Effective Teaching in Large ClassesMais Flaieh Hasan*Abstract        Large classes are a reality in Iraq and they pose particular challenges. People have varying opinions on how large the number of students should be in a so-called large class . "There can be no quantitative definition of what constitutes a "large" class, as perceptions of this will vary from context to context" (Hayes, 1997:4). Some people hold that 50 would be large enough for a college class; others would argue that a large class could have as many as over 100 or even 150 students. However, most teachers generally agree that a class with 50-60 or more is large enough. In this paper, a large class refers to a college class with the number of students ranging from 60 to 150.  Large classes present special challenges to the teacher. The two major educational challenges are that they make students feel anonymous and passive. Then, depending on how the teacher responds to these challenges, there may be second-level problems of class morale and discipline. In addition, the teacher faces inherent logistical problems, e.g., distributing and collecting homework, tests, handouts, posting grades, etc. To come over these problems, this research has been organized around a set of questions related to the two major educational challenges mentionend previously. They include:•    What are the challenges of teaching a large class? And, how can the teacher respond to these challenges? •    How can the teacher develop good discipline in a large class? •    How can he encourage attendance in the large classes? •    How can he easily take attendance in the large classes? •    How can he develop the class exercises?•    How can he reduce the feeling of anonymity? •    How can he better manage the class climate?•    What can he do about exams? •    What kinds of active learning activities can he do?•    How can he improve his lectures?•    Miscellaneous Ideas         Fortunately, there are ways to make large classes almost as effective as their smaller counterparts. Without turning himself inside out, the teacher can get students actively involved, help them develop a sense of community, and give frequent homework assignments without killing himself with impossible grading loads.