Beginning and ending the lesson: Some tips - PowerPoint Presentation

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Beginning and ending the lesson: Some tips

Penny Ur

Spring ETAI 2014Slide2

In principle…

Teachers don’t share enough

Don’t leave it too late!Slide3

A. Beginning the lessonSlide4

1. Smile

Surprisingly important

Underlying message

A neutral expression is not a neutral message.Slide5

2. Create a clear beginning moment

A dividing

line between ‘not lesson’ and ‘

lesson’

(Avoid a ‘creeping start’)

Allow

a minute or two for students to get

organized, then…

Give a clear signalSlide6

3. Use opening

rituals

Younger classes: song / chant / date / weather / chorused exchanges

More advanced: a routine such as ‘Word / quotation/ proverb of the Day’Slide7

4. Give an advance overview of the lesson

plan

Especially

with teenage and adult

groups

Write

this up on the board either as you present it, or in

advance.

Gives students a

sense that they know where they are going,

strengthens

their confidence in the teacher.

Include ‘if

we have

time’

(Even if we at some point start doing something else!) Slide8

5. Teach new material at the

beginning

At the beginning, students are

at their freshest.

New vocabulary or grammar or reading text - at the beginning

.

Interactive

group work, or grammar practice exercises

– later

(Also: then you can do a quick recap at the end, after you’ve done something else!)Slide9

B. Ending the lessonSlide10

1. Have a clear closing

procedure

A clear

‘dividing point’

when the

lesson is over.

A signal: conventional farewells, a bell.

Lead up with a brief recap of what we’ve done: achievement (go back to the lesson agenda, if you have one).

Brief evaluative comments?

Sense of ‘closure’Slide11

2. Finish with something nice

(Just before the closing)

Something quick that students will enjoy: story, joke, quick game, website, singing happy birthday to someone with a birthday…

Probably not every lesson but when you canSlide12

3. Review

Towards the end of the lesson: review

quickly anything new that you taught

earlier

e.g. ‘

how many of the words I taught you today can you remember

?’Slide13

4. Don’t give homework at the

end

Because…

Attention

is likely to be lower

Students may

be packing up and not

attending

You

may not have enough time to explain

properly

Give earlier, then a brief reminder before the closing. Slide14

5. Hang around for a minute or

two

If

you

can, stay

in the classroom for a minute or two after the end of the

lesson…

…saying

goodbye to individual students as they

leave

….making

yourself available to anyone who might want to talk to

you,

or make an

appointment

… if there

has been any problem with a particular student

– have a word.

…if a student has done particularly well – tell them!Slide15

For tips on other aspects of the lesson, see…

Cambridge English Teacher

http://www.cambridgeenglishteacher.org/

Click on ‘discussions’ tabSlide16

Over to you for more tips!Slide17

Have extra pencils, paper ready for people who’ve forgotten

‘busy’ start, students who have done

hw

get a ‘punch’

come before the bell (especially when there’s a test)

bring a clock (then no excuse to keep cellphones on)

ritual: ‘phones in bags, bags on floor’: stand and wait with hands out – then personal questions, etc. Then plans for the lesson

I give them a task when I enter while I’m taking attendance

Write up ‘copy’ if there’s a text I want them to copy

When I take registration let them choose whether to say ‘it’s me’, ‘here I am, ‘present’, etc.

Strict rule: can’t sit where you sat before, must choose new partner (university classes)

If there’s a long 90-min class, give a break in the middle (even if it’s just a ‘wiggle’

5 minutes to go to toilet, eat, drink – and then – we begin: no more!

At beginning: write vocab items on the board to copy and do things withSlide18

Opening ritual: a song to listen to

Check each other’s

hw

‘start with a bang’ something dramatic or humorous

‘today in history’ as an opening routine

to get quiet: stop and look at the ceiling

something to do in their notebook at the beginning; I check regularly

Opening: read to them

presenting through an action song

Google ‘

funsongs

’ Charles

Goodger

I have a hand that I raise; also a

tuning fork;

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Thank you for your attention and participation!

pennyur@gmail.com