Anyone have any innovative or interesting ways of getting your adult students to show more inclination to talk during an early morning class? I have anywhere from 1-5 students with an upper intermediate level, who I'm sure later in the day are tons of fun, but at 8AM they are comatose. I've tried many things ranging from simple questions ("how was your weekend?") to asking them each to tell me something they've read/seen in the news, to interviewing each other (thinking they wouldn't feel "on the spot") but generally it takes them a good 30 minutes to actually show some interest. I've grown weary and quite frustrated with having to pull teeth in order for them to interact. They're nice people, but in a way I find it offensive that they regard me and my class as unimportant. I put myself in their position and think, "if i were forced to attend spanish class at 8am, what would I want to do?", and i've also asked them for their own suggestions or interests, but it's not getting any better.
Anyone have any ideas for "icebreakers" or light-hearted games that aren't too intense but interesting? there's also no audio-visual equipment in the room so i can't even play music/videos. argh!
-frustrated in madrid.
advice for teaching 1-4 adults with NO ENERGY, 8AM
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madrid_teachr
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:38 am
- Location: Madrid, Spain
Re: advice for teaching 1-4 adults with NO ENERGY, 8AM
"Forced to attend"? You have got troubles if that's true, my friend. All the basic theories of adult education would predict that adults forced to attend a class would have practically non-existent motivation and would be resistant to any attempt to infuse same.
Why or by whom are they required to take this class? Why are they there in the first place? (I assume they're not in prison. "Spanish Inmates Forced to Learn English at Ungodly Hours!")
Personally, I sympathize with them. My brain does not function well at 8 AM either. I wouldn't be capable of much beyond squinting at a newspaper and trying not to spill coffee on myself.
How about tongue twisters? (Stay away from the "I'm not the pheasant plucker" one.)
TPR to make coffee? No, maybe not for high intermediate.
Word association?
Singing? Rounds are always fun.
Name as many __________ as you can in 30 seconds?
Charades?
Finish the limerick?
Listening to radio broadcast, maybe? What's the BBC doing at that hour? Surely you can come up with a radio.
Whack-a-Mole?
I think primarily you should let the frustration go. It's not your fault and you can't take responsibility for other adults. They have to supply their own motivation. You can't. Light-hearted and even silly are the way to go if you're going to maintain your sanity. I would try to at least entertain myself so SOMEONE would benefit. Who knows, you might make a connection that way.
Why or by whom are they required to take this class? Why are they there in the first place? (I assume they're not in prison. "Spanish Inmates Forced to Learn English at Ungodly Hours!")
Personally, I sympathize with them. My brain does not function well at 8 AM either. I wouldn't be capable of much beyond squinting at a newspaper and trying not to spill coffee on myself.
How about tongue twisters? (Stay away from the "I'm not the pheasant plucker" one.)
TPR to make coffee? No, maybe not for high intermediate.
Word association?
Singing? Rounds are always fun.
Name as many __________ as you can in 30 seconds?
Charades?
Finish the limerick?
Listening to radio broadcast, maybe? What's the BBC doing at that hour? Surely you can come up with a radio.
Whack-a-Mole?
I think primarily you should let the frustration go. It's not your fault and you can't take responsibility for other adults. They have to supply their own motivation. You can't. Light-hearted and even silly are the way to go if you're going to maintain your sanity. I would try to at least entertain myself so SOMEONE would benefit. Who knows, you might make a connection that way.
You can take a look at this site which contains different conversation topics. Prepare each question on a different slip of paper and then give each pair or threesome with their own pile. Tell them to ask their partner at least 4 or 5 follow up questions before they go on to the next question.
www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/nov/conv.htm
www.eslpartyland.com/teachers/nov/conv.htm
They're adults, right?
Buy them coffee. I think they need a caffeine boost. It shouldn't cost you too much, and if you casually mention at some point that you bought it with your own money it may make them feel either grateful or guilty enough to start taking responsibility for their own education. Breakfast snacks probably wouldn't be taken amiss either. Everyone always likes free food.
If that isn't sucessful, you should probably be direct with them. They are adults, so they can take it. Ask them what their goals are. If they have goals, work toward them. If they have no goals, ask them what they'd rather be doing with their time instead, and try to work those things into class somehow.
One other idea: tossing a ball around. There are lots of variations on this. Basically the person who catches it has to say something, and that something depends on the lesson at hand. You make the rules. But keep it short (a few words or a sentence) so that the tossing rhythm gets established. It usually gets adults to talk because there is a strange human compulsion to toss and catch balls, and most people will follow a rule to say something after catching it. With kids, though, they just brain each other with the ball. If you have those sort of kid-like students, make sure the ball is soft.
Good luck.
-EH
Buy them coffee. I think they need a caffeine boost. It shouldn't cost you too much, and if you casually mention at some point that you bought it with your own money it may make them feel either grateful or guilty enough to start taking responsibility for their own education. Breakfast snacks probably wouldn't be taken amiss either. Everyone always likes free food.
If that isn't sucessful, you should probably be direct with them. They are adults, so they can take it. Ask them what their goals are. If they have goals, work toward them. If they have no goals, ask them what they'd rather be doing with their time instead, and try to work those things into class somehow.
One other idea: tossing a ball around. There are lots of variations on this. Basically the person who catches it has to say something, and that something depends on the lesson at hand. You make the rules. But keep it short (a few words or a sentence) so that the tossing rhythm gets established. It usually gets adults to talk because there is a strange human compulsion to toss and catch balls, and most people will follow a rule to say something after catching it. With kids, though, they just brain each other with the ball. If you have those sort of kid-like students, make sure the ball is soft.
Good luck.
-EH
There are a couple of ways to approach it. The first is, ask them "Why are you here?" and wait for the responses. If it's because the boss makes them, ask them if you should perhaps talk to the boss about finding a better time for the class because obviously 8am isn't their best learning time. And do so if they agree. If the answers are more of the we want to learn English variety, tell them well, I want to teach you, but it's a 2-way process.
Either way, they are adults, tell them that you are frustrated with their lack of enthusiam. Empathise with the time issue, saying you are tired too (likely true) but you are there and prepared every class, it would be a lot more successful if they were too. Ask them for suggestions of how to pep them up. Maybe make the suggestion first as a joke but then as an actual possibility of "Do we need to take turns bringing in coffee?"
If you don't want to approach it directly, try EH's suggestion of ball games. Or my other favourite trick is to make one of them the teacher. Point to one and say "You, Eduardo, ask the others how their weekends were." Force them to take a role, not just passively answering you. I've found putting one of them on the spot and making them ask the quesitons often interests the others more and they all wake up.
Good luck!
Either way, they are adults, tell them that you are frustrated with their lack of enthusiam. Empathise with the time issue, saying you are tired too (likely true) but you are there and prepared every class, it would be a lot more successful if they were too. Ask them for suggestions of how to pep them up. Maybe make the suggestion first as a joke but then as an actual possibility of "Do we need to take turns bringing in coffee?"
If you don't want to approach it directly, try EH's suggestion of ball games. Or my other favourite trick is to make one of them the teacher. Point to one and say "You, Eduardo, ask the others how their weekends were." Force them to take a role, not just passively answering you. I've found putting one of them on the spot and making them ask the quesitons often interests the others more and they all wake up.
Good luck!