Managing a large classroom

The success of a teacher as well as a student can be traced back to how effectively the teacher manages to impart knowledge in the classroom. The teacher should be able to concentrate on every student and make it a point that everyone understands and not just blankly nods in the class. But is this really possible in a class of 80-90 students?

Due to various factors such as budgets, space, or lack of teacher many schools and universities have classes that consist of over 50 students. This brings along with it numerous challenges for the teacher but also its own set of advantages.

There are many reasons why large classrooms can be more preferred by the teachers.

Firstly, such classrooms are always full of energy and enthusiasm. The class may be noisy but it’s never dull and students remain continually engaged. It also allows more sharing of ideas, more exchange of views leading to better understanding of the subject. Since managing a big class can be difficult, the lecturer or the teacher does not feel lazy or bored as he is too busy engaging the class in productive learning activities. The biggest advantage of a large class is that there is always someone for everything. There is always one student who will be willing to answer even if it’s just a guess, thereby inspiring others to participate as well; there are always students who ask interesting questions which can lead to class discussions, group discussions and so on.

Though large classrooms have a lot of advantages, their challenges cannot be ignored. Firstly, it can be difficult for a teacher to remember the names of so many students and it can take a while. This can lead to a slight gap between the students and the teachers.

Teachers might not get to know their students on a more personal level, and the affectionate bond required may take a long time to develop.

Secondly, many teachers might feel anxious in a big class. In large classes you will always find students who back answer, who are late comers, who don’t study and those who have a careless attitude. Such students can be difficult to manage in a large class along with the other students. The larger the class, the more will be the noise and chaos. Its can get frustrating at a point of time to enter class everyday and spend the first half an hour silencing everyone. There are more distractions both for the students and the teachers making it difficult for the teacher to keep the class concentrated and interested.

Situation can specially go out of hands when the students are engaged in group activities or working in pairs. Monitoring these students can become very difficult and grading and marking them becomes equally time-consuming. The larger the class, the bigger is the responsibility for the teacher.

However, like every lock has a key and every problem come with a solution, there are many ways in which teachers can cope with large classes and manage them effectively.

Firstly, spread out the class. Usually students sit in clusters and in groups, it’s better to spread them around. This not only helps in keeping the class quieter but also facilitates communication between everyone and increases their comfort level. Secondly, give grades to students on the basis of their homework, grades, class participation and daily performance and not just monthly tests and assignments. This helps in keeping a major proportion of the class under control as everyone wants high grades. Thirdly, teachers should try engaging students in various activities. They could relate the subject and design skits, play games like scrabble, dumb charades, hand out questionnaires, arrange small group discussions on various topics, Pictionary etc. These competitions and activities help establish a fun and competitive atmosphere within the class.

Teachers should keep shuffling the students and changing teams throughout the semesters to keep up the competitive spirit along with the spirit of cooperation. Teachers should try to interact with students more. They should try to catch everyone’s name so that all students feel a special personal bond with the teacher. Teachers can perhaps conduct one interactive session every month, where they can get to bond with students. When students feel you value them, they will value and respect you in return. This way they will be more willing to adjust to your rules and listen to you.

The teachers can improve their grading, marking and quizzing system. Tests can be designed with innovative questions which increase the thinking and creative skills of the students, marking should not be too strict or too lenient and it should be ensured that the teachers leave small comments at the end of the paper providing required suggestions. Such small gestures show the concern of the teacher and are appreciated by the students.