Developing Classroom Skills

MANAGING LARGE AND MIXED-ABILITY CLASS

By:

Nuratikah Bt. Taufik

MANAGING LARGE CLASS

What is a Large Class?

A classrooms that contain many students, sometimes
almost filling the room.

Actually, a large class has no exact size. Usually it is

measured in terms of the number of students per teacher (student-teacher ratio).

In some countries, 25-30 students per one teacher is

considered large, while in other countries this is seen to be normal or even quite small.

From a teachers perspective, though, a class is large

whenever it feels large.

Advantages of Teaching Large Classes

1. High Energy: Classes with many students may be noisy,
but they are also fun and exciting.

2. Timing: Classes go by quickly in a large class, and you will

rarely catch yourself looking at the clock. You will regularly find yourself with extra activities that you did not complete that you can save and use in your next class.

3. Participation: There is always someone who is willing to

answer questions even if they are just guessing. Make sure to take answers from a variety of students.

4. Fillers: Teachers have less need for fillers since core

activities and lessons take longer to complete.

Challenges of Teaching Large Classes

1. Intimacy: Remembering student's names can take a
while. Teachers may feel that they do not get to know their students as well as they would like to.

2. Anxiety: Some teachers feel anxious being so

outnumbered by the students. In addition, some students are afraid to ask questions or participate in a large class.

3. Student needs: Meeting individual needs can be difficult

or impossible when class size is very large.

4. Marking: Grading assignments and tests can be very time

consuming, and your pay will generally be the same for a smaller class.

5. Distractions: There are more distractions for teachers in large

classes, such as latecomers and people chatting while you are teaching.

6. Preparation: Making photocopies for a large class can be very

time consuming. Other teachers may be bothered by how much time you spend using the photocopier.

7. Noise level: Large classes can become out of hand when

students are working in pairs or groups. At times you may feel more like a disciplinarian than a teacher.

8. Monitoring students: Teachers may find it difficult to keep

students on task as they monitor pair and group work.

9.

Space: There is limited space in a classroom for energetic activities such as role-playing. textbooks or computers available for all students.

10. Textbooks and resources: There may not be enough

 Use a teacher's notebook: Attach a small notebook and

Strategies for Coping with Large Classes

pen to your belt loop. Take notes while you are monitoring pair or group learning. Review common errors as a whole group after an activity is complete.

Spread out: Find another space that your class can use for
energetic whole group activities. Find a lobby or spare classroom in the building that your students can spread out into when they are preparing a project or performance. Take students outside if there is no indoor space available.

Create a participation grade: Make homework and

attendance count by doing regular checks and making it part of their final grade. Giving a daily exam tip also encourages attendance.

 Encourage competition: Establish a fun and competitive

atmosphere within the class, by dividing the class into teams. You may change the teams once in a while or leave them the same throughout a semester. Teams can win points for certain accomplishments

Relax: Find ways to relax before class so that you don't feel
anxious. Never attempt to prepare a lesson in the morning, right before class. Always have a water bottle handy. Always have an extra activity on hand in case something doesn't go as you expect it to.

Establish trust: Learn unique ways to remember names and

do your best to get to know something about each of your students. Create a seating chart on the first day and ask students to stick with it for a while. Tell your students at least one or two things about yourself beyond your role of teaching.

 Manage the noise: Establish a signal that you want your class
to stop what they are doing and listen. This should be done from the first day, so that students become accustomed to it right away. Be careful not to use gestures or sounds that would offend anyone.

Reduce marking and preparation time: Design quizzes and

tests in a way so that you can reduce the amount of marking. Use peer evaluations when possible. If students submit journals, just read them and leave a short comment and/or suggestion, rather than fixing every grammar mistake. Designate a specific time when the teacher's room is slow to do most of your photocopying for the week. This will save you from feeling guilty for taking up the photocopier for a long time when another teacher only has a few copies to make.

Enforce a late policy: Notify students of your late policy on

the first day and stick to it. For example, don't let students enter your classroom after a warm-up has ended. If students miss class, make it their responsibility to catch up, not yours.

What is a Large Class?

A classrooms that contain many students, sometimes
almost filling the room.

Actually, a large class has no exact size. Usually it is

measured in terms of the number of students per teacher (student-teacher ratio).

In some countries, 25-30 students per one teacher is

considered large, while in other countries this is seen to be normal or even quite small.

From a teachers perspective, though, a class is large

whenever it feels large.

MANAGING MIXED-ABILITY CLASS

What is a Mixed-Ability Class?

Mixed ability or heterogeneous classes are terms used to
describe classes made up of students of different levels of proficiency.

These terms are misleading as no two learners are really

alike and homogeneous classes do not actually exist (Ur, 1991). All classes are to some degree made up of learners who differ in many ways.

They may have different strengths, weaknesses and

approaches to learning. They may respond differently to various teaching methods and classroom situations.

Mixed Ability Factors

Age or maturity Intelligence and multiple intelligences Learning style Language aptitude Language levels Mother tongue Learner autonomy Motivation or attitude towards the subject Cultural background

Possible Problems Teachers May Face

Strategies For Teaching Mixed Ability Classes

1. 2.
Supportive learning environment so the learners feel confident and able to perform to the best of their ability. Classroom management Teachers can ensure that learners will be involved as much as possible in the lesson. Classroom management techniques for maximum learning potential, involving all students, learning and using learners names, teachers cultivating a positive attitude through their own attitude to the class, praise and encouragement, grading and using relevant teacher talk, using the board effectively and managing learning activities by giving good instructions, asking concept checking questions, using pair and group work, setting time limits, monitoring the activity and including feedback on the activity. Learning to learn Teach learners about different learning styles and the different learning strategies for visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Teach learners how to be resourceful so that they know where to find help if they get stuck.

3.

4. 5.

Variety Vary topics, methods of teaching, focus, materials and activities to generate learner interest and motivation. Grouping Use a range of interaction patterns in class. Learners should work in groups, pairs and individually. Groupings should be changed often, thereby giving learners an opportunity to work with different learners.

6. Pace Teachers must be mindful of the pace of their lessons. 7.

Teaching a class too slowly or too quickly may lead to boredom or frustration. A teacher must be aware of his/her learners abilities and pitch the pace of the lesson accordingly.
Interest Teachers need to make the lessons interesting in terms of content, topic and activities. To find out what interests the learners, teachers could find out what interests the learners outside the classroom, allow learners to share their interests with the class through project work and personalization activities, such as show and tell, or allow learners to chose the content, topics or activities for lessons, where appropriate

1.

Collaboration Getting learners to work together and cooperating has a number of benefits for the learners and teacher. as providing opportunities for students to work at their own pace, in their own style and of topics of their choosing. Individualization can be promoted in the classroom through portfolios, self-access centres, individualized writing or personalised dictionaries.

8. Individualization Hess (2001:12) describes individualization

9. Personalisation Ur (2001:306) suggests including activities

which allow learners to respond personally. Such tasks increase learners motivation and interest as they are based on something the learners have experienced and can relate.

10.Blooms taxonomy Make use of higher order thinking skills

by providing learners with problem-solving, analysis, evaluation and synthesis activities, rather than only comprehension tasks.

12.Open-endedness Open-ended activities allow learners to

respond to tasks and questions which have a variety of possible answers rather than one correct answer. Open-ended tasks allow learners to perform at their level of ability. Such tasks include sentence completion activities, story completion activities, brainstorming, writing own definitions for words, answering questions in a range of ways. 13.Compulsory plus optional tasks Ur (2001) suggests learners are assigned compulsory tasks with additional materials should they finish the core tasks. By setting compulsory plus core tasks, all learners are engaged and can feel a sense of achievement when completing a task. 14.Adapting materials Course books are designed for a particular language level and do not offer much flexibility. As a result teachers may need to adapt the materials to make them easier or more challenging. 15.Homework Homework is an excellent tool to provide learners of all levels and abilities with an opportunity to review and consolidate the material covered in class.