1. TOPIC 22. VARIABLES TO BEAR IN MIND
IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ENGLISH
CLASSROOM: GROUPINGS, THE USE OF
SPACE AND TIME, AND THE ROLE OF
THE TEACHER.

2. INTRODUCTION
The best lesson will be collapse into a chaos
if we don’t organize the classroom. This topic
deals with the main aspects that we have to bear
in mind when organize the classes. It includes
lesson planning, the use of space, various
student groupings, and management resources
to minimize disruption and undesirable
behaviour and to maximize good performance
and optimum student achievement.
This unit provides ideas and strategies with
the demands of classroom diversity according to
students’ abilities, in a safe and good classroom
environment.

3. THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER
From the teacher as controller to the teacher as facilitator represent the
two opposite ends of the spectrum.
• The teacher as controller takes complete control of all aspects of the
curriculum experience. They control not only what the students do, but
also when they speak and what language they use.
• The teacher as assessor evaluates student’s progress to see how well
they are performing. It’s important to differentiate between correction
(the teacher points out errors and help students to see what is wrong)
and feedback (when students have performed a task and they are
waiting for teacher’s guidance about how they might improve).
• The teacher as organizer. When we organize an activity it is important
to give very clear and unambiguous instructions. The children must
understand why they are doing the activity, and the teacher must be sure
that they have understood the instructions. It’s a good idea to
demonstrate or show an example of what is expected from them. It’s very
important to establish rules and routines for a good classroom
management.
• The teacher as prompter facilitates learning experiences, giving
students suggestions towards the desired outcome through participatory
and challenge activities. Teachers must judge when they have to
interfere and when they have to let students to work at their own pace.

4. THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER
• The teacher as participant. There is no reason why
teachers shouldn’t participate in activities but he or she
should avoid dominating the task. It’s a good opportunity
for students to hear good English, and also allows the
teacher to check students’ progress and informally correct
errors.
• The teacher as a resource helps students when required
since we shouldn’t interfere too much during
communicative activities.
• The teacher as a tutor incorporates parts of some of the
other roles. It’s a counselling role offering advices to
students.
• The teacher as investigator tries to look for the best way
to enhance his/ her own language learning/ teaching
process. This continuous training could be carried out
through action research, courses or seminars among
others.

5. THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER
Of course a wise teacher should play different roles throughout the
year depending on the activities, students’ characteristics, goals,
etc. but always taking into account a communicative way of
teaching and the students centred approach.
The communicative approach and the constructivist learning
perspective promote a more dynamic learning style in which
students take a more active role and assume responsibility for
their own learning.
It’s vital that some control of the learning process be handed over the
students at an appropriate stage in the lesson, so they can
practice the language.
Errors should be considered as natural parts of the learning process.
Correction shouldn’t interrupt the flow of a dialogue. During
communicative activities, errors should be corrected in a subtle
and indirect way. Teacher as assessor must decide when is the
proper moment to correct the children depending on the activity
goals.

6. STUDENTS GROUPINGS
• Lockstep refers to a class grouping where all students are
working on the same activity, at the same pace, and the
teacher controls all the session.
• Pair work creates the opportunity for each student to speak
many times in a single lesson and allows to use the
language in a meaningful exchange of ideas and
information; it enhances student participation, cooperation
and provides motivation to learn, this helps to create a
positive learning environment.
• Group work provides collaborative learning situations,
gives students more opportunities to communicate and
creates a good opportunity for discussion. We can give
students the opportunity to work in flexible and mixed ability
groups. The number of students within the group should not
exceed of five. The teacher needs to be mobile and visit all
areas of the classroom providing feedback, while staying
aware of what is happening overall.

7. The organization of space
It’s important to be aware of the different possibilities for groupings
and organizing the classroom. There are fixed items such as lighting,
blackboard, projector screen, and other furniture or audiovisual
equipment, but the distribution of the desks in the classroom should be
flexible and organized depending on the type of activity to be done. We
can use the following physical distribution of the students in the room:
• Class in rows. E.g. exams.
• Class in U –Shape. E.g. role plays and other games.
• Class in circle. E.g. discussions.
• Classes in pairs and in groups encourage
communication and social interaction between peers.
We should have an English corner where keep all materials:
dictionaries, stories, posters, maps, flashcards, books, videos, etc.

8. THE USE OF TIME
Analysis of actual time spent on the different classroom activities can
be useful indicators of how to improve our work. Our main objective is to
maximize the time of communication in each lesson. We should consider:
PROGRAM TIME
USEFUL OR FUNCTIONAL TIME
TIME AVAILABLE FOR
PRACTICE
COMMUNICATION TIME
TIME DEVOTED TO
THE TASK
Graph 1. Different times within the lesson. Adapted from Piéron (1988)

9. THE USE OF TIME
• Program time is assigned by the Administration.
• Useful or Functional time starts when we begin
to explain the activities.
• Time available for practice, once the pupils
begin to work after teacher explanation and
materials distribution, is the amount of time
students are working on the activities.
• Communication time is the time that pupils are
speaking in English.
• Time devoted to the task is the time that pupils
are speaking in English about the topic we are
working on and therefore fulfill the objectives.

10. THE USE OF TIME
The time organization should be flexible and natural,
not forced. We should follow the rhythm of the class and
not the syllabus or the lesson plan itself.
We have two hours or three hours per week with our
English group. Our main objective is to maximize the
time of communication in each class. We have to think
about the times the students need to pass from one
activity to another, to set up student groupings, to
explain the activities, to distribute and collect the
materials, if we use computers, technological problems,
etc. Routines are particularly very important to maximize
our teaching, create students’ stability, security and
avoid discipline problems.

11. MANAGING CLASS DISCIPLINE
It’s really important to design the
classroom rules, routines and procedures
at the beginning of the year or the didactic
unit. Evertson and Woushan (2003) note
that the first few weeks of school are
especially important for classroom
management because during this time
your students will learn behaviours and
procedures needed throughout the year.
When children internalize the rules is the
first step to develop self –discipline.

12. Causes of discipline problems
The behaviour and attitude of the teacher have
effect on discipline. We should consider in order
to avoid problems:
• Do not go to class unprepared.
• Do not be inconsistent.
• Do not break the code. Do not issue threats.
• Do not give boring classes. Tasks should always
be interesting and motivational.
• Do not be unfair.
• Do not have a negative attitude to learning.

13. Causes of discipline problems
There are, of course, a number of extrinsic
reasons why students behave badly:
• The time of the day. In early morning classes,
students may be sleepy and in the last hours
tired.
• The students’ attitude. Students may find the
English classes too challenging. The teacher
has to try change negative attitudes by giving
interesting lessons close to their tastes. A bored
student is a discipline problem while and
interested student is not.

14. To avoid discipline problems
• During the first week of the school year, establish a code
of conduct with the agreement of students and the
teacher and display the rules on the wall.
• Routines are very important for good classroom
management and because the students feel confident
with them.
• To designate Bosses of Peace.
• Discussions about problems and disruptive behaviours.
• To create a positive learning environment.
• Everyone has to have something to do.
• The task should be meaningful, either too difficult or too
easy (ZDP Vygotsky)