Unit 7 Blog Post

I really enjoyed this unit, as it made me think about scenarios that many language teachers or instructions handle.  I have had some challenging classroom situations, but it was enlightening to see other issues as well.  Perhaps what is unique about my classroom is that it is employment-oriented, which means that they would have the same expectations in the classroom as at work.  It is perhaps easier to address certain problems, such as being late or attendance issues or attitude issues, when we tie it to the workplace culture and expectations of their current employer.  They are also under the guidance of an employment coach, and problems are usually handled by the employment coach when it escalates.  Perhaps what makes this topic interesting is that most scenarios are rooted from the learners' personal challenges or background, and at times, these could include trauma or PTSD (from my experience).  Two things that really benefited me in my position is the Helping Model and Motivational Interviewing, which can be used to help learners think about their challenging behaviours in a logical way and then help them make a plan for change.  I believe that the Helping Model and Motivational Interviewing enables myself to connect with my participants and help them through challenging situations or behaviours by giving them the tools or insight as to how the situation can affect them in the future.  In addition, it gives me some insight as to their background, culture, learning considerations and personal challenges.

I have picked one scenario that I really wanted to analyze, as I have not yet encountered it and would like to give myself some space to think about how to manage it within the classroom.

Scenario: A small group of learners tend to dominate class discussions and correct others.  You also notice that other learners are becoming more and more disengaged... How would you address this situation?

How I would handle the situation: I would try to first address the problem with the whole class, and let all learners know that I expect everyone to participate in class discussions and only give feedback when we have activities that require us to do so.  If it continues, I would talk to the small group of learners on a one-on-one basis, ask them how they are doing, and then give them some feedback in regards to how to improve in the classroom and classroom etiquette.  I would also praise them for being a leader, but leading also means letting others have a chance, much like at work.  I would then check in with them once in a while to see how they feel and how they are doing.  I would also incorporate activities that let participants write down their own thoughts first and then have them share in groups, emphasizing that they would need to listen to each other's answers so that they report it back to the whole class.

Speaking of grouping, I have also completed the table with the advantages and disadvantages

Grouping	Advantages	Disadvantages
Learners are grouped by classroom proximity	Very easy to organize	Groups may be the same throughout the term, as learners tend to sit in the same places
Same level ability groups	Easy to address challenges, and can give feedback based on level	Groups with lower ability may not be able to improve a lot with the exercise, as they may become more hesitant when seeing other groups excel.  They may also struggle a lot more and would need more guidance and time than other groups – time may become an issue.
Mixed level ability groups	Members would be able to give each other feedback or have the ability to get the exercise or activity done without constant guidance.  It saves time.	Those with higher abilities may dominate and those with lower ability may not learn the skill or knowledge that is necessary moving forward.
Same language background groups	Groups will be comfortable with each other and may provide translations for better understanding, especially those that have higher language skills.	Groups may become too comfortable with each other, and would rely on each other too much.  They may also rely more on translation rather than practicing English.
Mixed language background groups	Groups will have a good spread and would need to practice speaking in English to understand each other	Depending on the skills, some may need the aid of translators or dictionaries to appropriately express themselves in the group.  It may be hard for others to participate.
Similar personality groups	Groups may develop better relationships, as they could be more empathetic to each other.	Depending on the personality, they may be too shy to move forward with activities, or strong headed participants may want to dominate the discussions or activities.
Mixed personality groups	Groups would have a good spread, and would have people who are more willing to share in a class or get the activity or discussion started (generate ideas).	Some may dominate discussions or activities, and those that are shy may not get a chance to share or express themselves
Random counting	Many ways of organizing and mixing up groups, and ensures that people would work with as many people or different types of learners as they can.  It also keeps people engaged.	It is hard to control for complexity, and may be time consuming.  Performance will be harder to predict.