For Educators | iSpeakEnglish

Classroom Helps - Tip #3

white-board1

You are going to use the board. If you don’t have a board (white board, chalkboard, blackboard, or overhead), you must get one. The board is going to be your favorite tool. You need to use it to your best advantage. So here are my

Top Ten Ways to use the Board:

Number 1: Use it to get the students’ attention. Writing on the board immediately draws their attention to you. We are just naturally curious.

Number 2: Keep it clean. When you finish a “section” of the lesson, clear the board. Not only will it draw interest again, but the students will be able to see what you are writing without becoming confused.

Number 3: Write legibly. Easier said than done. But you still have to do it. No whining.

Number 4: Write in an appropriate size. If you have a small board, you’re going to need to scale down the size of your writing to fit. You don’t want to be erasing too often.

Number 5: Use different colors. With chalk, dry erase markers, or overhead pens, you can use different colors. Colors are exciting, interesting, and help point out different parts of speech easily.

Use lots of colors and make sure they have plenty of ink in them

Number 6: Ask students to write on the board. They usually like it, and it’s good writing practice.

Number 7: Draw pictures. Again, easier said than done. Have students draw pictures too. It’s like a no planning, no supplies game that’s available at all times.

Number 8: Write your name on the board. Most foreign names are hard for people to remember. Keeping your name up on the board will help students feel comfortable calling on you for help.

Number 9: Make sure you bring the proper supplies to class. The board is of no use if you don’t have chalk or dry erase markers. Similarly, it doesn’t last long without a proper eraser. Come prepared.

Number 10: Turn your back to the class as little as possible. Sometimes teachers fall into the habit of facing the board instead of the class. Don’t do it.

Try to face the class even when using the board.

Following these tips will help you use the board to its fullest potential. It’s a tool. Use it!

By ispeakenglish | Tagged Classroom, Teaching | Comments (0)

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Be Prepared

Nothing can take the place of a little preparation.

At the very least, you need an outline of what you’re going to do in class, and approximately how much time you’re going to spend on each item. Your class will be SO much more interesting, and you will feel and act more confident and in command. In fact, research shows you will be a better teacher.

If you need some extra help, Larry Lynch gives 21 places to find to find free efl lesson plans.

Taking the time to prepare yourself through education, research, and lesson plans will give you confidence and students will respond to that confidence.

By ispeakenglish | Tagged Classroom, Teaching | Comments (0)

Classroom Helps - Tip # 2 Classroom Logistics

The room you teach in can be just as important as what you teach. In the ESL world, you never know what kind of classroom you’ll be expected to turn into an English oasis. But following these suggestions will help you make the best of any situation.

Arrange the Chairs and Desks

Class sizes can vary widely, but always make sure every student can see you. In a class of ten or fewer, I like a semi-circle or horseshoe the best because students can be paired off easily, names are easy to display on the front of desks, papers are easy to hand out, and the students can see each other.

In larger classes, I like to stagger the seats in pairs of two like this:

XX     XX     XX    XX
   XX      XX     XX
XX    XX     XX    XX

In this layout, you don’t waste time finding pairs (woo hoo!) And you can still see everyone. This may sound discriminatory, but it’s better to put taller students in the back for obvious reasons.

Use Blackboard Etiquette

The blackboard or whiteboard is your number one tool as an ESL teacher. Use it well. Write legibly and large enough for the class to see, but not so large that you use up the entire board. Some blank space on the board is a relief to learners’ eyes and brains. Keep the board clean, and when you finish a main idea, erase the board. The simple act of erasing the board will bring the student’s attention back to the front and pique their interest in what’s next.

Vary Your Position

It’s true you should spend the majority of your classtime standing at the front of the class. Even there, you should occasionally pace back and forth slowly. Hurried movements will make the students nervous and distracted, but slowly walking up and down rows can keep interest and improve classroom behaviour. It also allows you to hear each student better during choral drilling. During a test or assignment, it sometimes helps the students relax if you sit at your desk.

Bring in Some Color

No one feels excited in a grey, cold room. Put up a few posters, or hang some of the studen’ts own artwork from previous lessons. Even adults love having a chart showing progress through the course. You want your room to tell the students that you are fun and so is learning English.

Own the Room

All these ideas boil down to one main theme: make the room your own. The more you take charge of your situation (no matter how undesireable), the more success you will experience as an ESL teacher. Remember, there’s always a way to turn a room’s weakness into a strength.

By ispeakenglish | Comments (0)

Classroom Helps - Tip #1 Including all the students

In college I studied Russian. Forever etched in my memory is the image of a red-headed girl who was very bright, but answered every question before anyone else had a chance to think. I wanted to answer the questions; I wanted a chance to get feedback from the teacher, but she beat me (and everyone else) to it every time.

Have you seen the Harry Potter movies? Every class is going to have a Hermione Granger and a Neville Longbottom, one who dominates and one who is too timid to stand their ground. So how are you going to deal with these students and make sure everyone gets equal speaking time? Here are a few ideas.

Call on Students by Name

Instead of asking a question and waiting for the first student to answer, ask the question, pause, and then call on a student by name to answer. This keeps the entire class alert wondering if they’re going to be called on.

Keep a List

With a small class, you can keep a list of the students on your desk or in your hand and place a small tally mark by their name when they answer. Start a new list each lesson; it will give you a good idea of who needs more ‘talking time.’

Count Hands

After asking a question (and that first hand shoots up into the air), you can say, “I see one hand. Any more? There are two….” and so on until there are 9 or 10 hands in the air to choose from. This gives the slower students who need to think about the question a better chance at coming to the answer themselves before it’s blurted out.

Relay the Question

After the first student answers, they ask the same question to another student who continues the chain. This gives everyone an opportunity to take part.

Divide and Conquer

Dividing into pairs is a perfect way to get everyone talking and listening. It usually works better than small groups because it’s easier and faster to pair students. And, in a group of two, they both have to speak. In a small group, someone can still hide out.

Every Student Matters

Remember the shy or timid student is just as important as the outgoing one. Students, especially teens, really respond to a teacher who is gifted at treating the class with equality. Besides, it’s just the right thing to do.

By ispeakenglish | Comments (0)

Ten games people play

If there is one thing I wish I could convince all teachers to do it would be to make learning more fun! If you want students who are well-behaved, engaged in the lesson, and retaining the information you teach, then MAKE IT FUN! It takes a little more planning on your part, but boy is it worth your time.

In an effort to make learning more fun, I’ve compiled a list of traditional games and how they can help you in your lessons. Using a purchased game is a great way to maximize fun learning with minimum preparation time.

Boggle
This game can be adapted for beginner to advanced students simply by requiring words to be a certain length. It is excellent practice for spelling.

Scattegories
Intermediate to Advanced learners will love being pushed to think of words quickly. It will help with vocabulary recall, spelling, and writing.

Monopoly
The trick with Monopoly is not to let the students revert to their native tongue. They will get practice with numbers, money, and counting. It’s probably best for Intermediate and above.

Candyland
It’s the perfect game for young children and beginning learners. You’ll get great practice with colors and keep them very attentive.

Chutes and Ladders
This is a good one for number practice. Students will have to count, count, count. Use it for beginners.

Taboo
Upper level students will really enjoy this game. It’s fast-paced, and they will have to search their brains for synonyms. You can make up your own cards to help practice the vocabulary you are currently studying.

Catch Phrase
Because this game uses current names, places, media, and lots of idiom-type phrases, it’s excellent for advanced students.

Memory
You can play this game with even the youngest children and the oldest student and work on vocabulary by making your own cards.

Scrabble
This game is even difficult for native-speakers, so it’s a great way to challenge your most advanced students. You can even hold a tournament to push them to do their very best!

YOU’RE THE WINNER

If you will make learning fun for your students, they will not only love you for it, but class time will fly by, students will remember what they learned, and they will look forward to learning more. English is serious business, but a little fun can go a long way!

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