Teaching is much more than delivering subject content and good teachers are supposed to be good class managers who know how to inspire students to learn enthusiastically.

Psychologists argue that for effective learning to take place, there should be rapport between the teacher and the learners.  The teacher and the students should have a cordial relationship. The teacher has to use certain techniques in order to effectively manage the class. Against that background, I would like to highlight some motivational techniques that may be helpful to teachers.

Teachers should endeavour to use learner-centred methods of teaching to stimulate interest among the learners.Learners are hard to manage if they are passive. Methods such as pair work, group work, class discussion, role play and class presentation are very effective in motivating the learners.Such methods make learning more interactive, enjoyable and learners are active throughout the lesson.

They feel more comfortable working closely with their peers than a situation where they sit and listen to the teacher throughout the lesson. The teacher has to distribute the learners depending on their learning abilities.Fast learners should be mixed up with those who are quite slow so that the former help the latter to achieve. After working in pairs or groups, each pair or group may present their work to the entire class. This approach keeps learners busy and cases of indiscipline within the classroom can easily be minimized.

It is also advisable for the teachers to use appropriate teaching materials. When learners use a variety of teaching materials such as charts, textbooks, laboratory equipment and flash cards among others, they learn with enthusiasm unlike a situation where the teacher goes to class with only his lesson notes. Use of various teaching materials enables the teacher to apply differentiation which caters for the different categories of learners. The teaching materials should address the needs of the students who enjoy listening, seeing, touching and manipulating things during the course of the lesson. Learners are easy to manage if their learning styles are catered for. Therefore, careful selection of teaching aids is crucial at the planning stage of the lesson.

Teachers should involve learners in setting the class rules that each member should adhere to during lesson time. It is important for the students to participate in  formulating the rules as a way of empowering them with a sense of responsibility. Focus should be on issues like regular and timely attendance of lessons, active participation in class activities, order, cooperation, team work, and respect for each member’s views among others. The teacher should be consistent in enforcing the rules to ensure smooth learning. If all the teachers in the school adopt this system, cases of indiscipline may reduce significantly.

There is need for teachers to use ice-breakers which awaken learners when they are tired or bored. Some students have a low attention span whereby they switch off after a short time. The teacher can capture their attention through short activities in class like simple physical exercises, games, songs, jokes and storytelling. 

It is pointless for the teacher to go on teaching even when he detects that the students are not interested. Teachers should always energize the students using ice-breakers.

Change of venue may also be effective in managing the class. If all the lessons are conducted from the same place, it becomes monotonous to the learners and some of them may develop bad tendencies to frustrate the teacher. Where applicable, the teacher should conduct some lessons under trees to create a conducive atmosphere for learning most especially during hot weather.

All in all, proper class management is vital in the learning process and it requires teachers to be creative to ensure that they sustain learners’ interests.

The writer is a teacher at Riviera High School