Teach English in Xiaomian Zhen - Chongqing

Discipline in the ClassroomDiscipline in the classroom is an issue with effects that will dramatically vary based on the particular teaching situation in which the teacher finds himself. For example, a conversation teacher who sees a student only for an hour a week will likely experience far fewer discipline problems than a teacher who works as an English language assistant in a public school, or one who teaches in an English immersion program; likewise, teachers who work with adults are likely to have fewer issues with misbehavior than those teaching younger students. In the interest of giving this paper a tighter focus, I will be focusing on the latter issue: discipline for young students. There are probably as many theories about classroom discipline as there are are teachers in the world, but I believe that the method of assertive discipline, developed by Lee and Marlene Canter, is the most effective method of control in an ESL classroom composed of young learners. This method requires a pre-determined set of fair, consistent rules and consequences, both positive and negative, and a way to implement these rules (Canter and Canter, 2001). There are, of course, many other theories of classroom management that have been written about for general, non-ESL classroom management, but they tend to be less reasonable for an ESL environment. For example, in Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, Rafe Esquith argues that teachers should try to cultivate their students' moral codes as best as possible; however, I doubt that Mr. Esquith has tried to develop a moral sense of right and wrong in a group of second-graders who speak beginner-level English and whom he only sees for an hour a week (22). By providing a short list of simple, basic rules, a teacher can help provide a beginner student with a framework of desirable behavior that the student can understand and follow. There are students who, even when provided with a clear rule and consequence, will refuse to accept the punishment, possibly because they do not see their English teacher as a "real teacher." General teaching theory would often recommend that the student then be removed, calmly, from the classroom, but another consideration arises when applying this theory to the ESL classroom (Charles, 162). Many esl teachers are privately employed by private companies, or are not the head teacher of their classroom, and as such, a teacher may not be allowed to remove a private student from the classroom. This restriction could arise from cultural differences, the idea that the student is paying for the class, or the fear that a student might drop the class if the teacher is too strict. In this case, it may be beneficial to put a reward system in place, so that students who misbehave can be reprimanded by not receiving the reward, but in such a way that the student cannot argue that they are being punished--they are simply not being rewarded. However, given that one of the assumptions about native teachers of young ESL classes, at least in Japan, is that they also providing a form of entertainment and less-structured learning, and that many ESL teachers do not see their students as often as an elementary or junior high public school teacher would, a better strategy may be to avoid the issue by making class as fun and engaging as possible. Instead of engaging in a power struggle with a disruptive student, a teacher may try to assign them a leadership role instead, even if it is something as simple as passing out worksheets and pencils (Dreikurs). Additionally, by making the classroom activities fun and involving, and by praising the student so that they develop a sense of pride in doing their work, the teacher can prevent many of the discipline problems that arise from boredom or lack of motivation (Charles, 197). There is no surefire way to prevent discipline problems in the young ESL classroom, and every teacher will have to deal with them at some time or another. However, it is important to remember that, in what is often an after-school class, the teacher should attempt to make the class engaging and fun, while still maintaining a consistent, fair, and comprehensible set of rules to help guide and shape student behavior. Canter, L., and M. Canter. Assertive Discipline: Positive behavior management for today's classroom. 3rd ed. Seal Beach, CA: Canter. Print. Charles, C.M. Building Classroom Discipline. 5th ed. Print. Dreikurs, R. 1968. Psychology in the Classroom: A manual for teachers. 2nd ed. new york: Harper and Row. Print. Esquith, Rafe. Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire. 2007. New York: Penguin. Print.