In English Digital - 4

When questioned further, though, he admitted that the teacher is able to offer a far higher degree of one he wouldn't have wanted to go back to the more to one support. From the student's perspective there traditional system of working and that, in the end, he are therefore two levels of support replacing the had achieved excellent personal results. The cost to single one of the teacher, with peer support being him was more work but the reward was immediately and often automatically also in knowing that he had helped available, supplemented by the teacher weaker students to achieve more than when required. This two level identity they would have done in a traditional for both teacher and student - the group class.

It is this sense of group and the individual - defines the kind of community responsibility that is also social chemistry that is immediately apparent in the classes that I observe, a apparent on entering the classroom. sense that there is a shared goal and that each member of the group has their Not all of Ana's colleagues are fans of own skills and experiences to bring to this approach. Some see this method as the class. Talking to those students who 'not real teaching' and seem to support Ana Maria Guedes are least confident in English it quickly the notion that teaching consists of becomes clear that they believe they are gaining far standing in front of a large group of students and more from this experience than they would if they tightly controlling the learning environment. She were adrift in a traditional class, relying only on the thus has some institutional pressure to withstand as teacher for help. Here the degree of mutual support well as guiding initially sceptical students through the is tangible and, beyond that, a collective sense of process but the results are impressive and, in the responsibility for the work in hand end, it is this positive outcome that “After all, we are in the world ensures that a high level of will win the day amongst the cynics, attainment is achieved and the where we have to work with no doubt. By the end of the year group is driven by responsible peer each group has completed the pressure.

Would-be high fliers, other people and learn to official curriculum and produced a even those sometimes expressing full record of their work. Perhaps cooperate in groups‌� frustration at not moving as quickly more importantly, they also have a as they might due to the needs of their colleagues, record of their reflections upon the work they have nevertheless get a chance to fly high when the class undertaken in the form of 'magazines' - impressive moves into plenary, where feedback from work or a tomes of which their makers are justly proud and project is discussed and debated and a particular which are a lasting testament to their achievements. piece of work or topic is wrapped up before the Every student I asked said that they did not want to individual groups move onto some new piece of go back to the traditional method even though, they work. admitted, this more autonomous method created The effect of this on management styles in the more work and far greater responsibility for them classroom is obvious on one level, but more individually. intriguingly there is a clear change in the social interaction in the classroom. There is a palpable In the words of one student who had experienced sense of group of identity at work, so instead of two years of this approach: "I think it was a very being faced with a class of individuals each good experience. After all, we are in the world clamouring for attention, the teacher is presented where we have to work with other people and learn with perhaps six groups, each with their own identity. to cooperate in groups and this was a realistic Classroom management is about managing six experience. We learn to be responsible for our work groups, not twenty-four individuals. Within each and what we do." group it is far easier for the teacher to relate to the individuals than in an open class and thus by forming the class into regular, self-identifying groups This article is being published simultaneously in the APPI Journal www.appi.pt