The dark side of the classroom

The dark side of the classroom

Forum

Question

Reference

Questions

Countries

Question

How many times have you felt that your class is worse than anyone's?

Problems vary, depending on the country!

Countries

Forum

"Our next issue will be about teaching English to children and the Forum would like you to share or compare your ideas about your best teaching recipes, your role as a teacher or educator, parental support, working hours, social recognition, teaching in kindergarten, beautiful / interesting teaching experiences, bilingual children, skills and grammar, successful kids with learning problems, and more. We look forward to hearing from you."

Maite Ruiz Flores

What students learn is affected by various aspects:

Affective filter

Will it help me...

Continue studying?

Find a good job?

"English learning expectations" scale

Do not perceive English as a widespread foreign language.

Great importance to English

Students

Situation in Spain

• There are factors that lead to social selection of students
• Migration
• You have to teach everyone, it doesn't matter if they pass their primary studies.
• Less students in private schools and lots of students in public schools.
• Teachers in public schools have gone a severely selected process.
• Anyone can teach in private schools.

Sounds familiar?

John Hoover

How best to deal with persistent behavior problems in the classroom?

"What I find evident is that behavior managment must occur within an integrated curriculum implementation and management system to be most effective. To this end, management of behavior must be integral to the overall implementation of classroom instruction."

Classroom instruction comprises four main components:

Effective implementation of curriculum includes the interdependence among all four components.

Use differentiated curriculum strategies in the elements previously described

• It is better to see the broader picture rather than just looking at the case as "isolated"
• Use the power of differentiating:
• Teaching strategies
• Instructional settings
• Self-management techniques

Suggestions from John

• Behavior management must be culturally responsive.
• Value diverse family expectations
• Consider the behavior problem relative to the teaching strategies.
• The instructional setting is not contributing to that problem.
• Adapt your teaching style and / or classroom setting.
• Remember: As one curriculum element is differentiated, student needs associated with the other curricular elements may also be affected.
• The long-term goal of effective behavior management is to assist students to manage their own behaviors in positive and productive ways.

Questions

• How can we motivate students who have an affective filter?
• In general, where are your students in the scale?
• How can you apply John's suggestions in your classroom?

Ruiz, F. and Hoover, J. (2006). The dark side of the ESL classroom. TESL-EJ Forum, 10 (2). 1-6.