The old saying goes “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and this absolutely rings true for classroom management.
Any seasoned teacher will tell you that classroom management starts from day 1, and the more on top of things you are coming out of the gate, the fewer issues you’ll end up dealing with in the long run.
But where do you start?? It can be overwhelming for new teachers to know how to go about cultivating healthy, balanced relationships with new students.
That’s why Destination TEFL is here to help! We’ve put together 3 key strategies that will help you get out ahead of most problems, and get started on the right foot!
Classroom Management Tip #1 – Learn Your Students’ Names
This is HUGE, especially teaching abroad.
Many foreign teachers never bother learning their students’ names (yes…really). In their defense, though, it can be difficult. You may have 30+ students in a class, each with some pretty difficult names (here’s looking at you, Duangruetai).
But hunker down, dedicate yourself, and make the effort because it is WORTH it.
Not only does learning your students’ names give you more direct control over the class (saying “hey you” isn’t a great way to stop a 9-year-old from doing something) it also shows your students that you care about them.
A lot of students, especially in high-tourism places like Thailand, don’t really trust foreign teachers or believe we care too much about them. They’ve seen foreigners come and go their entire lives (some of whom didn’t even bother to learn their names), which impacts their ability to form trusting relationships with their foreign teachers.
Learning names shows that you care about each of them enough to make the effort. Doing so immediately sets you apart from teachers in the past who didn’t.
How to actually learn your students’ names!
Here are some techniques and strategies we recommend when learning your students’ names:
- Have them make name cards on the first day of class, and stick them to their desk
- Early on, have a lesson about introductions and have students introduce themselves
- USE their names during your lessons
- Get a class roster with pictures (maybe even make flashcards)
- Don’t be afraid to forget (it’s better to try to use them and admit mistakes than not to try at all)
Using some or all of these techniques will help you to learn your students’ names and get things off on the right foot. You’ll find once you do it that this is perhaps the most effective classroom management strategy out there!
Classroom Management Tip #2 – Use the Carrot, Not the Stick
Imagine this scenario…
You’re at work and you really don’t understand what your boss wants from you. It’s almost like they are speaking a different language. The more they explain it, the more confusing it gets. So your boss starts getting frustrated, perhaps even yelling at you and scolding you in front of the entire office.
How would you feel? Probably not great. And you’re an adult…
Yet this is a common method for “dealing with” problematic students who, remember, are children. If we wouldn’t tolerate that behavior towards adults, why is it expected towards kids?
Truth is, people of all ages are more responsive to positive feedback than negative.
We’ve been conditioned to believe that we must punish bad behavior, set examples to let the students know we mean business.
But why highlight negative examples when we can highlight positive ones?
It might seem counterintuitive, but ignoring low-level disruptions and providing praise and positive feedback for good behavior can pay dividends. Set up a feedback system that rewards students for good behavior, and you’ll be amazed at how they respond!
You’ll also want to have reward systems in place that can only be achieved through good behavior. This can be as simple as allowing students to watch a short music video of their choice at the end of class if they get through the lesson with good behavior.
We’ve even seen teachers take things to another level with a classroom “shop” where students can use points earned from good behavior to buy cute pens, candies, and other little treats!
Get creative and make it fun, and you’ll see that your students actually want to behave (as opposed to being forced to).
Classroom Management Tip #3 – Respect is Earned
We hear one common question from new teachers all the time!
“How do I get my class to respect me!?”
This can be tricky. As we mentioned before, these students have seen foreign teachers come and go their entire lives, and so their respect may have dried up due to this inconsistency. You’re going to have to put in the work to earn their respect, not just assume they’ll give it freely because you’re the teacher.
Here are some techniques to earn the respect of your students!
Get to Know Them (and Let Them Know You)
Genuine personal relationships are the quickest road to trust in any context, but especially in the classroom.
Don’t take the position some teachers do where you draw a very hard line between teachers and students which is never crossed. While that might seem like it gives you “control” over the classroom, it actually just creates a disconnect which will make it difficult to establish meaningful relationships.
Instead, make things personal!
Ask your students about their lives. Learn their hobbies & interests, their hopes & dreams, and don’t be afraid to share your own. Opening up and being real with your students will go a long way in earning their trust!
Be Consistent
Being consistent can be difficult when teaching abroad.
You’re in a new place, doing new things, meeting new people, starting a new life. The transition can also be emotionally draining, especially trying to adjust to being a teacher while culture shock inevitably sets in.
Some days you’ll feel amazing. Some days you’ll feel terrible. It’s all part of the journey, and overcoming culture shock is one of the most important parts of the entire process.
But when it comes to earning your students’ trust, you need to be consistent.
Your students don’t know what you’re going through. Their education can’t suffer just because you’re going through challenges. In fact, leaning into your lessons and being a better teacher can help you overcome those same challenges!
Growing as a teacher, engaging your students, and building relationships will help create value and meaning in your experience, your journey, and your life!
Keep Your Promises
It can be easy to make small promises in an effort to get your students to behave, only to forget about them later on. As an ESL teacher, it’s important not to do that.
Studies show that trusting their teacher has a profound impact on students’ capacity for learning. They listen more closely to what you say than you might think, and every dropped promise is a step backward.
For example: if you say they can watch a video at the end of class if they behave, then be absolutely sure to end your lesson a bit early if they hold up their end of the bargain so that you can follow through.
Just because something seems insignificant to you doesn’t mean it is to your students, so if you make a promise then follow through!
Final Thoughts
Classroom management is tough for ALL teachers, but especially so for those teaching English abroad. Most established classroom management techniques typically depend on using the same language as your students. This isn’t always the case when teaching abroad.
That being said, there are some small things you can do that make a big difference. We’ve talked about a few of them here, and you’ll find even more along the way.
However, one of the best ways to be ready before day 1 of class is to be properly trained!
Our 140-hour TEFL training will equip you with all of the tools you need to be a great teacher. We teach you about planning lessons to minimize distractions and maximize engagement and have highly focused modules on classroom management. We even cultural training to help connect with your students.
Schedule a short video chat with us today, and we’ll tell you all about how we can help you start your journey teaching abroad off on the right foot!
