to show that they don't know. good luck
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Sally Olsen
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You could try turning the lights off and on to get their attention when they are talking too loudly. You could also get a small flute or pipe to play pretty notes until they stop talking. You could stand at the front of the classroom and pretend to talk without using your voice until they stop and you can start using your voice again (it saves the vocal chords). You can do something unusual like dump out your purse or bag on the table and showing them an unusual item you have inside or doing something unusual with the contents like pretending you are eating your face cream. You can start the class before everyone is there so there are fewer people to get under control and it will be quiet when the rest come in as you are already doing something.
Different cultures have different methods of public behaviour. If you go into a meeting or a church in Russia, for example, they never stop talking even though the MC or the priest is talking away. No one seems to worry about this. So perhaps it is cultural and you have a different take on cultural mores in the classroom. Did you make the rules or did they?
In Greenland we just took away their cell phones and took them to the office after class. They had to visit the extremely strict secretary to get them back after two or three days. It just took a week of this before things settled down.
Different cultures have different methods of public behaviour. If you go into a meeting or a church in Russia, for example, they never stop talking even though the MC or the priest is talking away. No one seems to worry about this. So perhaps it is cultural and you have a different take on cultural mores in the classroom. Did you make the rules or did they?
In Greenland we just took away their cell phones and took them to the office after class. They had to visit the extremely strict secretary to get them back after two or three days. It just took a week of this before things settled down.
Last edited by Sally Olsen on Mon Feb 27, 2006 9:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Students may behave for two reasons: First they are bored because the lesson is too easy for them. Second they are frustrated because the lesson is too hard for them. In both cases, they are restless because they are not getting what they want.
I can present you with three leadership styles:
1. Authoritarian Model - In this model, the teachers command and the students obey. The teacher talks and the students listen. The students have no choice. This modelis also called the Assertiveness Model.
2. Permissive Model - In this model, the students command and the teacher obeys. The students talk and the teacher listens. The students have unlimited choices. This is applicable if the students who are motivated and intelligent.
3. Democratic Model - The teacher and students negotiate. Both teacher and students talk and listen. The students have limited choices.
If you are interested I will discuss with you Rudolf Dreikurs' Social Acceptance Model next week. This is my favorite. Just let me know.
I can present you with three leadership styles:
1. Authoritarian Model - In this model, the teachers command and the students obey. The teacher talks and the students listen. The students have no choice. This modelis also called the Assertiveness Model.
2. Permissive Model - In this model, the students command and the teacher obeys. The students talk and the teacher listens. The students have unlimited choices. This is applicable if the students who are motivated and intelligent.
3. Democratic Model - The teacher and students negotiate. Both teacher and students talk and listen. The students have limited choices.
If you are interested I will discuss with you Rudolf Dreikurs' Social Acceptance Model next week. This is my favorite. Just let me know.
Hello jori,
Thanks for your interesting post - however, there is another category of students that you missed out. These students misbehave because they stay up half the night with their Playstations, they get up late and skip breakfast and they get a kick out of disrupting lessons.
Add to that raging hormones, text messaging and their negative experiences of virtually all previous English lessons - the result, I can assure you, is a disruption!
Thanks for your interesting post - however, there is another category of students that you missed out. These students misbehave because they stay up half the night with their Playstations, they get up late and skip breakfast and they get a kick out of disrupting lessons.
Add to that raging hormones, text messaging and their negative experiences of virtually all previous English lessons - the result, I can assure you, is a disruption!
I also have students like that. They say they get drunk every night and therefore couldn't get up every morning. This reminds me about the British soldiers in India when this country was a British colony. To prevent soldiers from drinking every night, sports was promoted.
I also have students who very rarely attend classes. I have a student whom I met only once. Then he extended his stay in the center. What can be done to these students?
I also have students who very rarely attend classes. I have a student whom I met only once. Then he extended his stay in the center. What can be done to these students?
Hi Brookee
I'd like to know how many students there are. I had similar trouble teaching in France but the groups were quite small.
Firstly, mobile phones should absolutely not be allowed in the class. Try putting a large notice on the entrance door, or even individual slips that are waiting for them on their desks when they come into the classroom. If after that, anybody's phone rings you should stop everything and make that person understand that they are the cause of the lesson grinding to a halt.
For the chatters, try preparing some 'shout and reply' sentences that can be used whenever attentions started to sag. Basically, tell the students at the beginning that whenever they hear your 'shout' sentence, they should all join in with the 'reply' sentence.
E.G Shout - 'Remember remember' Reply - 'the fifth of November'
Find some funny ones and they'll love it.
Don't be scared to stop dead with what you're doing until you have the attention of everyone in the class, they'll soon get the idea.
If a student interupts another, ignore him. For repeat offenders, put up the flat of your hand in their direction while listening to the first speaker. If that doesn't work, ask the first person to stop by saying "sorry X can you wait a moment please" then turn to the offender and ask that they respect the 'one person talks at a time' rule.
You could also type out a 'code of the class' list precising the do's and dont's and giving it to students at the beginning of term.
If individuals continue to disrupt, ask to see them alone after the class and ask them if they are bored during your class or if they aren't enjoying it. You could explain to them that in American/english culture their behaviour indicates a lack of interest.
I have taught English to French, Japanese, Russian and greek people and have experimented with these things and they worked for me. I think the key, though, is to get their interest by teaching what they find useful.
Gosh- this is really long!! Hope it was useful, good luck.
I'd like to know how many students there are. I had similar trouble teaching in France but the groups were quite small.
Firstly, mobile phones should absolutely not be allowed in the class. Try putting a large notice on the entrance door, or even individual slips that are waiting for them on their desks when they come into the classroom. If after that, anybody's phone rings you should stop everything and make that person understand that they are the cause of the lesson grinding to a halt.
For the chatters, try preparing some 'shout and reply' sentences that can be used whenever attentions started to sag. Basically, tell the students at the beginning that whenever they hear your 'shout' sentence, they should all join in with the 'reply' sentence.
E.G Shout - 'Remember remember' Reply - 'the fifth of November'
Find some funny ones and they'll love it.
Don't be scared to stop dead with what you're doing until you have the attention of everyone in the class, they'll soon get the idea.
If a student interupts another, ignore him. For repeat offenders, put up the flat of your hand in their direction while listening to the first speaker. If that doesn't work, ask the first person to stop by saying "sorry X can you wait a moment please" then turn to the offender and ask that they respect the 'one person talks at a time' rule.
You could also type out a 'code of the class' list precising the do's and dont's and giving it to students at the beginning of term.
If individuals continue to disrupt, ask to see them alone after the class and ask them if they are bored during your class or if they aren't enjoying it. You could explain to them that in American/english culture their behaviour indicates a lack of interest.
I have taught English to French, Japanese, Russian and greek people and have experimented with these things and they worked for me. I think the key, though, is to get their interest by teaching what they find useful.
Gosh- this is really long!! Hope it was useful, good luck.