But I really need your help, PLEASE!!! I have three classes with 20 - 22 students each with ages between 8 and 10 and I �m finding quite difficult to teach them... they don �t stay still, they don �t listen to me.... and I don �t know what else to do...

Can anyone give me tips?

 

Thank you very much in advanced,

 

Miarish

Good luck with teaching.

First of all cheer up! You are not alone!!! Untill you stand in front of a class you have no idea how hard it is ! I had a shock as well when I started (still am in shock.. ;) It sometimes takes only one kid to ruin an entire class. I suggest you read up on �class mangement �. Also on this site people posted tips and suggestions on how to manage a class. I know Victoria Barachman (I �m not sure that is her last name) has uploaded a sheet on it which is probably worth reading (I downloaded it but didn �t get to reading it yet...). You can look for it by author �s name.

I have found out that is is a good idea to be on the strict side rather than the permissive side and more than anything else to be very consistent.

I wish you lots of luck, It can be sooo hard, love, Marion

There was a GREAT discussion on teaching large classes and managing them, BUT it �s impossible to search for it now because members asking for help type only "help, i need help, help me, please" in the subject box without specifying the problem or writing the key words in the box at the bottom of the post ...
So i can �t HELP you now ... If anyone gets lucky, send on the link, please.

 

Keep track of team points by making an attractive wall chart on A1 poster paper. It creates a real team feeling in my classroom and I have little or no discipline issues.

 

Another mistake I made as a new teacher was trying to be their friend instead of their teacher. Young learners need guidance and support in the classroom and will look to you for leadership. Kids will be kids and will naturally push to see their limits, if you are too soft, then the class atmosphere and learning environment will be ruined. If you shout and discipline too much, you will stop any kind of nice learning environment, too! Try to find a natural balance.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Stuart

 

 

Ok, this one that Vickiii started was good.
http://www.eslprintables.com/forum/topic.asp?id=6912

mariamit, you deserve a for this!
that �s the discussion i was looking for! and of course, it had the magic "help" in the title. how long did it take you? seriously? a lot longer that it would have if the key words had been included or the problem specified?

 

 

Good Luck!

 

Carla

@ stuart
Yes, the team point system works, but up to a point ...
The good side is that you teach the students to be cooperative and help each other, contribute to the welfare of the team. Though, it takes a lot of talking to the children, explaining, giving examples, and that takes a lot from your English class. I �m talking from my own experience.
On the other hand, there are cases when the child is just stubborn and says �so what? � What do you do then? Do you �punish � just him? Or still go with the team penalty? And how do you punish?
@barbara
I guess it �s just the way you put it that makes me have an image of the students sitting still and listening to the teacher and then, after performing one of the hardest tasks for them, being rewarded for it . Of course, i know that �s not the case!

What we should strive for is to turn the whole teaching process into a game. I just love it when i hear an �awww � coming from the students after the bell has rung. Don �t you?