Active Language online staffroom

Warming Up

Well, we’re looking forward to the start of the new term here and those all-important first classes. It´s a great opportunity to find out more about your learners, their interests and backgrounds and also to share some information about yourself – it builds trust. I don’t know about you, but I still get nervous about facing a new group for the first time!

Here’s a link with some great ideas for the first day:

First Day Activities with a Focus

Wondering how to a tackle planning a lesson for that all-important first day with a new class? Claire Egmore and Kathryn Davies, former teachers and now editors at Cambridge University Press, are here to help with their top tips on planning a successful first lesson. 

Also, if you check out the First Day Activities category on the right, you’ll find more top tips and tasks.

No Comments »

First Day Icebreakers

Amy posted a link to this fabulous free ebook by Graham Knox on the facebook page – it’s got 40 great ideas for icebreakers…just what we need to start the term!

 

No Comments »

Back to School

Well, we’ve done Day 1 and all survived…hooray!  I hope everyone’s first day was a success – if you’re looking for more ideas for First Day Activities (either for classes today or those which will be starting in October), check out this fabulous list by Lizzie Pinard which Ceri posted on the facebook page.

No Comments »

First lessons

It’s amazing what you can find when you rifle through old documents on your computer!  I found some notes on a First Lessons session from many moons ago and also a checklist to help you think about what’s important in those first classes.

 

No Comments »

Find someone who…

Find someone who – a great first day activity!

No Comments »

Building Relationships with Learners

Thanks to Ceri for this link to a wonderful idea for first-day classes to help us build relationships with our learners.

Written by Larry Ferlazzo for the British Council website

No Comments »

Back to Class Special – Macmillan

Ceri posted a link to three great webinars to help us get ready for the start of term.  Each is about 45 minutes long, so you can skip ahead to the one you’re most interested in, or watch all three!

First up, Sam McCarter shares some tips for exam success; next Fiona Mauchline looks at motivating teenagers to use their imagination and finally Carol Read has some advice on working with young learners.

No Comments »

First lesson ESO and BACH SFN

first lesson ESO and BACH SFN

I think I will put the students in pairs and ask them to interview each other. Then we´ll have a whole class brainstorm about ways they can learn in and out of the classroom and any useful websites they know. I will also note down exams students have done and are preparing for, to get more of an idea of levels within each class.  Quite a basic first lesson activity but I think it is worth spending a bit of time on this so students can identify their own strengths and weaknesses and think about where they are and where they want to be regarding their studies in English. 🙂

No Comments »

THANKS!

Huge thanks to everyone on a successful start to the term!  Thanks for being flexible with last minute changes and new students – there were lots of happy faces leaving classes throughout the week. 

  September 2015September 2015-2September 2015-3

No Comments »

an ice bucket inspired video challenge

Another blog post from the BC Teaching English site.  A nice basic concept and not only for first classes – I think if I was doing it  I’d keep it to three simple questions, but I like the idea of getting students videoing each other on their phones and listening back to the end product.  Not so sure about sharing all the videos in class (would take too much time maybe?)

larissa's video challenge

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/larissa84/larissa-albano-introductions-a-video-challenge

No Comments »

Skip to toolbar