Creating a Good Classroom Environment
 
As you know, when teaching
any class, the mood of the students has a great effect on the success of
the lesson. This is especially true when teaching a
foreign language because students need to be motivated to participate in
activities. As the teacher, it is up to you to control
the atmosphere.
Reasons for Lack of
Motivation
- Students
cannot see the goals.
- Students are
not able to realize how much they have achieved thus far.
- Students
cannot see the importance of each goal.
It is important that
students know how you expect them to behave. Teach them STRATEGIES for successfully learning English in your class, such as:
- Explain to
them your rules for classroom management
- Utilize 'lively'
or 'difficult' students regularly in exercise preparation (e.g.
handing out
materials etc.) to avoid them having a negative impact on the class.
- Explain that it's OKAY to make mistakes!
- Ask students
to be supportive and assist their classmates during group exercises.
- Make them use
classroom English (e.g.,
"I don't understand", "please help me")
- They must
answer direct questions by themselves
- Have students
clap to encourage each other
- Be ACTIVE in
class. Enthusiasm breeds
enthusiasm!
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Ways to Increase Motivation
Participation
Assessment
Use a class list
and mark every time a student speaks, answers a question or volunteers (use
a highlighter or circle). Tell the students that this will make up part of their
final result (10-15%) so lower level students should try especially hard.
Rewards
Give small prizes
to reward good work or to the winners of the game. Make sure that you
include students of all levels, so everyone has a chance to win. Ask your
AET for stickers, stamps, etc. that is good for prizes or make your own.
Try and give out stickers and other rewards as often as you can.
Incentives
Incentives give
students a reason for doing their work, or completing a task. One good
example is:
“If you finish this
worksheet, you won’t have to hand in your homework tomorrow”.
Ask students who
are better at English to help those who find it difficult. Talk to the homeroom teacher and get their support
because they have a strong effect on the behavior of the class. Use any
motivational techniques you think may be helpful. Most importantly remember to respect the students,
treat them as individuals (not children) and in return they will respect
you as well.
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Give Your Students English
Names
- It is an
excellent way to teach pronunciation
- Use of English
first names accustoms students to the fact that English speaking
people use first names in situations where Japanese do not
- It helps make
speaking English in class more natural
- It is fun and
interesting for students.
Some example names:
Boys’ names: Al, Sam, Dan,
Jack, Mack, Matt, Frank, Hank, Stan, Andrew, Jasper, Barry, Larry, Harold,
Mark, Art, Carl, Martin, Arnold, Charles, Ted, Fred, Greg, Ned, Ed, Ken, Glen,
Chet, Jeff, Eric, Dennis, Bill, Tim, Nick, Chris, Rick, Rich, Mick, Phil,
Skip, Biff, Sid, Tom, Bob, Don, Rob, Robin, Colin, Roger, James, Wayne,
Dwayne, Shane, David, Nathan
Girls’ names: Ann, Pam, Sally, Kath,
Cathy, Nancy, Patty, Janet, Alice, Tanya, Carol, Karen, Sarah, Sharon,
Claire, Jane, Kate, Lane, Grace, Naomi, Martha, Barbara, Margaret, Scarlet,
Charlotte, Beth, Jenny, Kelly, Betty, Wendy, Helen, Emily, Kim, Jill, Liz,
Lynn, Chris, Christina, Melissa, Virginia, Elizabeth, Sue, Lucy, Judy,
Julia, Ruth, Prudence, Lisa
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Link to Classroom English
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