Managing young learner classrooms

August 12th, 2015

 Workshop goals
After this workshop, participants will have:
• a sense of how their colleagues work with
young learner classes
and
• an awareness of several strategies for young
learner classroom management
 Part 1 – Group discussion

- Grab a donut and get in groups of 3 (or 4).

- Appoint 1 person as the secretary/recorder of

your group.

- Aim to get through each discussion task in

about 1-2 minutes.
 Problem student # 1
(Discuss with a group)
• Fighting / bullying / has no friends in class

What can you do if one of these situations arises

in class?
Do you think these are related issues?
 Problem student # 2
(Discuss with a group)
• Not interested in class /
won’t sit still / can’t focus

What can you do in these

situations? What might
the cause be?

Are these related issues?

 Problem student # 3
(Discuss with a group)
• You have a student who never
speaks in class

How should you deal with / interact

with this student in class? What
other action might yout take
(outside of class)?
Let’s compare notes...
• Problem 1 – Fighting / bullying / has no
friends in class

• Problem 2 – Not interested in class / won’t sit

still / can’t focus

• Problem 3 – You have a student who never

speaks in class
 A thought about misbehaving
students...
Sometimes misbehavior in class is an indicator
of lack of interest or lack of engagement. Try
engaging the troublesome student by giving
him some responsibility...
• Ask the student to lead a team
• Ask the student to become a ‘class officer’
• Assign the student some other task (i.e. run to
the lobby and get...) – make him/her as active
as possible
 Part 2 – Pairwork
This time work with a partner...
(no notes necessary)
Discuss with a friend – Task #1

• Do you use stickers? Why?

– How many stickers do you give?
– How do you decide the number to give?-
do you give the same number to each
student? Do you give the same number
every class?
– Do you ‘take away’ stickers? When/why?
 Discuss with a friend – Task #2

• Do you have classroom routines with HF/SS?

(if so, what are they?)

– How do you start your class? – is it the same way

every class?
– How do you end your class? – do you try to end
with a similar activity each lesson?
– Do you have any other aspect of a routine?
Discuss with a friend – Task #3

• Do you have classroom rules for HF/SS?

– What are they?
– How often do you go over the rules?
– What do you do if a student breaks a rule?

– Are rules important for young learner classrooms?

( Why / why not? )
 Feedback...
How do your classroom choices
compare to those of your partner?
 Part 3 –
9 Strategies for Managing
Young Learners
# 1 – Set a routine (and keep it!)
• Have names/role/seats/rules/officers routine &
end of class routine. Create teams? (kids love
friendly competition...)
• Start with a warmer! (warmer means
physical/fun, not dictation...) Try...
– TPR powerpoints or “action words” cartoon video
– Spelling cards - Board race
– Run and touch a color / object / flashcard
– Brainstorming game (stop the bus) using mini-boards
# 2 – Set rules

• Go over your rules every class (at least for the

first few weeks) – this is part of your routine
• Misbehaving students need consequences!
– This may be something as simple as underlining their
name on the board or writing their name in the “sad
house” or “dog house” (or it may be more serious -
asking a student to move to another seat)
Be consistent with consequences or students won’t
respect your rules.
 # 3 – Keep activities (sort of) short
• 5-10 min  try to avoid 30 min. activities!
Try a - STIR – settle – STIR - system
• Examples of short activities:
– TPR warmer - Race to board - Race to outside
– Look, remember, tell - Simon says
– Ss dictate to each other
– Stand up / jump / sit down if you hear...
– Musical chairs / change chairs

If you need some variety, look for more 5 min. warmer activities online – or in a
pdf file on local PM – consider: which are appropriate for young learners?
 # 4 – Appoint class officers
Some ideas:
• An “attendance/role” officer (takes role)
• “Paper” officer (hands out papers)
• “Sticker” officer (gives out stickers)
• “Board” officer (cleans the board at certain
times)
• “Warm-up” leader (leads the class through the
warm-up)
• “Policeman” – reports on ss breaking the rules
Anything else? If you can outsource a teacher task –
try doing it!
 # 5 – Make use of stickers!
• Make it part of your end of class
routine (kids love to know already
what’s going to happen next)

• We have all had classes in which

students say that they don’t want any
stickers. What then?
– Teachers can still reward / praise / draw
attention to students in class (one of the
main functions of stickers). Underline a
name, high five a student, etc.
# 6 – Maximize student-made materials
and creativity (*as appropriate)

– Want to do a survey? Let ss make it first...

– Going to talk about routines? Let students make a
comic book presentation about their daily
routine...
Look for other opportunities for students to exercise
their creativity and make something  which will
then be used in class (key distinction)

(*as with anything, too much of this can have a tiring

effect on the students! Don’t do it every class.  )
# 7 – Keep things ‘physical’
• Doing a reading?
Why not assign certain words or topics to each
student have them jump up / put their hands
on their heads / etc. when they hear the word?
• Taking up feedback for a worksheet or activity?
Rather than “raising your hand”, try... raising a foot,
touch your nose, raise a pencil or book...
• Get students moving!
Try musical chairs (without music is fine!),
change chairs, race to outside, etc.
* as with anything, this shouldn’t be non-stop physical activity! But consider how to
work it into your class routine...!
# 8 – Use a ‘class plan’
• Some younger students especially like having a
sense of completion and of what is going to
happen next (this can give a sense of control)...
– Try giving names to a few of your activities and writing
them on the board at the beginning of class.
Make a big deal as the class finishes each activity. With
the right group, this is a big hit and students feel they
are making progress.
This has the added benefit of helping students get
through an activity they don’t like (especially if you do
something very popular or ‘fun’ last – at the end – i.e.
“if we finish all of our work, we will plan simon says
before we go home”)
# 9 – Tell ss what you want them to do,
not what you don’t want them to do
• What you don’t want them to do:
– “No fighting!” - “Don’t walk around!”
– “Don’t be so loud”
– “Stop messing around”
vs.
• What you want them to do:
– “Work with your friends” - “Sit in your chair”
– “Work quietly”
– “Open your book, finish your worksheet, etc.”
 Final pairwork task

Are there any of these you feel you should

implement more regularly? (or start doing)
1.) Set a routine
2.) Set rules 3.) Keep activities short
4.) Appoint class officers 5.) Use stickers well
6.) Use ss made materials 7.) Keep ‘physical’
8.) Use a class plan 9.) Tell ss what to do
 Have more questions?
• Talk with a colleague! (or a DoS or senior
teacher)
– Often the best answers to student management
problems are found in the experience of others!
– Share your successes! Other teachers want to hear
and know what went well in your class.
• Check out some pdf resources available on local
PM. (More documents on managing young
learners, activity ideas, and supplementary
resource books)
 Great supplementary resources
• Primary Box – Grammar, vocabulary, reading
(each are separate books)
• Cambridge puzzle books for Movers, Starters,
Flyers
• Bogglesworldesl.com
• ________________*

(*Ask a colleague: what’s your favorite

supplementary resource book for Yls?)