APPLIED LINGUISTICS for BA Students in English
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Discipline problems
Discipline means that:
- learning is taking place in a disciplined classroom. The relationship between discipline and learning is not direct at all. There might be well-disciplined classes where no learning is taking place and some learning might happen in undisciplined classes, but we can say in general that more learning is likely to take place in a disciplined classroom because:
- more time will be spent on task than on organization and dealing with disruptive behavior,
- the teacher can monitor better what is going on and can help when needed to prevent problems in learning
- the teacher is in control – this does not mean that s/he dominates the class or is standing in front of the class telling everyone what to do. The teacher may hand over the initiative I a particular situation to the students and then s/he can take it back.
- teacher and students are cooperating smoothly – so that is the class can proceed smoothly, the students need to cooperate with the teacher and with each other as well.
- the lesson is proceeding according to the plan – a lesson which is going according to the plan is more likely to be disciplined, because the teacher knows where s/he is going, activities are well-prepared and organized, and the awareness that the process is clearly planned tends to boost teacher’s confidence and students’ trust, which in their turn also contribute to discipline. On the other hand changes and improvisation do not necessarily lead to discipline and may even prevent it.
- teacher and students are aiming for the same objective – a shared knowledge of and agreement on lesson objectives is not, therefore, absolutely necessary for a disciplined classroom but it contributes to it, it will raise students’ motivation and a likelihood of cooperation.
