Divide and Conquer: Four classroom management tips that work

Mid August marks the beginning of the second term in the Korean public school system. During the first term I assessed the issues I was having with students. After thinking long and hard, and researching longer and harder, I devised 4 extremely effective class room management and language teaching techniques.

Please note: I am privileged with a very large classroom. In the back of my room there are 5 computers, a comfy couch, to benches, and two drawing tables.

The middle of the class is the seating area for my students. I have anywhere from 15-28 students per class and about 35 desks and chairs.

At the front of my classroom I have 2 of my own personal computers. One of these computers is hooked up to a projector. 

I also have 6 fantastic co-teachers at my disposal.

1. U-shaped seating arrangement

During the first semester I kept my classroom as I had found it. There were 6 different groups of desks. In each group three students sat facing three other students. Although this arrangement can be very effective for a multi-lingual class where students are eager to speak English with their classmates, it is not the best arrangement to manage a rowdy, mono-lingual, high school classroom. I rearranged my class into a U-shape. This way I can easily make eye-contact with all my students and get their attention quickly or stare down any chit-chatters.

2. Individual Folders for English Class

English Conversation teachers do not give grades and a student could easily approach the course in a throw-away manner. I decided I would need to instill some alternative sort of value after I watched my students crumple up worksheets and toss them in the garbage. I made a request that the school purchase a folder and name-tag for each of my students. I have a very supportive team and the purchases were at my disposal within a week. Now, I still cannot give my students a mark, but I can facilitate the creation of a valuable English portfolio with vocabulary pages, slang pages, and revised copies of their writing which can be used as future educational tools. I keep the portfolios in my classroom. Students take their portfolios when they arrive in class and return them to me when they leave.

3. English Names

I had initially decided against “naming” my students. I felt it would be possible for me to learn their Korean names and not interfere with their identity by insisting they answer to a foreign name. However, by the end of first semester, I had only managed to memorize three of my five hundred student's names. Two of these students were disruptive troublemakers and the other one’s name was U-gin (which sounds like Eugene). Many of my students had asked me to give them English names and I decided the first class back to school after summer vacation would be naming day. I wanted my students to be as involved as possible in this process; however, I refused to spend the duration of the school year addressing "Lady Gaga" and "Obama". So, I presented 100 popular boys names and 100 popular girls names. Students were given 10 minutes to choose a name while my co-teacher and I walked around and helped any students wanting name suggestions.  Once they chose a name they were instructed to take a portfolio and personalize it with a name tag. I try to have students move around as much as possible during my class. Rather than passing out worksheets, I find it is better to instruct students  to stand up, stretch, and walk to the materials.

4. The Final and Most Important Tip:  

Divide and Conquer                   

Divide et impera: It's effective in war, and it's effective in a high school classroom.

After a 10 minute introduction to the topic of a class, I divide my students into three groups. Each group rotates  between 3 stations and spends between 10-12 minutes researching, discussing, and writing about the theme of the day .

1. Computers

I give the students a simple research assignment that matches the lessons topic. I insist they research in English and use google rather than naver (the preferred Korean search engine).

2. Conversation

Station 2 is conversation with me. I introduce a discussion question and highlight new vocabulary and grammatical structures.  These  conversations have proved to be fun, engaging, and have helped me to develop deeper relationships with my students*. Even the quietest students prove to be much better at speaking when in small groups.

*Me: What's your mother's job? 

 student: My mother's job is a business man. 

 Me: Really?

3. Reading & Writing

In this station students are 

given a topic to write about and a sample piece. Creative writing can be a very difficult endeavor and it is very helpful to have a co-teacher at this station.

Side note: Korean students and nicknames.

My co-teacher & friend informed me that students will often have nicknames for their teachers. Some of the funny & clever ones she’d heard were Submarine (for a short bald teacher), and Upside-down Tri-angle (for a teacher with a big chest and small lower-body). I asked her if I had a nickname and she laughed: Water-purifier.  I wasn’t flattered or insulted. I was simply confused. She explained that there is a Korean commercial that advertises a water purifier that takes all the bad elements out of the water and leaves it in a purified, drinkable state. Apparently, the analogy applies to my class. Clever students.