Module 4 Unit 3 Activity 3
As
previously stated in my blog, at the moment I teach ELLs at a university in
South Korea and this university is basically a place where many of our students
are either acquiring some credits while waiting to take another round of the
CSAT (a Korean university entrance exam), or are transitioning into other
universities. Some do decide to finish their undergraduate studies at this
university but this establishment is not very demanding. Until this year, they
automatically passed based on their attendance grades even if they get every
answer wrong in their midterms or finals.
Because
of this, many of the students do not care much about following any kind of
rules. During my first semester there, the rules I brought into the class were
from the previous university I worked at, where the students were high achievers.
At this current university I have had students never buy the required book or
have anything to write with for the whole semester. Some would sleep in class
and would “attend” to get their passing grade, but there were also some that were
genuinely interested in learning English. There would be absolutely no
participation from any of them, and after that semester, I tweaked all the
rules that I had. Six years later, I have never had those problems again. What
did I learn about making rules from that experience? I learned that rules that
work for some classes may not work for others. To establish classroom rules
effectively, I had to realize that there is not one behavioral setting,
classroom arrangement, or single set of rules that are best for all students
(Borich 79).
How
do I establish rules in my classrooms? In the beginning I need to observe who
will be in my class. I cannot apply the same rules for university students, as
for the elementary and middle school students. First, I walk in with my
universal rules. These are:
1.
Be respectful
2.
Be prepared
These
rules seem pretty simple, but when I ask my students what rule number 1 means,
there are various answers. We discuss them and I list them on the board. Again,
answers may vary for different levels of students. These are some of the things
that my students come up with for the 1st rule:
1. Raise your hand to talk
2.
No talking while the teacher/others are talking
3.
No eating
4.
No using cell phones
5.
No sleeping
6. Don’t
leave the classroom unless I give you permission
When
the students and I brainstorm together they also help me contribute to making
the consequences and it seems more of a collaborative effort, where they can tell
that the rules are fair. Also it doesn’t make the class seem like a
dictatorship where they all have to abide by my rules. By doing this, they also
become very familiar with the guidelines. After, we brainstorm all the rules
and if I feel like I need to add something in particular to the circumstances
of that class, I will add it to the list.
My
non-negotiable rules include bullying, or disrespecting other people in the
class including making fun of others, physically hurting someone, or calling
them names. This will not be tolerated in my class at all. Consequences will be
enforced as the safety of all my students comes first.
Some
of my rules have acceptable alternatives, such as the rule about not using cell
phones. I will allow the students to use their phones for some activities that
require them, but I also explain terms like “apples up” where if they are using
a phone and I want their attention I will use that phrase and (since many
students have iphones) they have to place their phones with the screen down and
the apples showing. Another term I use when students bring their computers to
class and we work with them, is “45 your screen”, where they have to place
their computers on a 45 degree angle so I know that I have their full
attention. These are some of the procedures I use in class involving digital
tools.
Procedures
are very important and they are established in my classroom from day one. One
of the normal procedures that happens every day is that as soon as class starts
and I finish taking attendance, I stand in the right hand corner of the board,
and write bullet points reviewing everything we have learned from the start. As
the weeks progress, the list gets longer, and finally after the midterm, it is
erased and the list starts again. I found this to be very beneficial for my
students to review week after week what was learned. It also helps students who
have missed classes catch up and know exactly what important information in the
class that they may have not gotten.
I
also like my students to participate but depending on their level, I will use
different rules and procedures. One that I use with my university students if I
am having a hard time getting them to participate is give them two cards (from
a deck of cards) as they are walking into the classrooms and tell them that
when they raise their hand and participate in any way, I will collect one of
those cards. At the end of the class, people who haven’t used their cards up
don’t get the participation points for the day. It also helps me call on people
fairly because instead of calling out names and making students think I am
picking on them, I will just say, “king of diamonds” and whoever has that card
is the person I’m calling on.
Overall,
I try and build great relationships with my students and show them that the
rules that are put in place are because I am concerned about maximizing their
learning time, and also because it demonstrates trust in them as mature
individuals, no matter what age they are. These rules and procedures are part
of my class and I make sure that I model proper behavior for all my students.
When my classes are well structured and have a set routine, my students know
what I expect from them on a daily basis and this causes my classes to have minimal
disruptions and maintain a positive classroom climate.
References:
Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective
Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.
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