London, The Art of War,
and Classroom Management
by Lee McMullin
Ways to Deal With Classroom Disruptions
Disruptions? The boss pulling students out to finish their registration
is a disruption. The ways of dealing with this are four: Rolaids, therapy,
the fetal curl, or accessing a higher spirituality. Actually, five, since
a frustrated colleague did once opt for a plane to London.
On the other
hand, if you are teaching kids, well, kids ARE a disruption. Love
the disruptions or walk.
Me? Now I teach adults. With adults it is possible
to teach for years without a disruption that impairs learning. Adults
are keenly attuned to the old tried and true: move closer, ask if they
have a question or would read the directions for the next exercise.
Attention scatters problems like bright light on roaches.
For the persistently obnoxious student, experience says wait till
class is dismissed and cheerfully invite the malefactor to chat privately.
Express sympathy that the class is too easy, too young, whatever, but
that you need their help to make the class function. Even younger students
recognize that you’ve spared them embarrassment in front of their
peers and your blend of grace and personal attention often makes a
friend.
Humor, carefully applied, works magic. If I hear a student use
harsh words with another, I feign dismay: “Ouch! Where’s
the love? could hurt my feelings!” The offended student feels
protected and the offender’s hostility deflates.
Humor is power, though, and power does corrupt. Perhaps the most seductive
incarnation of humor is sarcasm, which bathes receptors in the user’s
brain
with exaggerated estimations of his or her own cleverness. The effect
is narcotic, eventually leading to delusions of superiority that atrophy
the user’s affinity for other human beings. Specifically because
of its charms sarcasm never belongs in the classroom.
Artisans in any craft appreciate finesse, the small gesture that effects
near-mystical changes in its subject. The teacher who asks a student
to change seats as casually as asking him for the time solves the problem
with hardly a ripple. One who indulges their dramatic muse by making
a scene,
however, magnifies the disturbance and invites confrontation.
Strangely, none other than Sun Tzu, in his ancient classic, The Art
of War, cautions against confrontation. He warns that “to fight
and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence
consists in victory without fighting.” Indeed, confrontation reveals
that “supreme excellence” is lost already and the teacher
is now scrambling to keep the rest.
But sometimes confrontation is forced on us, and then we can lean on
the teachings of other masters. It was the noted practitioner of motivational
studies, Al Capone, who observed, “You can get more with a kind
word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.” Indeed, who
among us doesn’t drive more courteously in the presence of a policeman
than a nun? It is a law of nature. Good teachers back kind words with
strength.
Disruptions come from many directions but able teachers with tact, calm,
and strength can handle most any situation. And in the worst case, London
is a wonderful town.
Ways to Deal With
Non-responsive Students
First, take the pressure off the individual by setting an unintimidating
tone for the whole class. Take time early to teach the class “I
don’t know.” In my classes we say it aloud in chorus: “I
don’t know.” I enthuse about their performance and have them
individually demonstrate, following each with “Fabulous!” “Amazing!” “What
passion, what feeling!” When some bold student first uses the sentence
in class situation, everyone laughs, I
congratulate them for the outstanding answer, and I lead the class in
applause.
Second, bring to their attention the universal difficulties of language
learning through your own embarrassments and struggles with pronunciation.
Describe the physiological difficulties for adult language learners.
Discuss the emotional struggle implicit in “giving up” the
first language and all it means in terms of one’s place in the
world. Let them know their fears, failures and conflicts are shared
by every adult language learner, including yourself. They are not alone.
Language learning is frustrating and embarrassing. Take time to explain
why English is so complicated. Note the contributions to English from
the students’ native language. Note the regional differences
in their own languages. Understanding removes some of the hostility and
reticence many
students feel.
Set students up for success. Make sure tasks are within their ability
range. Make sure they know what the expected responses are - explain,
model and repeat, do choral responses, then pick students most likely
to give a right answer. Pitch the nonresponsive student an easy question.
When a student doesn’t know, give them another chance at success.
One way is to beam warmly and say, “You are lucky because now you
have a great opportunity to learn. I’ll come back to you. Listen
carefully.” Ask a second student the same question, and when they’ve
answered have student number one repeat what they heard. Congratulate
them with, “Good listening; great answer! Now say ‘thank
you’ to the nice student who helped you.” They laugh, they
say their “thank you” and the teaching point has been reinforced
for the whole class.
If an answer is correct in any part, affirm that good part and invite
others to “help finish what your classmate has begun for us.”
In large classes it usually takes a couple of days for a nonresponsive
pattern to appear. When it does, take the time before class to circulate
among arriving students and talk about home, family, or other activities,
drawing out the reticent ones. Take the opportunity to learn the name
they prefer and how to pronounce it correctly.
Of course it’s important to talk with the nonresponsive student
one-on-one. This is one area where students know exactly why they behave
as they do, and a chat can dispel the mystery in a moment. Perhaps they
don’t know the material, feel disconnected, are shy in groups,
self-conscious about their pronunciation, or it may be personal – illness,
family tragedy, or a wicked hangover. Just the show of concern can often
pull them into the class.
About the Author
Lee McMullin has taught in refugee camps, in Asian language schools,
on reservations, and online. He received Masters degrees in history
from Mississippi State University and foreign language education from
the University of Texas, in Austin. For the past 15 years he has taught
ESL, history and humanities for universities in Hawaii and TX. He is
presently also teaching ESL with Community Action in Austin.
  
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