classroom. But if you are working, for example, with children or teenagers who
have not chosen to study English and are unsure of what benefits it might bring
them, and/or if you are working with larger groups, then issues of classroom
discipline are likely to be more salient for you. If learning is to take place in
class, you need to maintain an ordered and productive atmosphere. The following
suggestions should help you.
1 Establish a code of conduct. You need to make clear what your ground
rules are about all aspects of classroom behaviour that are important to you.
These might range from handing in homework on time to listening quietly
when other learners are speaking. Depending on the nature of your class,
you may discuss ‘rules’ explicitly or not—but more important than any
discussion will be the way you put your code into practice over the first few
lessons.
2 Be sensitive to local and institutional culture. Particularly if you are
teaching in a foreign country, you need to find out what kinds of behaviour
are generally considered appropriate in educational settings before trying to
establish your own rules. Learners will expect you to have this
understanding and to demonstrate it in your classes.
3 Lead by example. It is no use telling learners to arrive on time and then
being late yourself, or demanding that they hand homework in on set days
and then not returning it for weeks. Make sure that your own behaviour is
guided by the same values that underpin the code of conduct that you are
attempting to establish with your class.
4 Be consistent in your reactions to inappropriate behaviour. In many
contexts, learners will continually try to test or stretch the code of conduct
you have established, and you need to react consistently to this. For example,
if you start off by expressing disapproval of late arrival, then continue to do
so for as long as the behaviour persists—otherwise learners will think you
have changed your mind.
5 Carry out any threats you make. If you say that you will not mark late
homework, then don’t mark it. That said, issues such as these in fact always
involve a lot of judgement—there is bound to be a learner who has an
excellent reason for handing in their work late. If the class or the particular
learner are generally respectful of the code of conduct, then some flexibility
may be appropriate—but if they are constantly pushing against the
boundaries, you may need to be tough and run the risk of occasionally being
unsympathetic to a genuine problem.
6 Be fair. It is essential to treat all learners equally, and not to have one rule
for some and a different rule for others. Learners very soon pick up on this kind
of favouritism and their respect for the teacher diminishes. It’s natural to like
some learners more than others, but it’s important not to let this show.
7 Talk to ‘difficult’ learners. If a particular learner often causes problems in
the class, then it’s important to find out why. Make an arrangement to speak18 500 TIPS FOR TESOL