Classroom Management Peter Lucantoni

Classroom
management
strategies
Peter Lucantoni
Peter Lucantoni
• Started teaching in 1979 in UK, MA TESOL
University of Edinburgh, lived and worked in
Europe and Middle East, now based in Cyprus
• Author, Educational Consultant & Teacher
Trainer for Cambridge University Press
• Cambridge TKT, CELTYL, CELTA & DELTA
trainer and Cambridge CELTYL assessor
• Examiner for Cambridge ESOL speaking
examinations
Workshop aims
• To establish a classroom definition for
classroom management
• To establish what factors are involved in
managing learners positively
• To brainstorm practical techniques for
managing learners positively
• To consider the stages required in
successfully setting up tasks and activities
What does “managing”
mean?
people controlling
and organising
different situations
that happen in their
lives or their work
Definition
• What is classroom management? Work

with your colleagues and produce a
definition.
• Use these words for help:
techniques / ensures / behave /allows /
lesson / smoothly / learning
Definition
Classroom management is a set of

techniques which ensures that the
learners behave in a way which
allows the lesson to run smoothly
and for learning to take place.
Disciplin
e
Time & Learner

Ourselves s,
Activitie
s
Space
& L2
&
Dynamic
s
Factors
• There are various factors involved in

managing learners – those which you can
control or improve, and those which you
can’t
• Complete the table:
Can control Can’t control
Classroom layout Learners’ natural
abilities
Can control Can’t control
Classroom layout Learners’ natural abilities
Lesson content Previous experience
Motivation Classroom size,
Classroom rules furniture
Involving learners Outside noise
in decisions Home environment
Fairness Imposed coursebook
Mutual respect Length of lesson
Group dynamics
Setting up
• What are the stages in setting up tasks and

activities?
• For example, you could start with:
Prepare the language you are going to use
to set up the task, before going to class
• Think of 5-6 stages for teachers to consider
Setting up
• Look at Handout 1 with the suggested

stages, which have been mixed up
• Put them into a logical order. There is more
than one possible answer
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
G H I A D F C B E
Setting up groups
• Classroom groups move through various stages
(Tuckmen & Jensen, 1977). What do you think
each stage involves?
• Forming
• Storming
• Norming
• Performing
• In 1987, Tuckmen added a fifth and final stage –
what do you think he called it?
a) Conflict – minor
Adjourning arguments may arise
b) Completion – moving
Performing on
c) Socialising – not much
actually gets done
Norming d) Cohesion – listening to
each other
Storming e) Task-orientation –
getting the job done
Forming
Managing space and dynamics
• “Most authentic communication requires

the teacher to adapt classroom space.” Vale &
Feunteun, 1996
• “Newer approaches to teaching … offer us

different possibilities of classroom
dynamics which make class activities
much more communicative and efficient.”
House, 1997
Managing space and dynamics
• Where students sit can determine many things.
Try to think of three aspects of classroom
management which could be affected by where
students sit
•their attitude to each other
•their attitude to you
•your attitude to them
•how they interact with each other
•how they interact with you
•the types of activity they can do
Why is group work important?
• Communicative
language teaching
(CLT) encourages the
use of pair and group
work activities in the
classroom.
• Why?
Why is group work important?
• Interaction is the means and the goal
• Learning is task-based
• Communication of message is more
important than exact grammar
• Authentic materials are used
• Multi-answers are possible
• Mistakes are part of learning
What are the problems with group work?
1. Students only speak in Arabic

2. Students make too much noise
3. Students get bored
4. Some students finish early
5. ...
For each difficulty, think of possible solutions
1. Students only speak in Arabic
• Give learners the language they need

• Close monitoring
• Provide feedback
• Give incentives
• Assign English monitors
2. Students make too much noise
• Consider productive vs. disruptive noise

• Use ‘quiet signal’ to maintain control
• Set clear guidelines about noise levels
• Assign ‘English’ monitors
3. Students get bored
• Know your learners and what interests them

(not you!) and motivates them (not you!)
• Match tasks to learners’ levels
• Give each student a role/job in the group
• Do follow-up feedback, reports
4. Some students finish early
• Prepare back-up activities for early finishers

• Use stronger students as teaching assistants
(‘learn by teaching’)
• Give feedback and encourage students to
start extension activities
Management tips
• Ask yourself ‘How can I help my students to

learn?’
• Give handouts, use visuals, realia, etc
• Insert pauses into the lesson for students to
‘catch up’ with regular changes of pace / activity /
skill
• Use students as teaching assistants
Management tips
• Encourage students to prepare questions

and quizzes in groups of 2-3
• Get other students to answer these
questions and encourage competition
• Use: Dictogloss, Jigsaw Texts, Moving
Dictation
Any
questions?
[email protected]

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Classroom

• What is classroom management? Work

Classroom management is a set of

Time & Learner

• There are various factors involved in

• What are the stages in setting up tasks and

• Look at Handout 1 with the suggested

• “Most authentic communication requires

• “Newer approaches to teaching … offer us

1. Students only speak in Arabic

• Give learners the language they need

• Consider productive vs. disruptive noise

• Know your learners and what interests them

• Prepare back-up activities for early finishers

• Ask yourself ‘How can I help my students to

• Encourage students to prepare questions

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