Developing Classroom Skills

MANAGING LARGE
AND
MIXED-ABILITY CLASS
By:
Nuratikah Bt. Taufik

MANAGING LARGE
CLASS

What is a Large Class?

A classrooms that contain many students,

sometimes almost filling the room.

Actually, a large class has no exact size.
Usually it is measured in terms of the number of
students per teacher (student-teacher ratio).
In some countries, 25-30 students per one
teacher is considered large, while in other
countries this is seen to be normal or even quite
small.
From a teachers perspective, though, a class is
large whenever it feels large.

Advantages of Teaching
Large Classes
1.High Energy: Classes with many students may be

noisy, but they are also fun and exciting.

2.Timing: Classes go by quickly in a large class, and
you will rarely catch yourself looking at the clock.
You will regularly find yourself with extra activities
that you did not complete that you can save and
use in your next class.
3.Participation: There is always someone who is
willing to answer questions even if they are just
guessing. Make sure to take answers from a variety
of students.
4.Fillers: Teachers have less need for fillers since
core activities and lessons take longer to complete.

Challenges of Teaching
Large Classes
1.Intimacy: Remembering student's names can take
a while. Teachers may feel that they do not get to
know their students as well as they would like to.
2.Anxiety: Some teachers feel anxious being so
outnumbered by the students. In addition, some
students are afraid to ask questions or participate
in a large class.
3.Student needs: Meeting individual needs can be
difficult or impossible when class size is very large.
4.Marking: Grading assignments and tests can be
very time consuming, and your pay will generally
be the same for a smaller class.

5.Distractions: There are more distractions for teachers

in large classes, such as latecomers and people chatting

while you are teaching.
6.Preparation: Making photocopies for a large class can
be very time consuming. Other teachers may be
bothered by how much time you spend using the
photocopier.
7.Noise level: Large classes can become out of hand
when students are working in pairs or groups. At times
you may feel more like a disciplinarian than a teacher.
8.Monitoring students: Teachers may find it difficult to
keep students on task as they monitor pair and group
work.
9. Space:There is limited space in a classroom for
energetic activities such as role-playing.
10.Textbooks and resources:There may not be enough
textbooks or computers available for all students.

Strategies for Coping with

Large Classes
Use a teacher's notebook:Attach a small notebook

and pen to your belt loop. Take notes while you are
monitoring pair or group learning. Review common
errors as a whole group after an activity is complete.
Spread out:Find another space that your class can use
for energetic whole group activities. Find a lobby or
spare classroom in the building that your students can
spread out into when they are preparing a project or
performance. Take students outside if there is no indoor
space available.
Create a participation grade:Make homework and
attendance count by doing regular checks and making it
part of their final grade. Giving a daily exam tip also
encourages attendance.

 Encourage competition:Establish a fun and

competitive atmosphere within the class, by dividing

the class into teams. You may change the teams once
in a while or leave them the same throughout a
semester. Teams can win points for certain
accomplishments
Relax:Find ways to relax before class so that you
don't feel anxious. Never attempt to prepare a lesson
in the morning, right before class. Always have a water
bottle handy. Always have an extra activity on hand in
case something doesn't go as you expect it to.
Establish trust:Learn unique ways to remember
names and do your best to get to know something
about each of your students. Create a seating chart on
the first day and ask students to stick with it for a
while. Tell your students at least one or two things
about yourself beyond your role of teaching.

 Manage the noise:Establish a signal that you want your

class to stop what they are doing and listen. This should be
done from the first day, so that students become
accustomed to it right away. Be careful not to use gestures or
sounds that would offend anyone.
Reduce marking and preparation time:Design quizzes
and tests in a way so that you can reduce the amount of
marking. Use peer evaluations when possible. If students
submit journals, just read them and leave a short comment
and/or suggestion, rather than fixing every grammar
mistake. Designate a specific time when the teacher's room
is slow to do most of your photocopying for the week. This
will save you from feeling guilty for taking up the photocopier
for a long time when another teacher only has a few copies
to make.
Enforce a late policy:Notify students of your late policy on
the first day and stick to it. For example, don't let students
enter your classroom after a warm-up has ended. If students
miss class, make it their responsibility to catch up, not yours.

What is a Large Class?

A classrooms that contain many students,

sometimes almost filling the room.

Actually, a large class has no exact size.
Usually it is measured in terms of the number of
students per teacher (student-teacher ratio).
In some countries, 25-30 students per one
teacher is considered large, while in other
countries this is seen to be normal or even quite
small.
From a teachers perspective, though, a class is
large whenever it feels large.

MANAGING
MIXED-ABILITY CLASS

What is a Mixed-Ability
Class?
Mixed ability or heterogeneous classes are

terms used to describe classes made up of

students of different levels of proficiency.
These terms are misleading as no two learners
are really alike and homogeneous classes do
not actually exist (Ur, 1991). All classes are to
some degree made up of learners who differ in
many ways.
They may have different strengths, weaknesses
and approaches to learning. They may respond
differently to various teaching methods and
classroom situations.

Mixed Ability Factors

Age or maturity
Intelligence and multiple intelligences
Learning style
Language aptitude
Language levels
Mother tongue
Learner autonomy
Motivation or attitude towards the subject
Cultural background

Possible Problems Teachers May

Face

Strategies For Teaching

Mixed Ability Classes
1.Supportive learning environment so the learners feel

confident and able to perform to the best of their ability.

2.Classroom management Teachers can ensure that learners
will be involved as much as possible in the lesson. Classroom
management techniques for maximum learning potential,
involving all students, learning and using learners names,
teachers cultivating a positive attitude through their own attitude
to the class, praise and encouragement, grading and using
relevant teacher talk, using the board effectively and managing
learning activities by giving good instructions, asking concept
checking questions, using pair and group work, setting time limits,
monitoring the activity and including feedback on the activity.
3.Learning to learn Teach learners about different learning styles
and the different learning strategies for visual, auditory and
kinesthetic learners. Teach learners how to be resourceful so that
they know where to find help if they get stuck.

4.Variety Vary topics, methods of teaching, focus,

materials and activities to generate learner interest and

motivation.
5.Grouping Use a range of interaction patterns in class.
Learners should work in groups, pairs and individually.
Groupings should be changed often, thereby giving
learners an opportunity to work with different learners.
6.Pace Teachers must be mindful of the pace of their
lessons. Teaching a class too slowly or too quickly may
lead to boredom or frustration. A teacher must be aware of
his/her learners abilities and pitch the pace of the lesson
accordingly.
7.Interest Teachers need to make the lessons interesting
in terms of content, topic and activities. To find out what
interests the learners, teachers could find out what
interests the learners outside the classroom, allow learners
to share their interests with the class through project work
and personalization activities, such as show and tell, or
allow learners to chose the content, topics or activities for
lessons, where appropriate

1.Collaboration Getting learners to work together

and cooperating has a number of benefits for the

learners and teacher.
8.Individualization Hess (2001:12) describes
individualization as providing opportunities for
students to work at their own pace, in their own style
and of topics of their choosing. Individualization can
be promoted in the classroom through portfolios, selfaccess centres, individualized writing or personalised
dictionaries.
9.Personalisation Ur (2001:306) suggests including
activities which allow learners to respond personally.
Such tasks increase learners motivation and interest
as they are based on something the learners have
experienced and can relate.
10.Blooms taxonomy Make use of higher order
thinking skills by providing learners with problemsolving, analysis, evaluation and synthesis activities,
rather than only comprehension tasks.

12.Open-endedness Open-ended activities allow learners

to respond to tasks and questions which have a variety of
possible answers rather than one correct answer. Openended tasks allow learners to perform at their level of
ability. Such tasks include sentence completion activities,
story completion activities, brainstorming, writing own
definitions for words, answering questions in a range of
ways.
13.Compulsory plus optional tasks Ur (2001) suggests
learners are assigned compulsory tasks with additional
materials should they finish the core tasks. By setting
compulsory plus core tasks, all learners are engaged and
can feel a sense of achievement when completing a task.
14.Adapting materials Course books are designed for a
particular language level and do not offer much flexibility.
As a result teachers may need to adapt the materials to
make them easier or more challenging.
15.Homework Homework is an excellent tool to provide
learners of all levels and abilities with an opportunity to
review and consolidate the material covered in class.