Classroom Management: Teacher Roles

The teacher’s behaviour in different kinds of activities changes according to the nature of activities.
The most important distinction to be drawn here is between the roles of controller and facilitator. A
controller stands at the front of the class like a puppet-master / mistress controlling everything; a
facilitator maintains a low profile in order to make the students’ own achievement of a task possible.
These extremes can be represented graphically as the opposite ends of a cline of control and freedom:

x……………………………………………………………………………………………..x
T as controller T as facilitator
(control over SS1) (SS’ freedom)

The other roles of the teacher can be placed on this cline closer to either of the two extremes,
according to the level of (lack of) freedom they involve. We will examine the roles of controller,
assessor, organiser, prompter, participant, resource, tutor and investigator.

1. The teacher as controller

Teachers as controllers are in complete charge of the class. They control not only what the SS do, but
also when they speak and what language they use. They tend to do a lot of the talking (TTT>STT2).
All attention is focused on the front of the class, and SS are all working at the same beat.
Some stages of a lesson lend themselves to this role very well (e.g. the introduction of new
language which requires its accurate reproduction and where drilling techniques are used, giving
instructions for the next activity, some types of feedback, etc.) However, it is vital that control should
be relaxed if SS are to be allowed a chance to learn (rather than be taught) and to participate properly
in the communicative activities.
As shown above, this role is placed at the left extreme end of the cline.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

!? Activity 1. Think of some advantages and disadvantages this teacher role may have.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

2. The teacher as assessor

The assessment of the SS’ work (i.e. seeing how well they are performing or have performed) is a
major part of the T’s job. The SS themselves expect it, even after communicative activities.
We must make a difference between two types of assessment:
a). correction and
b). organising feedback.
1
Throughout the course, T stands for teacher, S or SS, for student(s).
2
TTT= Teacher Talking Time, STT= Student Talking Time
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 a). Correction. Sometimes, the T’s function is to show where incorrectness occurs and to help
the S see what has gone wrong so that it can be improved / put right. During an accurate reproduction
stage (grammar activities), or during speaking activities based on good pronunciation, where the
teacher is in total control, SS’s mistakes will be corrected instantly, and the S who has made a mistake
will be asked to repeat the correct sentence / word / grammatical structure, so that the mistake should
not become an error3.
However, there are situations when instant correction should be done in a gentle way (gentle
correction), i.e. showing SS that a mistake has been made but not making a big fuss about it. This is a
slightly less formal style of correction which can occur when SS are involved in immediate creativity
activities or in doing a drill-type activity in pairs. The important thing about gentle correction is that
the S who has made a mistake does not have to repeat his / her sentence / word correctly; it is enough
that the mistake has been acknowledged (the T says something like: “Well, that’s not quite right…we
say he went, not he goed. He went.” and nothing more happens). This kind of gentle correction, used
in the right way, will not seriously damage the atmosphere of pairwork or freer conversation.
These two kinds of correction discussed above can find their place on the cline of freedom and
control as follows:

x………….x…………………x…………………………………………………………….x
T’s control correction gentle correction SS’ freedom

b). Organising feedback. The intention of this kind of assessment is for the SS to see the
extent of their success or failure and to be given ideas as to how their (language) problems might be
solved. FB4 also means telling SS what went right.
We must make a distinction between two kinds of FB:
• content FB – showing how well the SS performed the activity as an activity (i.e. the SS’
ability to perform a certain task) rather than as a language exercise. The language mistakes
are not the most important here; if the T merely concentrates on the correctness of the SS’
language, then they will conclude that the task itself was unimportant.
• form FB – telling the SS how well they have performed linguistically, how accurate they
have been. When the SS are involved in a communicative activity, the T will record the

3
Even though in everyday language these two terms are often used interchangeably, in language teaching methodology and
applied linguistics they are used more precisely, to make a useful distinction. A mistake is a temporary phenomenon in
someone’s use of language, a slip of the tongue or something got wrong because of emotional factors – stress or excitement
for example – which cause a temporary lack of accuracy. (It is up to the teacher to decide if a wrong use of language is just
a mistake and if it is worth stopping the lesson to correct it.) An error is something that a learner gets wrong consistently
and often; it is part of his / her present ‘version’ of the language, which does not yet conform to the native speaker norms.
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FB= feedback
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 errors / mistakes that are made (usually by writing them down in a notebook that s/he is
carrying about the classroom while listening to what the SS are talking in pairs or groups)
so that they can be brought to the SS’ attention after whatever content FB is appropriate.
This kind of record keeping can be done with a simple form, in the following way:

grammar vocabulary pronunciation style and appropriacy

1. no –s for 3rd person sg. 1.‘informations’ instead 1. ‘know’ 1. ‘Hi!’ in formal style;
Present Tense Simple of ‘information’; pronounced /knəu/ instead 2. ‘How do you do!’ – ‘Fine,
2. ‘When I will go…’ instead 2.‘luggages’ instead of of /nəu/; thanks’, instead of ‘How do
of ‘When I go…’ ‘items of luggage, or 2. ………………. you do!’ as expected answer;
3……….. bags, suitcases, etc.’ 3………
4………. 3‘I have emotions’
instead of ‘I’m
nervous / excited /
anxious to…’
4.………..

The place of FB on the cline is (approximately):

x……………………………………x…………………………………………………………x
feedback

3. The teacher as organiser

This is the most important and difficult role of the T as the success of many activities depends on good
organisation and on the SS knowing exactly what they are to do.
The main aim of the T when organising an activity is to tell the SS what they are going to talk /
write / read about, to give clear instructions about their task, to get the activity going, and to organise
FB. (It is always wise to check if the SS have understood the instructions!)

The organisation of an activity can be divided into three main parts:

a). the lead-in stage – takes the form of an introduction to the subject (either a discussion of
the topic, when the SS are familiar with it, or a familiarisation with the topic, when
it is unknown to the SS);
b). the instruction stage – where the SS are told exactly what they should do. The T organises
the SS in pairs / groups. The SS are given roles. A short demonstration of the activity
may be given now.
c). the initiation stage – After a final check that the SS have understood the instructions (e.g.
‘Has anyone got any questions?, or, ‘Repeat what you are supposed to do! Yes,

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 Tom…. And what’s next? Yes, Maria…’), the T may give the signal for the activity to
begin. A time-limit for the activity is communicated to the SS now. A competitive
element – which is often highly motivating - may be added now. Once the activity has
started, the T will not intervene - where pair / groupwork is being used - unless it is to
use gentle correction or to prompt.

After these three stages have been followed,

d). a feedback stage is always necessary.

The place of this teacher role on the cline is slightly closer to the facilitative end than to the
controlling one:

x………………………………………………….x………..……………………………………x
organiser

4. The teacher as prompter

This role refers to the way the T may encourage SS to participate or make suggestions about how the
SS may proceed in an activity when there is silence or they are confused about what to do next.
The T should not be aggressive when s/he comes up with suggestions or some materials /
language items / information the SS need or have forgotten. This hind of help should be provided only
when it is necessary (i.e. silence or confusion in the classroom).
The T’s role as a prompter goes on our cline closer to the facilitative end:

x………………………………………………………………..x……………………………….x
prompter

5. The teacher as participant

The T may often participate as an equal in an activity, especially where activities like simulations are
taking place. Sometimes the T may play a role him/herself.
The danger is that s/he will tend to dominate, and the SS will both allow and expect this to
happen. If the T makes sure that this does not happen, the atmosphere of the class will probably be
improved and the SS will be given a chance to practise English with someone who speaks it better than
they do. The place of this role on the cline is even closer to the facilitative end:

x……………………………………………………………………………….x………………..x

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 participant
6. The teacher as a resource
When a genuinely communicative activity is taking place in the classroom, the T should always be
ready to offer help if it is needed. S/he has to make her/himself available so that the SS can consult
her/him when (and only when) they wish. The T is a kind of walking resource centre. Now we are at
the facilitative end of our cline:

x…………………………………………………………………………………………………x

resource

7. The teacher as tutor

This role combines the T’s ability of a ‘coach’ and that of a ‘resource centre’ when SS are involved in
their own work, and call upon the T mainly for advice and guidance.
This role applies to the T guiding the SS involved in self-study or in project work of their own
choosing. The help the T is expected to provide as a tutor takes the shape of limiting the task,
clarifying ideas, pointing out errors in rough drafts, giving bibliographical indications, etc.
The tutorial role has a counselling function. It is appropriate at intermediate and advanced
levels. Its place on the cline is very close to the facilitative end:

x…………………………………………………………………………………..x…………….x
tutor

8. The teacher as investigator

Apart from the above mentioned roles where the T’s behaviour is related to the SS, the teachers
themselves may want to develop their own skills, to improve their own activity. This can be done by
investigating what is going on, observing what works well in class and what does not, trying out new
techniques and activities and evaluating their appropriacy. Their participation in various conferences,
seminars, meetings with other colleagues, training courses, etc. helps the teachers’ process of
improving their own work, too.
Teachers who do not investigate the efficiency of new techniques and who do not seek their
own personal and professional development may find the job of teaching becoming increasingly
monotonous. Teachers who constantly seek to enrich their understanding of what learning is all about
and what works well, on the other hand, will find the teaching of English constantly rewarding.