132 Part II: Putting Your Lesson Together
✓ Establish the rules clearly. If you need to get the rules translated or
represented in pictures, go ahead. It’s only fair that your students know
when and why they’re out of line before you pull them up. (The preced-
ing section offers suggestions for rules to set.)
✓ Don’t let problems escalate. Nip problems in the bud because this helps
to maintain a pleasant environment. (I offer troubleshooting advice in
the next section.)
✓ Give ample warning of the consequences of continued rule break-
ing. In other words, don’t throw a student out for a first misdemeanour.
Remind him of what will happen if he does it again. Agree how many
warnings you’re prepared to give before taking action, a bit like the
yellow and red cards in football.
✓ Be consistent. There’s no point making idle threats. Just do what you
say you intend to do. This is one way of gaining respect.
✓ Be fair and don’t hold a grudge. It isn’t right to let one student off and
not another. Try to treat your students equally and avoid giving the
brightest ones all your attention.
✓ Don’t let other students get involved. Resolve problems privately in the
corridor or after the lesson when others have left. People always react
better when they’re allowed to save face and when they’ve no mates
around to egg them on.
✓ Lean on the school for support. The director of studies should advise
you of disciplinary procedures for students and the rules they’re
expected to abide by. Actually you should only be handling minor mis-
demeanours yourself. In most cases adult students have a copy of the
terms and conditions and as a last resort they can face expulsion.
Troubleshooting
If your course doesn’t seem to be flowing, there may be various reasons for
this. Teachers find that, typically, a number of difficulties recur.
Some common problems include:
✓ Students don’t bring their books. Don’t keep photocopying everything.
If students are slightly inconvenienced by having to share resources
they’re more likely to bring their own copies.
✓ A student fancies you or vice versa. Wait until the course finishes to
make your move because things can get very heated if you end up with a
spurned lover in your classes. If you don’t want to accept the advances
of a student at all, allow him to feel that you’ve rejected him for profes-
sional reasons. It’s less embarrassing.
