Jeremy Harmer ( Longman)
One way of avoiding disruptive behaviour is by making sure that all your students of whatever age know “where you stand”. With adult classes it is an unspoken agreement. With younger students it may need to be spellt out.
CAUSES OF DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS
Ø THE TEACHER:
· Be prepared
· Be consistent
· Don’t issue threats
· Don’t raise your voice
· Don’t give boring classes
· Be fair
· Have a positive attitude to teaching/ learning
· Don’t break the code
Ø THE STUDENTS:
· Time of the day
· Attitude
· Desire to be noticed
· Two’s company
· Weak, good, early- finishers
· External factors
Ø THE INSTITUTION:
It’s to be hoped that the teacher can consult coordinates or department heads when in trouble, and that cases of extremely bad behaviour can be acted upon by such people.
Ultimately a student who causes severe problems has to be handled by the school authority rather than by teachers on their own and it is therefore in the teacher’s interest to see that there is a coherent policy.
Teachers who disagree about things like the choice of textbooks, e.g., shouldn’t show this disagreement too openly to students, but work with the administration to have the decision changed.
ACTION IN CASE OF INDISCIPLINE
When students behave badly in general two points can be made. Any “punishment” that hurts students physically or emotionally is dangerous and harmful. Its effects cannot be measured.
Ø ACT IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CODE IS BROKEN
· Anti- social behaviour à act at once
· Things like not bringing books à talk to students during or right after class.
Ø STOP THE CLASS: a clear indication to all students that something is wrong. Refuse to re- start the lesson until the students have settled down.
Ø RESEATING: make students sit in a different place immediately. Troublesome students should be separated.
Ø CHANGE THE ACTIVITY: a quick writing task often quietens students.
Ø AFTER THE CLASS: when 1 student is continually giving trouble, the teacher should take him/ her aside after the class is over. Give him/ her a chance of explanation. Spell out the consequences in case of continuation.
Ø USING THE INSTITUTION: when problems become extreme it is necessary to use the institution. Parents can be contacted in case of continual lateness, truancy, forgetting to bring materials or misbehaviour.
The institution has the power to warn students of the consequences of their action, to change students from one class to another or to explain them its attitude towards bad behaviour.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISCIPLINED CLASSROOM:
ü ALWAYS TRUE:
· The teacher is in control
· The teacher and the students are cooperating smoothly
ü FAIRLY TRUE:
· Learning is taking place
· It is quiet
· Students are motivated
· The lesson is proceding according to the plan
· The teacher has natural authority
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