Classroom interaction and the role of teacher in classroom interaction

  

Date Posted: 11/7/2011 2:11:54 PM

Posted By: mwalim  Membership Level: Silver  Total Points: 181

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To practice critical thinking, students need to participate in the discourse of the discipline to think, speak, and be listened to as they participate in the discipline's particular mode of inquiry. Students will not get enough practice just by talking to the instructor, and very little by just listening to the instructor. Students develop competency and become critical thinkers in classroom that provides opportunities for intensive, structured interaction among students. The interaction between the teacher and the students is an essential part of teaching and learning process.

Classroom interaction stimulates the student involvement in the classroom. It fuels student motivation and help the students see the relevance of teachers' topic. It increases participation as all students are involved. The interaction can be between the teacher and the students. This form of classroom interaction teaches the students to respect their superiors. They are given a chance to air their opinion in the class.

The other form of classroom interaction is between the student and students. This one allows the student to learn and understand how to work with partners. It develops and improves the skills of team work. It improves peer relationship. By encouraging students in the classroom to work together they learn the importance of working cohesively with others.

Whether by small groups or whole-class discussion, teachers can do much to create an interactive classroom. Chet Meyers suggests some basic rules for consistently encouraging student interaction. The other method is whole class interaction. Learners interacting this way in a classroom learn the importance of patience and to value the point of view of others.

By asking the student to raise their to speak or calling student by randomly the teacher teaches the students that when someone else is speaking, they should let them have their say without interruption as their

voices are as equal as that of anyone else.

Classroom interaction also other method like role playing, conversation, reading around, and questions and answer.Reading aloud includes a situation whereby one person read while others listen.

Role playing is whereby the students take on given role and act out on scene with other. This allows students to demonstrate creativity and knowledge and help them to outside the constraints of classroom.
In conversation, the students in a class discuss a given topic. A conversation can involve the whole class or among small groups of students in the class. In question and answer method, the teacher or student poses a question to assess the learner. The student may pose a question to the teacher meant to obtain more or new information.

The role of teacher in classroom interaction

The teacher acts as a facilitator. Since students do not always spontaneously interact well with one another they hence need encouragement. To cultivate interaction, the teacher may divide the learners into small groups and give them tasks, projects or assignments. Soon all the students will be communicating with each other role playing and offering ideas; shyness will be forgotten in the excitement of accomplishing the group project.

The teacher has the role to create a classroom environment. Students often mimic a teacher’s actions. If the teacher prepares a warm, happy environment, students are more likely to be happy. An environment set by the teacher can either be positive or negative. The students sense the mode of the teacher; if the teacher is angry, they may react negatively hence the learning is impaired.

The teacher acts a role model. Teachers typically do not think of themselves as role models, however, inadvertently they are. Students spend a great deal of time with their teacher and therefore, the teacher becomes a role model to them. This maybe a positive or negative effect depending on the behaviors of the teacher.

The teacher acts as a mentor. It can be intentional or not. It encourages the students to work hard to achieve the best. It can be positive or negative depending on the character of the teacher. The teacher can mentor learners by taking time to listen to them. By doing so, the students build courage.

The teacher should be aware of the elements that prevent good classroom interaction. By knowing them, the teacher will be able to avoid them hence create proper classroom interaction. For example, some teachers discourage students by criticizing their answers.Criticizing mostly shuts the students down hence affecting the interaction negatively. Peer pressure or when some students have overpowering personalities that cause other students keep quiet in class.

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