What do we hear and see in our classroom?

Classroom management is an essential part of teaching young learners, and teachers know that good classroom management doesn’t “just happen”.

Shin, J.K. and Crandall, J.A. (2014: 291) list the following major aspects of classroom management:

1. Managing the pace of class

2. Managing behaviour with routines

3. Managing behaviour with rules

4. Managing the classroom climate

5. Managing the language used in class

When it comes to managing behaviour with rules, teachers are often encouraged to co-construct rules with young learners, so that learners become more responsible for their own behaviour. However, it might be difficult to involve children in establishing rules and expectations, as some concepts are quite abstract for them (e.g. “respect each other”). This means that when we want our learners to be part of establishing a classroom management system, we have to ensure some common understandings of the language used. That's why I suggest focusing on what "our classroom sounds and looks like" rather than “do and don’t”.

Here’s an example:

• Draw up a T chart

• Add “Sounds like” and “Looks like”

• Add a graphic of a set of ears and eyes

• Ask the following questions:

What do we hear in our classroom?

For example, Can I please…? / Thank you / Please / Silence (when we’re listening to someone’s answer)

What do we see in our classroom?

For example, Smiling at a person / Heads together working on a project / Raising your hand if you want to say something

Remember that prompts can be adjusted according to the ages of the students.

• Have a whole-class discussion

• List the answers in the corresponding column

• Invite students to make a poster using the brainstormed ideas and to create visuals for the ideas

Variation 1:

• Prepare the chart and visuals in advance

• Have a whole-class discussion and invite students to categorise the visuals into the two categories – “sounds like” and “looks like”

• Invite students to add more examples into each category

Variation 2:

• Add the third element – “feels like”

And don’t forget to involve students in reviewing the rules/expectations on a regular basis!