Classroom Management 1
Worksheet 1
Using The Board Effectively
Match the two parts of the sentence.
a. Avoid ‘talking to the board’
because...
b. It is a good idea to divide your
board into sections:...
c. Use lots of colours...
d. Give/elicit multiple examples (as
opposed to corpus-type layout):
e. Regularly go to the back of the
class...
f. If your board is messy and untidy
then...
My colleagues’ ideas:
© Oxford University Press 2012
1. ____to make it clear and
memorable for learners.
2. ____ and judge your board
(honestly!)
3. _____what your students write in
their notebooks will be messy too.
4. ____for example, one part can be
cleaned off and re-used as the
lessons proceeds. Another part can
be for important information, which
can stay there for the whole lesson
(to review at end of class).
5. ____ giving your back to learners is
not a good idea. You should be
facing learners most of time and
everything you’ve written on the
board must be visible to them.
6. _____for example:
bright
dark red
go with embarrassment
as as a beetroot
 Classroom Management 1

Worksheet 2

Giving instructions

Exercise 1: The three cards below show instructions for the same activity.
Comment on how successful you think they would be. Give a score from 0
(rubbish!) to 4 (perfect!).

Teacher A
“OK, everybody, would you, Maria, sit down. Now what you have to do is, when
you, take this sheet of paper that I’m handing out now and keep it secret, and
some of you are ‘A’, it’s written at the top, and some are labelled ‘B’. OK, can you
see that? Don’t show your paper to anyone and then you have to describe to your
partner; sit face to face. Could you move your chairs around and describe what’s
on your paper so that your partner can find what’s different, and you must agree;
when you find something, draw it on your paper? OK. Do you understand?”

Teacher B
Say: “Sit opposite your partner.” (Wait while students move.)
“Some of you are A.” (Gesture to letter A on the HO.) “Some are B.” (Gesture.).
“Don’t show your paper to anyone.” (Mime hiding).’
Distribute the HO.
“Some things in picture ‘A’ are different from picture ‘B’.”
“Describe your picture. When you find something different, draw it.” (Mime.)
Check understanding of instructions: “What are you going to do?” Students
answer with brief explanation.

Teacher C
Ask one student to come out in front of the class and sit opposite you. Give the
student the HO and take one yourself, making a big show of keeping the handouts
secret from each other. Pretend to be A. Do a complete example with B so the
whole class can hear….
A: “Have you got a tree in your picture?”
B: “Yes.”
A: “Is there a bird on top of the tree?”
B: “No.”
A: “Oh, so that’s one difference in my picture: there is a bird on the tree.”

Distribute HOs to the class: ‘Now you do the same. A and B. Find 10 differences.’

© Oxford University Press 2012

 Classroom Management 1

Worksheet 3

Tips for Giving Instructions

Do you agree with these? Mark with an X the ones you disagree with.
Disagree
with
1) Plan your key instructions and the simple, clear language you can/will use.

2) Make sure instructions are complete, explicit and in a sensible order.

3) Include only essential information.

4) Slow down a bit if necessary, mainly by inserting pauses, to allow students

time to take in each piece of information.

5) Be careful how much you explain at a time.

6) Don’t start explaining until all students are fully attentive.

7) Even with beginners, use English wherever possible.

8) Show/gesture all you can. The more you show, the faster you can speak
and the less you have to say.

9) Soften imperatives with request forms (such as ‘could you repeat that?’),
which provide a more natural model.

10) Check students have understood your instructions before starting the activity.

11) Avoid asking “Do you understand?”

12) As soon as students begin an activity, sweep the class with your eyes to
ensure all are on task.

© Oxford University Press 2012

 Classroom Management 1

Worksheet 4

Simplify the following instructions as much as you can.

A. Now, actually, I would really like you… if you could, now stand up, yes
everyone, please…
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________

B. Well, that wasn’t really what I was hoping you’d say when I asked that
question. I was actually looking for the name of the verb tense not an example
sentence, but what you gave me was fine, well almost. Only does anyone, I wonder,
have the answer I’m looking for?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
_________________________

C. If I were to ask you for your opinion on smoking, what do you think you might
say to me in reply?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
________________________

D. It’s the unit on, er..., travel, somewhere – it’s near the middle, pages 35 and
36, can you find that? Have you got it? No, not that one, the next unit, and take a
look at the introduction, read it through quickly and jot down your answers to the
questions at the top of the page over there, above the illustration.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

© Oxford University Press 2012

 Classroom Management 1

Worksheet 5

Effective Questioning
Like all aspects of teacher talk, it’s not the quantity but the quality and value of
questions that’s important. Think about your questioning technique.

 Which of these things would you like to do more?

Decide beforehand on the purpose of questions.

Minimise use of ‘yes / no’ questions (except to check
meaning/understanding or encourage weaker students).
Ask a balance of referential and display questions.
Use open-ended questions to encourage opinions, elaboration and
discussion.
Ask questions about important rather than trivial content.
Grade language in questions and try not to over-paraphrase.
Personalise questions where possible.
Avoid questions that contain the answer.
Make sure that students clearly understand questions.
Spread questions randomly around the class.
Balance questions to the whole class with individual student nomination’
Give enough time for students to answer.
Anticipate students’ responses.

The above serves as a useful checklist for observing another teacher, as well as for
self-observation. Record (part of) one of your lessons, then listen or watch and
evaluate your own questioning technique.

Adapted from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/think/articles/asking-questions

© Oxford University Press 2012

 Classroom Management 1

Worksheet 6

Eliciting – How and When is it Effective?

Read through this text about eliciting and mark what you feel is interesting. These
statements are not necessarily right or wrong!

WHEN?
- At presentation stages, right from the start.
- At all stages whenever there’s any language need, or any question is asked.
- At correction stages.
- As a general rule, elicit as much as you can. And if they don’t know it, give it to
them!

WHY?
- It is student-centred; it takes the focus away from the teacher, cuts down on TTT
and reduces need for repetition drills.
- It focuses on meaning/use before the language is provided.
- It creates a need to speak and therefore generates interest.
- Focuses attention, engages brains, keeps students involved and so more likely to
remember.
- Activates ‘known’ language, stimulates the memory, moving from passive
knowledge to production.
- Serves as a check for T that students understand, and tells us what students
already know.
- Balances the control with the students. It doesn’t assume knowledge so it builds
confidence and self-reliance.

WHAT?
- Lexis, target sentence or structure, rule, function, use.
- Context - characters, setting, roles.
- Corrections.
- Ideas and alternatives.
- Own knowledge and experience… in fact, just about anything!

HOW?
- With visuals – single or series (realia, flashcards, wall charts, board drawings and
so on). By using bubbles for a dialogue, exploring other members of the same word
family, prompting by pausing mid-sentence, giving first letter or mouthing, by pointing
mark written on the board…
- With mime or gesture, facial expression or sound.
- By asking, “What’s he saying?”, “Another possibility?"”, “Pronunciation?”,
“Stress?”, “What's the rule?”, “Where are they?”, “How does he feel?” and so on ad
infinitum…
- By giving a functional prompt (possibly in L1) such as ‘invite’ or ‘suggest’.
- Questions such as What’s another way of saying…?
What’s another word for…?
What’s the difference between…?
What do you cut your hair with?
Can anybody explain…?

© Oxford University Press 2012