We all know that working with children can occasionally be a challenge, but what happens when there is only one of you and 50 of them? Do you surrender to the mob, or do you find ways to effectively manage them and find a little bit of peace- I say the latter.
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome this daunting yet sometimes unavoidable situation by simply looking at the possible problems and then deciding on a course of action. Below I have listed what these challenges might be and how to overcome them without losing your mind!
POSSIBLE CHALLENGES:
- Students will not get as much individual attention
- Disciplining larger numbers can be challenging
- Teaching supplies may be short
- Students learn at different levels and at different speeds
Ways to combat these challenges:
Try creating what I like to call “ability groups”, these can either be groups where students are all at the same level, or where there is a mix of learners at different levels. By encouraging this type of learning students are not only helping each other, but they are helping you as well as it will give you the chance to visit with and spend more time with each group then you would be able to if you went from student-to-student.
When it comes to disciplining a large group the most important thing to remember is consistency. You must, must, must be consistent in reinforcing the rules you create on your 1st day. Yes that’s right, your first day. Establish a code of behavior right off the bat that lets the students know what is and isn’t appropriate. By doing this you will be able to spend more time enjoying the actual teaching and less time worrying about classroom management – and remember it is better to be stricter in the beginning and then gradually ease up as you get to know the students then trying it the other way around, trust me on this one!
When teaching supplies are short having the children work together in groups is a great way to combat the problem and reinforce teamwork at the same time. If there is one book have them each read a small section, or ask the children to nominate one reader, and assign tasks to the other children too (note-taker etc.).
If you know that you have a large class full of varied skills and abilities then creating ability groups is a great way to allow students at the same level to interact and work together. Assigning projects based on ability groups is a great way to have a variety of projects to display that show the administration and parents the accomplishments of the various levels.
As you can see teaching in any circumstance can sometimes be overwhelming, but with the right preparation and tips you’ll have an enjoyable time and might even prefer teaching to the mob.
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