Job Discussion Forums

[Surrey100]

Anyone got any good ideas for those times when there are 5 / 10 minutes to go in a lesson and there is nothing planned to do. E.g. Backs to the wall is a good one (One student sits with back to whiteboard, teacher writes word on whiteboard and other students have to get student 1 to guess what word is without saying the word). I will start teaching soon and wouldn't mind having say, 10 activities in my head for those times when there are a few minutes left in the lesson. I know one response is plan your lessons properly and always have a extra activity on standby but just for those times when I don't. Thanks

[sheeba]

What about when you have 45 minutes left

If you have 5 minutes left then I play a game called where's the door . Can you guess what happens?

[sheeba]

Sorry Surrey . Got me thinking that I'm being the most unhelpful mother on earth but I do often let my students go early cos they like that and so so I sometimes!!

What I normally do if I have a few minutes to burn is just talk to them about what I'm doing tonight /this weekend followed with a discussion about what they are doing later or whenever . Some of my classes have really benefited from this every lesson. It's quite natural before you leave someone in any situation to talk about what they are doing later or (on a friday) what are you doing at the weekend so why not take it into your class . When I greet my students I often start with 'So what did you do last night?' or 'what did you do at the weekend?' and they soon get used to using the past simple and some future forms for the end of lesson exercises. It's also polite to enquire and find out about your students lives -no?

[Jetgirly]

My current group of students has homework every night (online journal entries), so if we've got a few minutes left I send them off to the computer lab and let them start their homework.

[Glenski]

There's a whole book on this, by Penny Ur, I think, with a title something like 5 Minute lesson plans.

Find interesting ways to review that day's vocabulary.
Review the grammar lesson by holding chats with the students, perhaps in groups if they are shy about speaking in front of the entire class.
Give them an assignment to do at home. Perhaps find something in English on the Internet related to something you talked about that day.
Tons more.

[Eva Pilot]

For younger kids the ABC race is always good.

Two teams, each one takes a turn to write a letter on the board, then the next one writes the next letter, and so on.

Its good fun.

[SueH]

[Calories]

[TheLongWayHome]

The last 5/10 minutes is for all the celta stuff you forgot (or couldn't be arsed) to do in the first 50 minutes. Pron., W/B usage, back-chaining, jazz chants, whip out the cuisinaire rods, do an elaborate mime of eating in a restaurant, throw a ball around, show your realia, eliciting etc. Failing that ask them what they did/are going to do at the weekend but without using the verbs be and go.

[EricBartholemew]

Have an ongoing "Pictionary" game going - you provide the words (Film Titles is one possible category, or more specific vocabulary - nouns are easiest !), the teams have to guess what's being drawn. Two or three goes at the end of each lesson to incentivise progress through the lesson ...

[billybuzz]

Sounds like an ideal time to do some" concept checking" just like you were trained to do . Maybe even blindfold a student and have a quick game of blindsman bluff,of course theres always musical chairs ,telling the time ,you know loads a stuff,WTF are you SERİOUS?

[Eva Pilot]

Play Baba Nookie.

[dajiang]

- tongue twisters

- assigning homework

- review of small stuff

- singing a song

- drawing an abstract on the white board (for the lesser talented among us) and try to figure out what it is

- talk really slowly when you do your last activity

- show pictures of family/travels/other stuff

- correct chinglish/japlish samples you've collected over the years

Want more?
(oh and that Penny Ur book is quite good.)

Dajiang

[leavingonajetplane]

I remember when i did my Cert Tesol and it was my first 60 min lesson, i had gone through all my material in the first 25 mins.....ooops. I blagged for 15 mins and made a complete arse of myself. From that day forwards i always made sure i had enough extra material so that i wouldn't get caught out again. I find a random game of hangman / simon says / eye spy goes down well.

[Outsida]

For business classes, get them to create announcements and make them to the class. They quite enjoy it. e.g. "I just want to let you all know that the accounting department is having a barbecue in the park tonight at 6.30, and everyone's welcome to come. Thank you."