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This is a selection of notes that were used for teachers' professional development sessions in East Java, Indonesia. The author is known, but the institute is not, and no copyright has been identified.

The handwritten notes were blanks that attenders filled in.

Classroom management

What it is: Control atmosphere and activities

What it is NOT: Controlling students

So ... what can you do to manage a classroom?

1. Arrange seating.
2. Create a relaxed and accepting atmosphere.
3. Ensure equality and respect among students.
4. Make sure you have all the supplies you need.
5. Control the focus and flow of the lesson.
6. Engage leamers through dialogue, challenging activities, and questions.
7. Provide extra material as needed.
8. Be prepared!

Physical classroom setup

Discuss each of the classroom arrangements. Provide a quick sketch and consider the pros and cons of each.

Desks in rows		All same focus	Does not promote group work
Desks in small groupings		Encourages conversation	Can get chaotic conversation
Desks in U-shape facing in		Large group equidistance	Difficult for small groups Lot of space
Desks along the side, facing the wall		Private study Can look over shoulder	No communication
Teacher’s desk at front		Close, supplies	Not private conversation to give help
Teacher's desk at back		Safe place for conversation	No eye contact

Classroom rules

1. Why are classroom rules needed?

Safety, respect

2. Are rules needed equally in elementary school and high school? What are the differences?

Yes, students need to know what is expected of them.
High schoolers should have more self-control.

3. What are the relative merits of providing rules versus students creating them?

They'd accept the consequences more
Might make crazy rules

Choose 3-5 rules that you feel are important for the classroom. Fill out the chart below.

Rule	What age or grade is this appropriate for?	How does it foster learning?	What problems might it prevent?

Instructional Conversations

Ellie know that many students leam more in conversation with a knowledgeable mentor than any other way. Teachers should work to develop the skill of engaging in such instructional conversations with their students. Look at each teacher-student dialogue below.

Discuss the extent to which the conversation results in student learning, and what the teacher could do to make the conversation more effective.

Diagnosing classroom problems

1. Problem: The classroom is noisy.

Diagnostic questions:

• Is it productive noise? Are students learning?
• If noise is not learning noise:
  • How many students are really making the noise?
  • Could noisy students be bored? Is the content boring? Are the activities boring?
  • Do students have to talk loudly in order to be heard? Is hand-raising not a part of the classroom culture? How could this be taught?
  • Do students appear not to want to listen to each other? Could their previous or current classroom experiences have encouraged this?
  • How could listening be encouraged?

Think of a specific noisy classroom situation. What might work in that particular situation?

2. Problem: Students are out of their seats.

Diagnostic questions:

• Are they learning? Is not being in their seats really a problem?
• If they are not learning:
  • Is it reasonable to expect them to be in their seats? When were they last allowed out of their seats?
  • Are they kinesthetic learners? Do they need to be more active in their learning?
  • Do students know they are supposed to be in their seats? Do they forget quickly? How can they be reminded without being reprimanded?
  • Is order an understood classroom expectation? How can students who are not used to an orderly environment develop a desire to participate in it?

Think of a specific students out of seats situation. What might work in that particular situation?

3. Problem: The students seem bored.

Diagnostic questions:

• Is the content boring? Is the activity boring? Has the activity been repeated too much?
• Are students actually thinking and working? (Don't mistake still for bored.)
• Did students say they were bored when really perhaps they mean they simply didn't enjoy a certain activity? (Some activities that students don't enjoy promote learning nevertheless!)
• If an activity really is boring:
  • Is it not age-appropriate? Too hard or too easy?
  • Is the topic boring? Are you sure it should be taught?
  • Can it be taught/reinforced in a game or with another activity?

Think of a specific boredom situation. What might work in that particular situation?

4. Problem: Group work isn't working

Diagnostic questions:

• Do students know what to do in their groups? Do they need more direction? Is the objective of the group work crystal clear?
• Are they not engaged? Is no one taking the lead? Do they need you to assign roles?
• Are they fighting or disagreeing? Is it productive or frustrating? Do they need you to assign roles?
• Is the actual work that each student does reasonable? Do you as a teacher even know what actual work each student is doing? (Are you aware when a student has to call other students for their part of the assignment, and can't get a hold of someone until 11:00 at night, but persists because they want a good grade - and comes to school very tired the next day?) Look at group work through your students' eyes.
• Have they done too much group work? Are they tired of it? Have you assigned the same type of group work, in the same groups, too often?

Think of a specific group work problem. What might work in that particular situation?

The first step in diagnosing ANY classroom problem is to ask: Are the students engaged and Iearning?

How can you tell if a student is really learning?

Look for at least three of these signs:

1. The leamer is thinking about the content.
2. The learner is talking about the content.
3. The learner is asking questions about the content.
4. The learner is explaining the content to another learner.
5. The leamer is showing what she or he understands about the content.
6. The learner is NOT involved in busywork regarding the content.
7. The leamer is connecting the content to other parts of his or her life.
8. The learner is NOT frustrated with the topic.
9. The learner demonstrates a sense of accomplishment over understanding or mastery of the content.

Some creative ways to engage students in learning…

1. Use the senses: Have students taste, smell or touch something.
2. Use visuals: Show a big poster or picture; talk about it, describe it, teach vocabulary.
3. Use drama: Act out a scene pertaining to the topic; make it as realistic as possible, using props, people outside the class, etc.
4. Use crafts: Have students make something pertaining to the topic.
5. Use music: Lyrics can pertain to the topic, or music can set the mood for an event.
6. Use opinion and debate: Students can express their thoughts on a topic, before doing further reading or listening on it.
7. Use experts: Have someone come to the class to present a talk or show something.
8. Use video: A T.V. clip or even a commercial could be a good introduction to a topic. Don't think of video simply as watching a prepared video or movie. Consider showing clips as short as five minutes, to generate discussion or make a point.

The Ten Commandments of homework

1. Homework is for students not parents.
2. More is not better.
3. Homework can be useful to prepare students, and help them review.
4. Homework should NOT be used to teach new content.
5. Students should not have to learn content through homework, because the teacher failed to teach it in class.
6. Homework should NOT be busywork. It must further learning.
7. Children need to play and relax after school. They need to spend time with their families. They need to eat. They need to sleep 8 to 10 hours per night. Homework should not prevent any of this.
8. Many parents do not understand the purpose and limits of homework. They must be taught.
9. In grades 7-12 students have homework in other classes too.
10. All work done at home counts as homework. Remember that students have projects, studying for tests, and long-term reading assignments.
11. Students should have roughly 10 minutes of homework for each grade, every day. In other words, an 11th grader could have 110 minutes of homework daily.

Evaluation terminology

Evaluation: A general term used in different ways by different authors. Used today as an overall concept of testing or assessing student learning.

Assessment: A term that is contrasted with testing. Involves monitoring student learning (like testing) but also making decisions about future learning. Often used for new approaches such as “authentic assessment”, self-assessment”, and "portfolio assessment.”

Testing: Refers to traditional, single-event evaluations, whether written or oral. Usually initiated and carried out by the teacher, with limited or no student contribution to the process.

Diagnostic: Testing for the purpose of choosing a course of study, program, or special assistance.

Placement: A form of diagnostic testing used solely for placing students in appropriate courses or levels.

Formative: Evaluation (whether test or assessment) for the purpose of improving student learning and skill. In other words, evaluation which helps the learner.

Summative: A test or other procedure which provides an end result, usually for the purpose of providing a grade or some other documentation for the school or course.

Normative: A test which compares a student to the "norm". This type of test shows where a student rates in comparison to other students.

Qualitative: An evaluation involving a judgment regarding quality as in the use of a rating scale. Usually subjective.

Quantitative: An evaluation involving a numerical score of correct and incorrect responses. Usually objective.