Classroom Dynamics

I've just finished a communicative activity with the four P2 classes. And I can hardly believe the difference between them.

The first class was a model of propriety and enthusiasm. They spoke in English, were polite and (fairly)subdued, and seemed to grasp the true purpose of the activity. Even the less able students participated well, and were not afraid to ask if they could not pronounce or spell something. I was mildly encouraged by their reaction, and rolled it out in the second class.

Please note that I presented the activity in exactly the same way, and the children are of a similar mixed ability to the first class. And yet the difference could not have been more astonishing (or harrowing). Even the highest ability kids blatantly copied the work from each other. Very few children actually made the effort to practice the target language. Perhaps three. Or maybe two, out of a class of thirty-one. The third P2 class was the same, but perhaps worse, as the children spent a great deal of time yelling and picking apart my laminated cards. The fourth class were a lot better, but just after I told their teacher that they were doing really well, they suddenly all starting screaming as they rushed back to their seats. So that ruined that.

Why the difference? Is it the teacher? Of course there are 'better' teachers. The teacher of the first class is a person of extraordinary stature (made even more surprising by the fact that she is no more than five feet tall). I have never heard her shout, and she is the type of teacher who can think of all the pitfalls and complications, and has solutions for them all. The second class teacher is pretty appalling - she spends much of the time yawning, and has a hostile air about her. The third teacher is well-meaning, I guess, but she has been given the class from hell. And the fourth teacher is pretty good. Could it possibly be that the teacher's attitude somehow rubs off on the kids?

What I really think is that it all boils down to classroom dynamics - the 'chemistry' between the kids, if you will. Some classes are like oil and water. They just don't mix. They curdle. And some classes, when mixed together, become bigger than the sum of their parts. I'm just not sure if it is the teacher who produces the final ingredient - the binding agent. In fact each class has several teachers - a class teacher and then two or three more subject teachers, so it may not be that.

But then - their exam results - the class that performed the worst in exams were in fact the class that always perform the best in whole class activities. How can we explain that?

I guess that's a whole other thread.

Wednesday Shocker

Yesterday I went into class with - let's call her J. She is the English teacher of possibly the naughtiest class in the school. Rows apon rows of disruptive boys and distracted girls. When they are quiet, it's because they are playing with straws or doing their Chinese homework under their desks. Or using their erasers to rub their desks, and then collecting the rubber poo for some nefarious plan.

They are difficult to teach. They have very little interest in what I have to say. But I soldier on anyway, because it's my job, and well, just a few weeks left and then I'll never have to deal with them again. Hallelujah!

There's one boy in the class who seems to be disliked by all the teachers. I rather like him. He's loud, yes, and sometimes obnoxious, but he is for the most part focussed on me and the topic at hand. But yesterday he was doing some serious fiddling under the table, playing with some object that he had brought from home.

I was standing at the other side of the classroom with my flashcards when I witnessed something quite horrifying. Teacher J marched over to that boy, dragged him from his chair, and then threw his chair on to the window ledge. Due to the force of the throw the chair bounced off the ledge and fell back down to earth, narrowly missing another child. If that chair had hit the boy it would have been very serious, possibly involving hospitalisation.

Where I come from it could be a matter for the police. But here, it appears that this kind of rage is acceptable. But what are we teaching our kids? Certainly not tolerance or self-control. When your teacher throws her toys, how can you be expected to learn the correct way to deal with your anger?

To add insult to injury, teacher J then tossed the boy's schoolbag on to the window ledge. Not a casual toss, but a deliberate, murderous toss, if you can possibly imagine that. Then imagine the silence that ensued. Even I was quiet, standing at the other side of the classroom, clutching my transport flashcards, wondering what the hell I was doing there.

Starting Somewhere

Blogs. Everyone has them. I didn't,until now.

I honestly didn't know what I could write about that wouldn't give too much away. But yesterday something happened, and I really wanted to write about it, but had no forum.

So here's my forum. It may be empty, but it doesn't matter. I can shout as loud as I want.