my Teaching Practices

classroom management

Routines are important in classroom management. They promote order and predictability, which help create a structured learning environment where students know what to expect and what is expected of them. Consistent routines also reduce confusion and disruptions that allow both the teacher and students to focus more on the learning process. At DSKRU, routines are being observed, from the flag ceremony to class proper. In the classroom, I ensured that there was a routine—from standing up to greet each other the moment the teacher entered the room, to arranging their seats, to knowing what to do when they want to speak or participate, and up to how they wrap up their tasks before dismissal. These routines fostered discipline, responsibility, and a respectful and organized classroom environment.

Establishing healthy teacher authority was also helpful in my classroom management. Despite my learner-centered instruction, where my role was just to facilitate their learning, maintaining authority ensured that students respected the boundaries and rules within the classroom. It helped create a balance between fostering an open and collaborative environment and ensuring that discipline was upheld. An advice I got from Teacher Andrew of the English department is that my presence alone should be enough to control the class. He discouraged my peers from using special terms like "Waterfalls, shhh" to make the class quiet because, according to him, it was like shooting yourself in the foot since students do not value your authority. I have always been fond of healthy teacher authority, and my students would immediately quiet down whenever I said "attention" or simply stopped talking. Additionally, I did not accept "no" from students when I asked them to recite or participate, as allowing refusals could encourage others to do the same. By maintaining eye contact, using a firm yet calm tone, and asserting myself confidently whenever necessary, I was able to reinforce my authority and effectively manage the class.

Positive reinforcement also played a key role in my classroom management. According to Behaviorism theory, reinforcing desired behaviors with rewards encourages students to repeat those behaviors. I would often give prizes to students who actively participated, and I made sure to offer words of affirmation whenever they did something well or were shy to participate. This helped build their confidence and motivated them to engage more in class activities. However, I was mindful of not overusing the prize system, as behaviorism also suggests that excessive reliance on external rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation over time.

As an inexperienced teacher, the major obstacle I encountered was my lack of experience in real-life classroom scenarios. Despite all the theories and concepts I had learned at university, it was challenging to adapt my instructions to the dynamics of an actual classroom. I had many idealized visions of a perfect class that I wanted to achieve, and I tried to implement them all at once. However, this approach was draining and often disappointing when I couldn't meet my expectations. It felt like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

Handling disruptive behaviors was also a challenge for me. I noticed that certain behaviors would interrupt the flow of the lesson, which made it harder for me to maintain the classroom environment I wanted. To address this, I focused on understanding the reasons behind the behaviors and worked on strategies to redirect them constructively.

Language barrier was also an obstacle; however, I did not find it significantly impactful in my teaching, as I understood that English is a foreign language in Thailand. Recognizing this, I made sure to adjust my instructions and language use to ensure effective lesson delivery. As a foreign teacher, I took responsibility for adapting to my students’ context as I believe that all English variants are valid and equally important, rather than strictly adhering to American English standards.

Cultural differences served as a minor obstacle, especially in instances where I wanted to connect the lesson to students' schema but was unable to do so due to my limited knowledge of Thai culture and current trends in their society.