English Teaching Methodology

“What If”

English Department
Faculty of Cultural Sciences
Universitas Gadjah Mada
2022
 Introduction

Methodology is a way how something is conducted and teaching is the activity of

teachers delivering materials or knowledge to their students. Teaching can be
conducted in both formal or informal occasions. The way, or the method of each
teacher can also be different in accordance to their personality. Two of the
teaching methods teachers might employ are inductive and deductive methods.
The process of delivering materials to the students isn't always simple. A class
consists of students from different backgrounds, personalities, and experiences. In
the formal class especially, teaching won't always go smoothly. There might be
some issues that teachers face when they are teaching students. One example,
when the class has too many students. Handling a large class wouldn't be an easy
feat as teachers are required to deal with more diverse students. There is also a
problem with engaging with the students so that they won't feel neglected or that
the teacher isn't paying attention to them. Another problem that teachers might
face is when the students find it difficult to understand their teaching. The goal of
teaching is to make the students understand the materials, so this problem is a
crucial one to be solved. There are some examples to overcome these problems:
the teachers can speak more slowly and repeat the materials, giving quizzes or
surveys to the materials they struggled with, or use two methods of teaching
which are theory-based and practice-based. Aside from all of that, the teacher can
also implement games so that studying will be more fun. The problems teachers
confront in the class are not just these two. In English class, perhaps the students
use other languages, uncooperative students, those that do not want to talk,
students-in group finish before anybody else, those who do not want to do their
homework, and how to teach a class whose students' levels are different. All of the
problems above about the issues teachers might be facing will be covered in this
article.

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 What if the Class Is Too Large?

The definition of large can be relative according to who perceives it. Some
teachers may think that a twenty-student class is large, but others may define a
large class as a class with more than one hundred students. Because of this
relativity, we need to have the same assumption on how many students the class
should hold to be considered as large. The University of Tennessee Health Care
Center states that large classes are primarily those held in large “lecture” halls and
frequently have 75 or more students in attendance (The University of Tennessee
Health Care Center, 2022).

Most teachers might find having many students in the classroom a challenge.
Being in front of many people can feel intimidating, especially when the teacher is
inexperienced. When the teacher feels nervous, the learning process would not be
ideal. However, the problems may come not only from the teacher but also from
the students. Because there are a lot of people in the classroom, some students
might feel that whatever they do would not be known to the teacher. They will be
busy with their own thoughts and pay less attention to the teacher. As a result, the
class will be less productive and efficient because the students cannot solely focus
on the lesson.

Moreover, students might have different levels of understanding ability and basic
knowledge of the topic discussed in the class. Some students may fully understand
the lesson, but others may only understand partially or not understand the lesson
at all. Therefore, paying personal attention to the students is crucial, yet the
teacher would not be able to notice the students’ difficulties since they have more
students than they can handle.

All of this might be nerve-wracking. One might simply want to avoid it, not
willing to face the problems, but one must face the challenges to be a fine teacher,

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and no problem is unsolvable. Thus, here are a few things that can be done to
tackle these problems.

The first solution that can be done is dividing the students in the class into several
groups as a mix of different sitting positions, so the students who sit in the back
and the front could be together as one group. Having group activities can help the
course to be more effective because of two main reasons. The first one, it
increases the possibility of each student actively participating in the learning
process compared with when the teacher is the only centre of the learning process.
The second reason is, having a mixed sitting group could equate the opportunity
and the understanding of students who sit at the back with students who sit at the
front. Through group activities, the back-row students could gain more
understanding about the course from the front-row students and have a bigger
opportunity to share their ideas, which helps the teacher to measure their level of
understanding. Besides, dividing the students into several groups may also
encourage the students to think critically as they have to participate in a group
discussion where each of them is expected to contribute their ideas. It can boost
their confidence as well because they can express their ideas freely. This will also
teach the student how to respect other opinions, critical thinking, and teamwork.

In order for the class to run smoothly, the teacher should explain the material
clearly. Instead of only telling the student about what they are going to study that
day, it would be better if the teachers could deliver the material to the student in
varied ways and in a way that is easily understood by the students. Therefore,
teachers can use some mediums as teaching aids to help them explain the material
to the students. It can be in a form of Google Forms, PowerPoint, flashcards, or
maybe even video animation (Shukla, 2018). Using these kinds of mediums could
help teachers to know each student’s progress. For example, doing the pre-test and
post-test through mediums such as Google Forms. By relying on the pre-test and
post-test results, teachers could make a better study plan for them because they
could know each of their student's progress even if there are many students in one

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class. However, it is important that teachers are able to make the questions used
for the test interesting for the students, for example by pointing out each of the
students to certain topics.

A teacher also has to be capable of implementing new ways of teaching in their

class. Most of the time, teachers tend to keep a traditional approach to teaching
that only involves board and books. What most teachers need to understand is that
this kind of teaching sometimes can become boring at some point and causes
fatigue in the students. It also can cause the students to give little to no attention to
the teaching material. Therefore, the application of technology such as
microphones and projectors in a class might become a help. This way, the
delivery of teaching could be varied and it also helps to familiarize the students
with technologies. However, if we are to apply these tools in our class, we also
have to ensure their quality. Similar to what McLuhan said, “We become what we
behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us.”. Having good tools can
become a magnificent investment both for the teacher and the students. Something
like a wireless microphone may not only amplify our voice but also let us roam
freely in the class to get a good view of the condition of the class. Another tool
that would help a teacher greatly is a projector. Having a projector is a great way
to provide our students with the teaching material visually. It also enables us to
start a discussion or a question just by showing the picture in a click (which
means the students do not have to flip their book pages just to see a single
picture). It also can enhance the input of attention given by the students to the
teaching session.

A teacher’s job is to educate students and deliver a particular subject, therefore,

excellent public speaking and good appearance skills are vital. Teachers must be
able to adapt their lessons and delivery methods so that students can relate to
them. Thus, effective and good communication skills are required in order for
students to grasp the idea and concepts of the materials delivered by the teachers.
Eloquent public speaking enables students to digest difficult materials easily. Not

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only that, good communication skills also provide a safe and comfortable
environment for students and teachers to engage and interact. This is helpful to
build a strong bond and trust between the students and teachers. Lastly, a good
appearance of a teacher is also a vital role in focusing attention on the class. Good
appearance notes the professionalism of the teacher as an exemplary influence on
the class in taking class seriously. For instance, the neat attire the teacher wore
drew the attention of the class and indirectly engaged the students in personal
interactions.

When the class is too large, another option to attempt is by doing a case-based
study. The case-based study mostly requires students to respond by exploring
alternative solutions. By tackling real-life problems (with case-based study)
students are prepared for real-life situations and it trains them to approach each
case thoroughly and in-depth. The case-based study can be done in teams,
allowing students to collaborate and offer solutions together. This can be effective
as it teaches students to learn from examples in the real world. By doing so, it
actively involves students in figuring out potential solutions by developing their
skills in decision-making, problem-solving, coping with ambiguities, and
analytical tools. Moreover, students are putting the materials given by the teacher
to use.

Try to ask the students’ names and appreciate them after answering a question.
This may result in them giving more attention because they will feel much more
appreciated. According to Karen Green, we must accept and support all
viewpoints and frame our response to refocus the conversation even if students
veer off course because the first thing you want to do is get your students talking
about their thoughts (Green, 2015). When the student makes a mistake, we must
assure the student that everyone makes mistakes and fix it by guiding them in
which part is the mistake. We want our students to think that making a mistake is
not the end of learning. In fact, making mistakes is part of learning. Jacoby &
Wahlheim (2013) talked about the possibility that mistakes (and other contextual

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elements of the encoding setting) may facilitate retrieval of the initial episodic
event when the mistake and the right response were both embedded. It means that
mistakes might create a sense of memory remembering to the students which
makes them less likely to make the same mistakes again in the future.

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What if Students Find It Difficult to Understand Your Teaching?

Teaching is a job that involves big responsibility. Two of the many

responsibilities are to make the students understand the materials the teacher is
delivering as much as they can and to develop their enjoyment in learning. Of
course, the road will be bumpy ahead, especially if the class is not something that
can be called small. There are many inevitable obstacles regarding this,
considering making people understand requires a lot of knowledge and patience.
In this section, we will analyze further about this issue and offer possible solutions
that can help the teacher minimize the difficulty in understanding.

Making sure students understand the lessons taught by teachers is an essential

thing since the failure of it may lead to other problems. The students might
already find difficulties studying their book or module materials. The existence of
teachers should be “a help” to students so they comprehend their lessons easier
and better. When they could not understand their teachers in class, it makes the
situation worse. Students probably feel frustrated and even lose their study
motivation because of that. To avoid this circumstance, teachers need to
understand first the reasons why this particular issue happens in a class. There are
several possibilities for it such as teachers talking too fast, giving unclear
explanations, boring methods of teaching, etc. Then, how exactly could teachers
acknowledge and solve those problems? It is agreeable that there is no perfect
solution to clear the way a hundred percent. However, this does not mean it is
impossible for alternative attempts to help teachers in solving this issue. In
addition, students’ participation is also needed here because they are involved in
the class activities. This writing will discuss three possible points to solve this
issue including controlling teachers’ pace of talking, asking for students’ feedback
& doing study evaluations, and reevaluating teachers’ methods in teaching.

From the previous explanation of the problem, there are a few solutions a teacher
can do. Every student has a different understanding with a different speaking

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pace. Some students can quickly understand the teacher's explanation, regardless
of speed. However, there are also students who find it difficult to understand the
material given by their teacher because of the quick talking pace, especially in
teaching foreign languages. This difficulty will eventually decrease the students’
future interest and performance in class, making speaking speed a fundamental
aspect of teaching. Therefore, teachers must evaluate their teaching methods, such
as speaking slower and repeating the material, specifically the parts the students
do not understand. The teachers should also be open to their students' suggestions
so they will not be afraid to ask for a slower pace. Some students may be shy to
request a slower speaking pace directly, so teachers can divide small papers for
the students to write whether the speed is too fast and where they are left behind.
If possible, the teacher can explain the remaining materials after class or repeat
the material the next day with the received suggestions from the students. There
are many other ways to improve the communication between teacher and student.

Speaking more slowly encourages students to take their time in absorbing the
information being taught to them. As a result, the students can easily follow along
with the teacher. When a teacher speaks slowly, they may also express more
feelings, which encourages the students to pay attention and comprehend what the
teacher is attempting to say. Additionally, a teacher who can regulate their
speaking pace will be able to convey the information more effectively. Speaking
slowly gives students more time to take notes, which they can subsequently refer
to if they forget the material.

When the teacher speaks fastly, students often cannot understand most of the
materials given by the teacher. Therefore, students will have so many questions in
their head yet they do not want to ask anything to their teachers because they are
too confused and perhaps too shy. Hence, the teacher should speak slowly to the
students, so that the students can be aware of what material they can understand
and what they cannot. If students are aware of what material they cannot

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understand, they will not hesitate to ask the teacher and then the material can be
repeated until all of the students understand it.

If speaking slowly still does not help the case, then as teachers, they have to find
out the other possible problem or challenge the students are facing. There must be
something that stands in the way of their process of learning. Rather than guessing
what might possibly be the problem, the teacher can ask directly by giving a
survey form to every student. The students can write about what materials they are
struggling in, what they need that can help them to understand the materials
easier, give feedback to the teacher, and what they expect from the learning
process. It is up to the teacher how much they want to find out.

Other than survey forms, quizzes can also help the teacher greatly. The quiz’s
purpose is to review the students’ knowledge and understanding of the material
given. The teacher can do this by giving them a question sheet or using interactive
media or websites like Kahoot! and Quizizz. The teacher can adjust the level of
difficulty to find the perfect pace. The intensity or amount of the quiz can also
vary depending on how much it is needed. It can be done every day after class,
weekly, or even monthly.

Asking for feedback from the students will make it easier for the teacher to
identify the problem with their teaching methods and the students’ way of
learning. In addition, it will also allow the teacher to have two-way
communication with the students. Two-way communication is very important as it
can help the teacher to evaluate their teaching and learning activities. This
evaluation will then help the teacher to decide what steps they should take to
overcome the problems. By overcoming every little problem, the teacher will
increase the effectiveness of the learning and teaching process.

Giving quizzes before and after every learning activity will help the teacher to
figure out the students’ level of understanding. The teacher can then know which

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part is the hardest and which part is the easiest for the students. After getting the
idea of which part the students are most struggling with, the teacher can give more
attention to that material. By doing this method, the teacher will be able to change
or adjust their teaching methods so that the students can easily understand the
materials given.

The third solution that is suggested to solve this problem is related to the teaching
method chosen by the teacher. This method can be the last attempt or an effective
solution if the first and/or second solutions fail to meet their purposes. The
teaching methods are divided into two in terms of reception and delivery of
material. One of them and so-called the most frequently used is theory-based. The
theory-based teaching method or what can be said to be in-class activity is a
method of delivering materials where the teacher focuses on the explanations,
theories, and questions in the book. Apart from doing these things inside the class
without moving from the seats, there is no further activity that requires the
students to be active. There are both advantages and shortcomings to this method
of delivering knowledge. That the students will get to know first about the radix
of the material in more detail is one of the advantages. Preparing the material to
be understood by the students before moving to the next-level activities is the
other. However, there are also shortcomings of this teaching method. How the
students are easily getting tired and feeling sleepy is the most common
shortcoming to be realized. Furthermore, the most difficult part will be on the
teacher’s side to raise the atmosphere without being sad. Subjects that often
choose this method include civic education, history, and other subjects that
require explaining theories and reading paragraphs rather than application.

To overcome these deficiencies in the theory-based method, the teachers might

revise their way of teaching by the suggested second type method, namely
practice-based teaching. In contrast to theory-based where students are expected
to always be in the classroom during the lesson, practice-based is more often done
outside the classroom, for example in the school field or laboratory. Practice-

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based is often applied in sports, crafts, chemistry, and other subjects that
undoubtedly require direct application of the materials. The implementation of
this method makes it easier for the teacher to measure students' knowledge of
what is being taught and vice versa. Another advantage of this method’s
application is grasping students' curiosity and attention. This can be obtained
when the teachers show surprising results or unusual actions in front of the
students and ask them to do or to produce similar things as their assignments. In
this sense, the practice-based teaching method is important to prevent the students
from being bored and drowsy in the full-of-theory lessons done constantly in a
closed-place setting. Instead of merely staying in the seats without having the duty
to contribute, this method encourages students to be individually responsible to
share their results after doing required activities. Some lessons that mainly used
this method are biology or chemistry where students have to carry out practicums
and write reports of them.

A problem in relation to the clarity of delivering materials does not only come
from the wrong teaching method chosen, but it can also come from the inaccurate
selection of materials. Besides changing and revising teaching methods, another
alternative solution that can be done and will be suggested is to evaluate and
reconstruct the material to be more understandable. How various kinds of games
are involved in the accuracy of delivering lessons is an approach that will
facilitate students’ knowledge. A game board that is filled with quizzes is a certain
type of game that has been proven to make the teaching process easier and more
fun both for students and teachers. By applying this game with its quizzes,
students will either consciously or unconsciously try to recall the materials and
apply it to answer questions. The use of this type of game is also a method, apart
from the practice-based, to increase the enthusiasm and interest of students.

Teaching methods that are chosen by the teacher will give visible impacts on the
students. From the two methods that have been mentioned, the reconstruction of
the materials which will be conveyed to the students and the innovation through

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games are expected to help students to understand the materials from teachers
easier. Theory-based methods give students who are not able to study themselves
to understand the theories better together with the teachers’ help. Because not all
theories can definitely be applied and vice versa, students are expected to learn by
themselves from time to time and overcome the differences in brain capacities.
They need sparks or detailed information and definition about a material so that
they can improve the knowledge that they get from the teachers. Sometimes, not
only teachers but also students think that the theory-based method does not give a
good impact on the learning process because the students will be passive.
However, whether it is necessary or not depends on the type of material presented.
If the material is full of story and theory which a theory-based method is needed,
it is certainly acceptable to use. The opposite of the theory-based method is the
practice-based method. This method will help students understand the materials
better because they are involved directly and physically in the studying process.
Hence, these two methods can help the teachers in the teaching process based on
the students' needs and situations.

Like what is explained before, other than methods, the teacher can change or
reconstruct the materials for the students. Perhaps the materials do not match the
students' capacities to understand. Therefore, the teacher has to pay attention to
this matter as well. Lastly, games can also help the teacher to make students
understand better. Moreover, this is suitable for encouraging the students in the
learning process. Numerous students feel unwilling to study because of many
factors that lead to pressure, for example, they find it hard to understand the
materials because of the unsupportive class atmosphere or simply they do not like
the way the teacher teaches them. However, to overcome these demanding
situations, the teachers must find something that the students will like the most,
especially through games. Thus, the students will be more involved and be willing
to study more with the teacher in the class.

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To conclude, although having imperfect gaps, there are still many ways to make
students understand the materials given by teachers better. These solutions
involve figuring out or identifying the problems and adapting to the situation by
changing some methods to suit the students. By adjusting the speed of speech,
doing surveys, and modifying the methods and materials, the teacher can get a
grip on the situation and subdue the problem. It is important to understand that
some problems are inevitable and that both the teacher and the students have tried
their best. What’s more important is that they are willing to try and change in
order to achieve the best result.

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 What if Students Keep Using Their Own Language?

Learning a language is challenging, let alone teaching a language. It is different

from exact science like Mathematics, Physics, or Chemistry, so the method of
learning and teaching is also different. The main distinction between learning a
language and subjects like science and math is that people can learn a language in
multiple dimensions. Moreover, people develop and improve their language skills
based on their needs, and everyone's needs are different. When learning science or
math, the knowledge elements build on each other, whereas knowledge elements
in language are parallel. People broaden their use of language by expanding it
rather than simply building it up.

An example, based on an article on cambridgeenglish.org, about using other

languages during English learning class further proves our argument. So, during a
visit to an Istanbul primary school, the coordinator told a lovely story about a time
when she was teaching, and the caretaker entered the classroom and told her in
Turkish that he needed to remove a cupboard. The teacher pretended not to
understand. When she asked the 8-year-old students for 'assistance,' they did not
know what to say.

However, one of the girls in the class had an idea as she nearly yelled at the
teacher, 'Miss - cupboard - bye-bye!' The example indicates how with playful
challenges or scenarios created by the teacher, the students subconsciously use
English to communicate. Although their understanding of word formations could
be better, the play-along strengthens the student's understanding of English.
In this specific example, the girl’s idea not only gave the teacher an ideal
opportunity to show the class that she had understood the message, but
also gave her an opportunity to model a proper utterance for the situation,
by saying ‘Oh, I see. Mr. X is going to take the cupboard out of the
classroom’ while using appropriate body language to support her words.
It’s clear that the situation was important to the language-learning

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 process – not only of the student who’d had such a brilliant idea, but of
the whole class. (Primary ELT: The Role of the Students’ Own Language,
2019)

Until recently, the language-teaching literature has assumed that new languages
are best taught and learned monolingually, without using the students’ own
language(s). The monolingual principle was spread by Maximilian Berlitz, who
made the Berlitz Method. Berlitz Method immerses the students into the new
language and excludes any use of their mother tongue. Berlitz found that this
method closely simulates the real-life condition where they would apply the
language. This principle of the Berlitz schools spread internationally and became
a model for many other language institutions. (Hall & Cook, 2012)
In recent years, however, this monolingual assumption has been
increasingly questioned, and a re-evaluation of teaching that relates the
language being taught to the students’ own language has begun. (Hall,
2012)

Stern (1992) argues that pure monolingual teaching is unrealistic, as it is

impossible to interpret the meaning when the learner does not understand the
foreign language. He believes a monolingual teaching approach would be more
effective if teachers also applied interlingual activities such as translating words
and using bilingual dictionaries in the classroom. Thus, he emphasizes that the
balance of both principles is needed so the teacher can effectively teach the
language and make the class more compelling for the students.

Learners who usually learn a second language stumble upon many languages’
barrier challenges. For example, when they are acquisitioning a second language
like English, they, as a student, will tend to speak their own language intentionally
or unintentionally.

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Moreover, most people do not have an immediate need to communicate in a new
language. To create extra efficient learners, we must create a need to use the
language and opportunities for practice, similar to how first language acquisition
occurs.

However, there have been times in ELT history when teachers attempted to forbid
students from using their native language, and this may still be the case in specific
contexts - probably not in too many primary classrooms. The word ‘forbid’ is in
italics because teachers could ensure that students did not speak in their native
language in the classroom by forcing them to remain silent. Nobody, however,
can effectively forbid them from using their own language in their heads, making
sense of something they hear in the new language or hearing in their language
what they are trying to say in the new one.

To tackle the problem above, we devised different solutions that teachers can
apply to specific situations. When facing a group of students continuously
speaking in another language, we suggest a harmless penalty system with a
'punishment' such as having to answer the exercises later on or fun requests that
other students can participate in, creating a more harmonious and lighter
atmosphere in class. By using this system, we hope that students would not feel
cornered and ashamed of not being able to speak English fluently, and it would
also serve as extra practice to hone learners’ English skills.

Another common situation is where the teacher asks a student a question, urging
them to answer in English, but the student cannot form correct English sentences.
We advise teachers not to pressure the student and let others join in to help them
answer the question. It will help the student gain confidence and knowledge and
help the rest of the class to be more open and embracing while further perfecting
their English.

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Teaching a foreign language requires patience and empathy; hence, during our
English Teaching Methodology Class, many groups answered that showing
encouragement and appreciation is essential to motivate and make them confident
in speaking English. Furthermore, when teachers frequently provide positive
feedback, whether the students are correct or wrong does not matter since the
teacher created an environment where making mistakes are still considered
learning.

To summarize, speaking another language while learning English is unavoidable,

and it has become second nature, particularly to those learning English as a
second language. As a matter of fact, a teacher must find the best approach and
solution to overcome the students' difficulties in doing so. With positive
encouragement and creating the most relaxed environment, teachers can
successfully reach a point where the students start to speak English and correct
themselves if otherwise.

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 What if Our Student Are Not Cooperative?

Does every class run perfectly and without a problem? In a class a teacher will be
faced with various kinds of students with different personalities, abilities, and
skills. and how can a teacher deal with the differences in the class? How does a
teacher deal with students who are less cooperative in the learning process?

Looking through the root of this problem, we can see some factors underlying the
uncooperativeness of the class. Two main factors we can see as the consideration
of making a solution to this problem: the teaching method and the student itself.
The teaching method is considered one of the main factors. Why? We can see that
each students’ characteristics have so many different solutions to encounter it.
Teaching method is really important to suit students' way of learning. If the
teacher doesn’t know which teaching method, he/she should choose, the class will
not be cooperative. The second main factor is the student itself. Students can
sometimes be difficult to handle. They can act on their own and choose to not pay
attention to the teacher. It definitely would make the teacher down, but as a
teacher, he/she should be able to solve it. It then brings up the question, how can
we solve this problem?

Basically, students have different characteristics for each individual, therefore

there are many ways that can overcome problems when learning, one of which is
when students are not cooperative. Possible ways that can be used include, for
example, at the beginning of learning a learning contract is held for students who
take part in learning because the existence of this learning contract can make the
class more cooperative. The contents of this learning contract are like ROTG
(Rules of The Games) which have been agreed upon by two parties: students and
teachers. Not only learning contracts, but a way that can be used to make the class
more cooperative is also to make quizzes in the middle of learning where these
quizzes make students more motivated to pay attention to the learning provided by
the teacher. The quiz given is in the form of material studied in class and the quiz

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given by the teacher has a weighted value which at the end of the lesson will
receive a reward from the teacher. This reward can be used wisely as the reward is
given to the individual or group of students, which in turn can trigger more active
learning and make the class more cooperative.

When all the strategies we have tried are successful, the result we get is an
effective teaching and learning atmosphere. Such an atmosphere can make
students learn comfortably; the material taught in class will also be easy for them
to understand. Cooperative classes can increase students’ motivation to be more
active and also make learning activities more enjoyable. If your students are
responsive to your communication and actively give you feedback, teaching the
class would be a bit easier too. It will be helpful for your role as an educator to
have methods which can be used when students become uncooperative. You may
not always be able to manage every situation perfectly because being an effective
educator requires a constant process of learning through trial and practice.
However, if you approach your teaching with compassion, your students will
likely pay great attention to you and become cooperative students.

The learning process always includes two parties, the teacher and the students as a
learner to reach goals and ideas. Both of them need to become cooperative and
work together to arrive at the same goals. Sometimes in a class, either the student
or teacher will find difficulties related to how to reach the goals. Of the several
solutions that have been mentioned above such as, creating a learning contract,
using such an interesting method like games and fun quizzes to build an exciting
atmosphere among the students will help the student be more active in class to
participate and be more cooperative. A student is considered to be cooperative if,
starting with simple actions like concentrating on listening to the lesson, they go
on to actively participate in group discussions, follow all teacher instructions, ask
questions in class, and develop connections and excellent coordination with group
members. Being cooperative is important because it prepares you for the world
after education which is filled with interactions between people. Also teachers

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have the opportunity to deal with students' fundamental competencies as well as
their communication and soft skills, which are important for their success in life
and the workplace. Let's all work together as students to develop our ability to
work in groups, be involved in class, and start daring to accomplish common
goals that can please both the teacher and ourselves.

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 What if Students Do Not Want to Talk?

Some teachers prefer a quieter class than a noisy one, but it is not the better
alternative for one another. Imagine after you finished explaining many things
about grammar or syntax, you then asked the students what they think about the
subjects and all you got is blank stares or bowed-down heads all over the class, it
certainly is unfavorable. There might be some students that are extremely active in
all of the class, but those are the same students. You wanted to make other
students be active as well, at least able to speak their opinions in class without
having to call their names every time.

The shy or quiet kids are not always the problem, it might be the classroom
situation, other students in the class, or maybe even the teacher themselves. They
might think that the environment is not suitable for them so they prefer to
disappear into the background. They prefer to watch and listen quietly rather than
to participate in class. Even when they’re not in a classroom, they tend to have
some difficulties socializing with other students because they struggle to start or
maintain a meaningful conversation.

Teachers could misinterpret a quiet student’s lack of motivation for actively

participating in class as evidence that they don’t understand the subjects. Teachers
could assume that quiet students are academically challenged and they
purposefully avoid getting called in class because they don’t completely
understand the subjects. In other scenarios, teachers might think that the quiet
students are diligent and well-behaved so that they don’t require much
supervision. Although it might be true that quiet students are hard workers, they
could also use some attention given by the teachers to bring them out and give
them the courage to be active in class. In this paper, we will talk about some ways
that teachers could use to deal with quiet students in their classroom.

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To solve the problem of students that did not want to talk or participate in class,
teachers should understand the root of the problem. The classroom environment
consists of teachers and students. As a source person, teachers rally information in
the form of material vertically to the students.

Hierarchically, teachers have more authority in the classroom, ranging from

determining what to learn, class activity, assignments, etc. Normal classrooms
usually have the teacher to talk about the material throughout the class. Some
teachers not even allowing the student to talk or ask in the middle of explanation.
In addition to that, the traditional chair placement made the classroom more tense
and stressful for the students, thus leading to silent classroom, intimidated by the
teacher. By putting students in unique seat placement, like U-shape, giving more
freedom for students to talk and discuss the materials, making every student in the
class visible to others, and requiring them to speak is the best thing to do in class.

Not only attention to physical space, but teachers need to understand their
students emotionally. Do not get angry at students that participate less than the
other. Instead, consider giving them some time to build confidence and think
about the best answer. Especially in language learning class, waiting time for
students is crucial for non-English speaking students.

Another reason why students do not want to talk in class might be their personal
problem. In this case, it is best to approach them personally, ask about things that
are bothering them or things that could help them want to participate in class. This
reflects on students' personal preference too. Afterall, students are more likely to
talk when discussing things they like.

Some cases that are often found in teaching such as,

1. Students are shy to speak, so they are always silent during learning
and discussions with their classmates.

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 2. There are some students who are reluctant to talk to friends or
teachers in learning, because they really don't want to, for reasons
of prestige or they are difficult to talk to (in the sense that the
student doesn't want to try to talk to anyone).
3. In certain cases, there are students who are not yet fluent in
reading, so they find it difficult to speak or communicate when in
class.
4. The last case, and the rarest one, is that a student cannot speak
from birth due to an accident, or a genetic disorder.

The first thing that one should understand while handling these kinds of students
is to know how to identify them. This can be done by reading their body language.
Their body language would either be quiet or nervous. Keep in mind to still be
kind and tolerating to them and not to show any special attention openly, because
it may isolate them from their peers.

After identifying them, try to understand their reasoning. All of these quiet and
shy students always have their own reason as to why they're not actively
participating in a class. Most common reasons are social anxiety or fear of public
speaking, or they may just be a naturally introverted person.

These students can often feel intimidated against the more extroverted students
who raise their hands and shout their answers loudly. To try and give them more
of a fair chance, we can give each student a chance to answer by assigning the
whole class a turn to answer a question. That way, we're encouraging them to be
more confident and not shining any spotlight on them due to the others all having
the chance. Alternatively, we can talk to these students privately outside of class.
Ask them of their preference of learning and their possible difficulty in keeping
up in class. Remember to keep their reasoning to ourselves so that we can earn
their trust.

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Diversity is a natural thing and always exists in a class. As teachers, we will not
be able to get the same student character as we want. Each student will have their
own uniqueness and characteristics. Maybe in class we find students who are very
active in asking and answering questions. They have a tendency to be active in
class discussions. They have a critical mind and have a high sense of curiosity.
This type of student is usually used to speaking or expressing their opinions to
other people. In short, they have no difficulty communicating or expressing
opinions to others. On the other hand, there are also students who have difficulty
in speaking, especially when they faced a crowd. This can be caused by many
things, one of which is because they are not used to speaking in public. This
causes this student to have a tendency to be afraid of voicing their opinion and to
keep it to themself. They usually have low levels of self-confidence and courage.
Therefore, usually this type of student tends to be passive, especially in large class
or group discussions.

As teachers, we must really understand the situation of each of our students and
here the teacher's role is very important in analyzing and solving the problems. A
teacher is required to be able to think critically and creatively. As teachers we can
do other activities to lure children who have difficulty speaking so they can
actively discuss. One way to do this is to form small groups discussion of two to
four people. In this group both active and passive speaking students will be mixed
into one. Then students with good speaking skills can become leaders in groups
and at the same time will provoke other group members to actively participate in
discussions. With this, it is hoped that students who have difficulty in speaking
will slowly dare to speak and express their opinions to others. This can happen
because students who have difficulty speaking will feel more comfortable and
safer because they are in a smaller group of people. They will have a tendency to
be bolder and more focus in the discussions. It is hoped that students who have
difficulty in speaking can instill confidence and courage to express their opinions.

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In this discussion group, the topics to be discussed do not need to be difficult or
complicated. It's just need a simple and easy topic to discuss within each member
of the group. In the end, students who have difficulty speaking can instil courage
and confidence in themselves.

Use digital Visual materials for the learning program. To approach the student
who seems limited in his/her physical limitation in the learning program, as a
teacher we must be creative in this modern era by utilizing our digital technology,
for instance making the material of the study program to get easier to understand
such as using Google's Images, Street view, YouTube, and the other application
that provides material in the study program. In addition, not only Visual materials
but the Schedule of this study program should be controlled by the Teacher.
Through making this digital Visual materials schedule shows the routines. Provide
access to bilingual picture dictionaries for younger students and or online for older
students, especially some students who have the limitation of their physical.

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 What if Students-in-Groups Finish Before Everybody Else?

Teacher-centered learning methods that explain lessons to students, who listen to

their teacher or take a look at the board or presentation, are teaching methods that
we usually encounter. Students understand their materials based on their teacher’s
explanation. Nevertheless, we must know that it is also essential for students to
have other skills besides mastering their material. Therefore, many teachers used
some in-group activities that are related to the material that has been discussed in
class. Through these learning group activities, students can gain more skills in
communication, problem-solving, and working with other students. After giving
the assignment to all of the groups, it is possible to have some groups finished
earlier than others. If some groups have already finished first, the teacher has
some options for doing with those groups. The first option is to let the group have
a little rest and make sure that they do not disturb the other group that is not
finished yet. By giving them some rest to wait for the others to finish their
assignments, the group will learn how to be patient and wait. The other benefit of
this option is that the students can get more time to take a break which is also
essential to gain more energy to continue the class.

However, asking the groups that finished before others to be silent and not do
anything else might make them bored. Besides, it is a waste of time if they do
nothing while waiting for the other groups to finish. The amount of time they use
to wait can be used to do other valuable activities. Thus, instead of letting them
wait in silence, as a teacher, we can engage them to do other activities that are still
relevant. For example, we can ask them to share the result of their discussion
since they have already finished discussing. Group activity usually is in the form
of two kinds. First group activity that requires students to answer questions
besides discussion. Second group activity that only requires discussion and not
answering questions. If the group activity involves answering questions, we can
ask the groups to share their answers. By doing so, we can check whether or not
their answers are correct. We can ask them to recheck their answers if we find any

26
wrong answers. If the group activity involves discussion without answering
questions, we can ask them to share the result of their discussion. Ask them to
explain the materials or topics in their own words. Did some of them have
different opinions while discussing? How did they react to those differences?
How did they conclude? By asking those questions teacher can recognize
students’ comprehension of the topics or materials. If the students’ can explain the
materials using their own words, it means they already understand them. If they
miss some or many points from the materials, the teacher can ask them to preview
and discuss them again. Alternatively, the teacher can explain it to them so they
can understand better.

After we engage with the students to know the result of their discussion, we can
give feedback to them. The feedback can be an explanation, suggestion, or
compliment. If we find anything wrong from the group discussion, we can explain
why specific answers are considered incorrect. The students need to understand
the reasons why the answer is correct or incorrect. By acknowledging their
mistakes, students can use the remaining time to preview the materials, find the
correct answer, and revise their answers. Moreover, compliments or appreciation
like “Keep working on it. You are good.” can stimulate students to be better at
completing assignments or studying material. However, teacher assessment must
be transparent and clear in a way that the teacher must provide feedback.

After discussing students’ answers, giving compliments, and feedback, reviewing

the materials given could be a perfect activity to do. Leading them to recall their
memory about the materials given and giving some new sources about it can help
them broaden their insight. Early finishers may have many ideas, especially with
writing tasks. They finish the task earlier because they do not thoroughly examine
their work and catch basic errors or spelling issues. If the students do this, it is
generally more beneficial to them if they go over the task again, rectifying any
mistakes they made because they were rushed rather than moving on to something
else. By reviewing the materials that have been learned, teachers can help students

27
to have a deep understanding of the material, an opportunity that sometimes
cannot be done since a significant amount of material must be covered each
semester.

After reviewing the material and understanding the topic deeper, making
continuous activities for the students might be an excellent way to help them
relax. The activities provided must be entertaining and not put too much pressure
on the students because they might not want to finish another assignment faster
the next time. While being entertaining, the activities could also be educational.
However, make sure the students are excited about doing the following activities,
otherwise, those activities will only cause commotion and disrupt the activities of
other groups. Another way to make the activities exciting is to give rewards to the
group that finished the most significant number of activities or accumulate the
rewards every group can have for finishing a certain number of activities. By
doing so, the students will be motivated to do as many assignments as possible.
While making these activities to be a competition, some people may want to finish
the activity as soon as possible, not bothering about the correctness of their work.
Thus, it is crucial to ensure that the students do the assignment earnestly so that
not everyone, especially those who do their work carelessly, can receive the same
reward. Follow-up activities might sound fun, but the students will get bored if
done frequently, so the teacher should make sure that they come up with different
types of activities and be aware of how much time they spend doing such things.
Lastly, the teacher should be considerate towards their students. When the
classroom atmosphere is under the weather, and the students look like they are not
in a good mood or have busy schedules, they might be weary. Having many
activities to do is wrong since they might not be as cooperative as usual. Letting
the students rest after they do their work might be the most considerate thing a
teacher can do to show that they care about their students' being.

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 What if Our Students Make Mistakes?

Most people have heard, “You learn from your mistakes” and “Adversity is the
school of wisdom.” In school, there are two things that students usually do, they
study, and they make mistakes. By any chance, “making mistakes” for this topic
means when students misstep in class. To depict point two, when the teacher gives
the student a problem to solve in class. Each of the students, of course, has a
different understanding, leading them to different answers. There are two kinds of
answers to every problem: a clear answer or an abstract. Now, what happens when
a student gives the wrong answer to a question that has a clear answer? For
instance, in a grammar class, students give the wrong verbs for the past tense. In
our educational system, making mistakes eventually results in punishment rather
than giving an opportunity to learn. Hence, as English teachers, what should we
do?

Teaching English needs a different method in terms of its delivery from the source
(teacher) to the recipient (student) compared to teaching scientific subjects like
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Not only does it differ material-
wise, but also how a teacher adjusts the approach depending on the student's
education level–students from the same stage even have different levels of
understanding of the materials taught. From the aspects mentioned above,
particular problem-solving and critical thinking are needed to achieve the best
result in teaching and learning. Therefore, this article will discuss how a teacher
handles students who make mistakes in the learning process based on the possible
reasons underlying the problem. The object of this study case is high school
students; why high school students? It is safe to say that this stage of education is
the bridge from the teenage phase to pre-adulthood, where students have
developed complete control of their conscience, thus proving that they most likely
know what they want and need, when to talk it out and how they plan to achieve
it.

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High school students are teenagers with burning passion who are constantly in a
quest of looking for their sense of true self. They develop all kinds of feelings and
start to learn the value of their responsibilities for their future. This phase has a
major impact on their journey to build a certain vision of their desires, sorting out
their priorities and goals. The same concept applies to their learning process.
Compared to middle school students, they know the importance of class
participation better, thus there are some expectations burdened on their education.
Making a mistake is something that they want to avoid at all costs, but it is a part
of learning, and there is no shame in it. Following the consideration above, we
decided to focus on English teaching methodology to high schoolers, and in this
case we picked grammar particularly, since linguistics has not been included in
their curriculum. Grammar has the most concrete concept compared to reading
and listening (for high school level). Students are expected to understand the
formulae for different tenses and apply them on the exercises given in order to
improve their writing skills going forward. So, what if they make a mistake in
grammar? What do we do as a teacher in order to accommodate them better, so
that they will perform better as well?

To understand the possibility of the students who making mistakes, we can take
two different types of the mistake that possibly happen in the learning process.
For the first one, let us say, the teacher gives 10 grammar questions and a student
answer 7 out of 10 questions correctly. We may assume that there are just a few
aspects which the student has not fully understood since he/she could answer the
majority of questions correctly. Responding to this situation, the teacher is
expected to guide them until they grasp the material completely. However, it is
reasonable if there are some different levels of students’ understanding, and the
teacher must understand that possibility in order to succeed in providing a proper,
if not better, review of the materials. Therefore, the teacher is responsible to know
each level their students are in, in order to be able to choose the correct way of
teaching.

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Analyzing the aforementioned case deeper–before going to the second case–where
we have known that a student makes a minor mistake while still getting most of
the questions answered correctly, we notice that it is a common situation that
students encounter all the time, which is why we may take a simple approach
here. Before everything, let’s not make a big deal out of their mistakes. Making
mistakes is totally understandable, so as a teacher, we should appreciate them for
trying before mentioning the specific point where they are lacking at. If we are
conducting a lesson plan where we receive an answer and cross check it in the
same session, we may want to encourage our students to give the incorrectly
answered questions another tries before we jump into the explanation of their
mistake. Some students might need more time to process their mistakes, so it
would be nice for us to give them chances to try. If problems are spotted but no
resolution is given by the students, we give them a hint to trigger them to
remember the given materials to correct the answer. Then, after the students give
reactions to our hint, whether they eventually get it correct or wrong, we give
them explanations. Not only will this method increase the engagement with the
students in class, but also will help them to remember the material even better
because they have the additional memory when they make mistakes and get
involved in the process of problem solving that adds up to their learning process.

Moving on to the second case, a different student answers only 4 out of 10

questions correctly. The possible reason for this case is that the student has not
prepared themselves enough, or they still could not grasp the overall material well
since they only got less than half of the answers correct. We, positioning
ourselves as the teacher, must wonder why the student is still not capable of
answering questions which are related to the material taught. In this particular
case, there are some possibilities that might lie under the situation. Solving this
problem, we are going to use some if-conditions. The first if-condition is that 40%
of the students answer only 4/10 questions correctly. 40% means that half of the
class have understood the material well and we assume that there is nothing
wrong with the learning process. Furthermore, in this if-condition, we find that a

31
personal approach may work. Since there are possibilities that they have gone
through some serious problems before they come to the class that they lose their
ability to concentrate.

For the second if-condition is that there is only a student in the class who does not
answer half of the questions correctly. In this if-condition also, we assume that
there is nothing wrong with the learning process. Nonetheless, we may notice the
same pattern as the first if-condition. They are the minority of the class but to
make it worse, he/she is the only one who gets 4/10 questions correctly which
shows that that student may experience some serious difficulties which are very
distracting to him/her. In this case, the teacher is recommended to offer him/her to
join an additional class after the primary class ends or a 1-on-1 tutoring session.
Make sure the first thing the teacher does is talking to him/her in private and
asking them about how he/she thinks about why he/she can’t answer the questions
before we offer them the tutoring session.

Last but not least if-condition is when 60% of the students answer only 4/10 of the
questions correctly. We assume that there is maybe a mistake in the process of
how the lesson is delivered. The mistake that is mentioned above may vary, for
example the lack of the teacher’s understanding of the material that they cannot
convey the lesson clearly which may result in vague understanding. Another
example is the way the teacher brings the mood in the class. A class with too strict
rules and rigid behavior of the teacher in charge may feel like a boring class to the
students. Eventually they lose their interest in understanding the material and they
cannot answer the questions regarding the material in the future.

In conclusion, the teacher should always keep in mind that English is a foreign
language for Indonesian students, therefore it is common for them to find it
difficult to relate to bahasa Indonesia when they learn it. Not only is Indonesian
grammar easier to understand than English grammar, but also that the students are
already used to utilizing Indonesian grammar in their everyday life, so it will be

32
rather challenging for them to comprehend and get used to English grammar.
Some mistakes are fine to make because it is a way of learning a new language,
and they need a lot of trial and error to finally get used to it. In addition, each
student attends high school with a distinct educational background. As things
stand, the instructor must take this into account and figure out a means to ensure
that the material is perfectly conveyed.

Though homework has been a debatable thing among the public on whether it
should exist or not, in fact, many teachers or lecturers are still giving this kind of
learning support to their students. Homework, in its general term, is defined as
“tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be carried out
during non-school hours” (Cooper, 1989). Teachers believe that homework is a
manifestation of learning training, both for academic and non-academic purposes.
On the single hand, it seems to be effective since the manifestation covers the
skills and ways of thinking needed by students. However, looking from the other
hand, homework tends to turn its starting intention into a wholly different result.
What it means is that homework, which ought to be only an ‘addition’ to the
whole learning process, turns out to be a burden for students. As they do not do
their homework, the aim of giving homework to students becomes meaningless.

Seeing homework as a burden that weighs the shoulders of students makes them
think twice about understanding the essence of homework itself. Some students
who get already too tired of their school activities may think to finish the given
assignment to them in any way they can as long as they get their assignment done
on time. So, what will the students get if they only search for the answers
instantly? Will they get the knowledge and skills their teachers hope for? Mind
that teachers wish their students to be able to learn outside the formal activities in
school by themselves. To develop their critical thinking and management of time.
Those achievements should be gotten by the students if they can understand the
essence of homework.

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Coming from the previous statements, now here is the case; there are students
who do not do their homework. Aside from the essence of homework that has
been stated before, students take homework as their duty, part of their learning
activities that should be done whether they understand the material or not. This
duty, they assume, is something that cannot be ignored, and thus they believe
what they will get if they do not finish this to the end. In contrast to that thought,
in fact, some students still have the nerve to not do their homework, despite their
understanding that homework is considered as part of obligatory tasks. This case
raises many questions about how those students do not do their homework even
though they already know the consequences.

This article will analyze the possibilities of the said case. Because the causes may
come from many different aspects, it is wise to see from different points of view.
Being a teacher means that someone ought to have their minds open and always
wander to a broader scope of curiosities in finding the answers for each problem
that occurs in their teaching life. Knowing the reason that becomes the root of the
problem first is a wise thing to do because the reason will be the right source of
decision-making. This article will also provide some possible solutions that can
be related to the case of why students do not do their homework and what
teachers can do to deal with it.

There are so many conflicts that would happen in the classroom while teachers are
teaching. Teachers or mentors have to notice these kinds of circumstances. It is
not about where the conflicts come from, but it is more about how the teachers see
the problems and how we deal with them. Teachers cannot just blame students for
anything they do not do just because they are the teacher. Teachers have to make
an approach to understand the student. From many problems that could happen,
we choose the conflict when students do not do their homework. In this case, we
will discuss the possible reasons why students do not do their homework and also
the possible solutions.

34
When students do not do their homework, there are many possible reasons why
they do not do it. We make, at least, ten possible reasons why students do not do
their homework:
1. The students forget.
2. The students assume that the teacher would forget the homework.
3. The homework will be discussed in class, so the students think
there is no need to do it.
4. The score from the homework will not affect the final score.
5. The students assume that the subject is not important.
6. The teacher acts not too strictly, so students underestimate the
homework.
7. The students have problems in their homes.
8. The students are busy working or taking care of someone (a sick
family member, etc.) because they are the only ones who can do
the responsibility (sandwich generation/double burdens).
9. The students could be ill or in treatment/therapy.
10. The instructions are somewhat hard to understand.

From all the possible reasons, we will see through the students’ and teachers’
points of view. First, examine the students’ points of view. It is important to
remember that teachers cannot control the students’ urge to do something. They
have their intention to do their priorities. So, if they think that school is their top
priority, they should not make mistakes, like forgetting their homework. If they do
not put education as their priority, they cannot study seriously and make mistakes
related to school.

The students think that homework is an obstacle to enjoying themselves outside of

class because they have to study when they also have other things to do. They also
think that they do not have enough time to do it because they have to balance their
studies with their daily life activities. The students who feel stressed by many

35
things, find difficulty studying for long hours or doing their homework because it
is stressful for them.

There could also be the possibility that they want to study and do their homework,
but they cannot because they are physically or mentally ill. They cannot move and
think properly or are even too weak to move their body, so it is impossible for
them to do school work. Also, could be because they are the one who has to take
care of an ill family member because there is no one else who can do it. In these
cases, teachers should give them support and assure them, give them motivation or
think about alternative solutions for the sick students.

Moving on from students' points of view, these paragraphs below are going to
discuss from teachers’ points of view. Of course, all teachers want their students to
do their homework. There are many kinds of teachers in this world, especially
when we talk about how they deal with homework. For instance, some teachers
score their homework, but some do not. It is a big difference for students. It also
depends on how the teachers teach the students. Are they strict teachers, students
usually call them ‘killer’ teachers, or extremely friendly teachers? The way they
teach will affect students’ progress in certain subjects. Thus, it is important for
teachers to understand what kind of students they teach and what kind of methods
they can use to help them learn better. So, the students can feel comfortable when
studying.

Miscommunication when giving instructions on homework also happens

sometimes. This could be an obstacle to the students when they want to do the
assignment. Teachers usually give homework after giving the material, it is
preferable for them to ask the students whether they understand and know what
they have to do with the assignment or not. In this way, the teachers can make sure
that students understand the instructions properly and can make adjustments
according to the student’s needs. On the other hand, if the teachers are not asking
about the homework to students and explaining them about it after the class is

36
over, the students may not understand the material at all and would end up doing
their own interpretation of the homework which can lead to misunderstandings and
mistakes in the finished homework. Again, teachers have to make students
comfortable with them, so teachers can understand them better.

No matter how many solutions teachers come up with, they would not work and
would be a waste if the students do not want to work together and cooperate with
their teachers. It always starts with the teachers communicating with students.
Teachers have to explain clearly about the homework and why they have to do it.
Of course, teachers have their own intention to assign homework, but students
must know the intention. Because if they know, they will prepare the homework
with their best answers. Then teachers and students will have a win-win situation
because students got the knowledge for the answer and teachers are happy
because they got the well-prepared answer.

Before jumping into the solutions, consider some factors that are affecting this
problem. Teachers should not directly blame students because they do not do their
homework. Teachers have to know from students’ points of view. Teachers need
to ask them in private just in case they get offended in class. Through private
conversation, students may be able to express what they are feeling and
experiencing. Then based on their answers, teachers will know where the problem
is coming from and try to solve it properly. It is much better if teachers can solve
the problem, so they can understand students better than before. Teachers can
adjust the homework if their students want to do it or not, for instance by making
a deal together. If they want to adjust the homework, teachers should try to adjust
it with their schedule, so they have enough time to finish it. They will not be
stressed and they will enjoy learning instead of worrying all the time about their
homework.

Now we are going to discuss how to manage the students that do not do their
homework. These are some possible solutions due to the case.

37
1. Give a penalty
If we see the positive way of this first solution, the penalty is one of
many solutions that can help teachers. When students make mistakes,
teachers will give penalties or punish them. There are many kinds of
penalties that teachers could give. It depends on how bad the mistake is
and what is the lesson behind it. For example, if the students did not turn
in their homework, the teachers will give them a penalty of minus points
in their grade for that assignment. From this point of view, of course, the
students will be upset with the teachers for the punishment, but if they
learn something from this mistake, this will be helpful for them and they
will not make the same mistake.

2. Discuss the homework

After the penalty, another solution is to discuss the homework in class. It
is way better if teachers discuss the homework they give. This can be an
appreciation for those who do the homework and punishment for those
who do not. This is surely a burden for those who do not do the
homework because they will not understand what they discuss in class
because they do not know. On the other hand, those who do the
homework will understand the teachers easily and catch up on the
material for that day. From this solution, students who do not do their
homework have to do it, whether they want it or not.

3. Give a substitute assignment

Last but not least, teachers can give a substitute assignment to replace
the homework. This is just for students who do not do their homework.
Teachers can give both assignments and homework for the next meeting
to those who do not do their homework. This can be cruel and can make
more burdens for students, but this is one of the solutions if students still
do not do their homework. If students do not want to add more
assignments from school, they have to do the homework.

38
Aside from solutions, teachers can also give indirect motivation such as telling the
students that the homework will be discussed in class, so they know they have to
do it to catch up with the class. However, if this approach did not work, teachers
may need to give the students an understanding that homework scores participate
in the overall score of the semester. By providing such notice, students are
expected to be aware of their responsibilities.

To sum up, there are several reasons why students do not do their homework.
Teachers should not judge and punish them directly because there are various
possible causes for their wrongdoings. It will be better if teachers look for
their reasons first. After knowing the causes, teachers could choose the most
suitable solutions. If the problems come from students, teachers should
become a person students feel comfortable talking and studying with.
Teachers should also introspect themselves to become better teachers for their
students. There is always a solution to every problem. However, to make the
solutions work, both parties, in this case, the teachers and students, have to
work together in understanding their roles and responsibilities.

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 What if Students Are All at Different Levels?

“So far, do you understand?” It is a bright morning in class with Ms. Brown.
Some students nod confidently upon the question. Some look around with unease
in their eyes, not sure where to call for help.

“Any questions?” One student in front raises a question, sharp and critical. Others,
not sure what to do, look out the window or start talking to each other. Another
raises their hand and adds a clever remark on the question that has just been
asked. “Good answer,” Ms. Brown said. Some others do not know what they do
not know and are afraid to ask for fear of being seen as dumb.

This scenario may be your everyday experience in class. When students of

different levels mesh together, it can create, well … a bit of a problem. When
faced with a situation like this, teachers may be aware that one part of their
students are more active or passive than the other. In return, some students may
feel left out and left behind that they stop trying to grasp what is being taught
altogether. This does not create a sustainable learning environment. However, rest
easy, teachers! We are here to bring to you this little toolkit: How to Deal With
Students from Different Levels.

This kind of situation does not come directly into the class. There are many
reasons that lead to these problems. As we know that every student comes from
different backgrounds, such as the family background, the knowledge
background, the privileges they have, etc. These different backgrounds can be the
factors of why students are at different levels. Moreover, there is the natural
intelligence that leads students to have this different level of skills. Some students
can be fast learners, but some of them are slow learners. Some of them can
understand the materials easily, some of them can not. There is nothing wrong in
this situation, but the only thing that we can do is to face and solve the problems.

40
As a teacher, of course, we have to know how to solve problems. At first, the
teacher has to begin with the right mindset. The right mindset in this context
means a teacher has to know that all of the people that they are teaching are their
students which means a teacher has a responsibility to teach them until they
understand the material. A teacher can use any method to teach their students.
Once a teacher begins the class with the right mindset, it can make the class more
enjoyable to teach. Consider implementing a growth mindset that allows mistakes
to happen and opportunities to grow from learning.

After setting the right mindset, this second problem solving can be applied by
schools or educational institutions where the students will be studying at that
place. They can hold the placement test for the students before taking the class.
This placement test does not function as the test for determining whether students
have failed or not, but rather to determine students’ ability and skills so that the
teacher can decide on a teaching method that works. By setting this kind of
placement test, the teacher can classify students by their current levels. A teacher
can go about this in two ways. The teacher can set up a peer group with students
from different levels. This creates opportunities for peer teaching to happen,
where students, despite their levels, learn from and with each other. Another way
is that the teachers can present different activities for different levels. This is to
ensure that activities are not way too challenging for beginner students that they
fall behind and do not get anything out of the class. It is also to ensure that
advanced students can still participate and find class activities and exercises
challenging.

By using a placement test and making peer groups, the teacher can next determine
the way students sit in class. The management of seats is important because it can
affect the learning experience and atmosphere in the class. Usually, seats are
planned traditionally, namely a table of two people, those of which are arranged in
rows. However, it is necessary to make variations, such as a traditional sitting plan
has its drawbacks, especially for students sitting at the back. There are many

41
drawbacks for students who sit at the back. They can be easily distracted by their
peers which disrupts what the teacher is trying to deliver in class. They also may
face difficulties, such as finding it hard to see the writing on the board and hear
what the teacher is saying. This will cause a big problem if the student who sits at
the back is a slow learner.

Here are several types of student seating arrangements to prevent such things.
Sitting formation with the letter U can increase student activity so that they
become more enthusiastic about participating in lessons. In this case, the teacher
is the most active figure by moving in all directions and can directly interact with
students. This way, the teacher can pay more attention and communicate with
students who have slower comprehension abilities, so it is less likely that these
students will be left behind. Next, the group sitting formation is a semicircle. This
formation is very suitable for peer groups because the tables are grouped in a
semicircle. This allows teachers to interact with each team more easily. In
addition to being more flexible in interacting with the teacher, this sitting
formation also makes it easier for students to ask questions that they do not
understand to their peers if the students are afraid to ask the teacher. The last is the
conference table sitting formation. This formation is very often used in the debate
learning method. All students can face-to-face express and refute opinions. This
formation is also good for daily teaching and learning activities, the advantages
are the same as the formation of the letter U.

In conclusion, a class consisting of many different levels may create problems.

Because teachers play an important role in supporting the needs of students, these
solutions come in handy. When a teacher successfully solves the problems of
different levels in a class, they contribute to reducing the disparities that exist in
our current education system. Talking about students automatically refers to
education. Education must be accessible for everyone. Teachers stand in the
frontline to birth generations that are curious and care about learning and

42
knowledge, for knowledge is the most powerful weapon that will benefit society
and the country.

43
 Conclusion

Education is essential for progress and development of any society. Good quality
of teacher will ensure the effective implementation of the education process. Now
the teacher does not only teach in the classroom but various other activities such
as planning and preventing the problem may occur in a class. Systematic and
innovative techniques which suit the demands should be applied. Teachers need to
do action research to find suitable methods of teaching learning and teacher
education should be according to the problems and concerns of the school
education. In this paper, we think about some problems a teacher may have when
teaching by using the conditional “what if”. We conclude that there are some
methods that can be used to resolve those problems.

If the class is too large, teachers can use mediums such as PowerPoint and
flashcards and divide the students into several groups to encourage collaboration.
Besides great public speaking skills, it is also an investment if a teacher prepares
microphones and projectors. Don’t forget to appreciate them on every project.

If Students Find It Difficult to Understand, teachers must evaluate their teaching

method by speaking slower and apply a theory practice-based method with games
to make it fun. Teachers can also give a survey or quiz to discover student’s
understanding.

If students keep using their own Language in the English Learning Process, do not
pressure or force them. Instead, give positive encouragement and create a suitable
environment so the students can better themselves.

If Our Students are Not Cooperative, make a learning contract or kind of rules of
the games, giving quizzes related to the given materials, and providing rewards
for the best individuals or groups. It is also a great solution to give the
uncooperative student a responsibility in class. Moreover, the teacher must

44
understand the students’ problems and give them solutions.

If Students Don't Want to Talk, Try to understand the students, making a small
pair of group work by using digital visual materials.

If Students-in Groups Finish Before Everybody Else, a teacher can let them take a
break, share the result of their discussions, recheck their answers, and give
feedback or compliments for them.

If Our Students Make Mistakes, the teacher should analyze the types of mistakes,
know the scores obtained by each student, determine the average score, and the
last option is evaluate the learning method used.

If The Students Do Not Do Their Homework, ask them why this could happen.
After knowing the causes, the teachers can decide on the most suitable solutions—
whether by being a good listener for their problem or evaluating the method used.

If Students Are All At Different Levels, the teacher should set the right mindset to
understand the different levels of students, do the placement test to determine
which level of students, and set arrangements to make the learning atmosphere
more lively.

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