Note: I teach technical HS so their levels are really low, just FYI* Usually I have groups of 4.

Download all files here: Let’s + Weekdays

*Print the worksheet+brainstorming (front and back)* and a board for each group.

Brainstorming (5 mins)

Have students come up with things they do together with friends such as going to movies, hanging out, etc. Take students responses and create a word bank on the board.

Present prezi (10 mins)

Present for the students and include examples from the students. Included is a matching segment where students will match the days, shouldn’t take too long. Write key phrases on the board.

Worksheet (5 mins)

Students will do a little practice with the worksheets while the teacher walks around helping etc.

Bullshit Activity (15 mins)

Have 1 set of cards per group. For an explanation on how to play bullshit see here.   ESL Bullshit: Cards are numbered 1-7. Each number is a day of the week. Students can say whatever activity they want but must say the weekday depending on what number they are on.  M1 T2 W3 R4 F5 S6 N7.

3 cards of number 1.  Let’s go hiking on Monday.

2 cards of number 6. Let’s study on Saturday.

1 card of number 7. Let’s go drinking Sunday.

*use whatever activity they want.

The other students will say Yea, sure! If they agree the person to be saying the truth. “Sorry, I can’t” If they don’t agree (bullshit).

First person to get rid of all their cards wins.

7 Days Lyrical Bingo (10 mins)

Students return to the worksheet and this time will work on the Lyrical bingo. Play the song as many times as necessary (2-3 before someone wins). They must get 2 bingos to win. Let them know some of the bingos are fake so they can’t just mark anything.

Review (5 mins)

Note: (Credits to the board game idea and Kaboom to EatYourKimchi), I modified the boardgame for this lesson and Kaboom was all theirs. Also credit for the initial weather  idea.

Note: I teach technical HS so their levels are really low, just FYI* Usually I have groups of 4.

Download all files here: THE FUTURE + WEATHER

*Print the worksheet+brainstorming (front and back)* and a board for each group

Brainstorming (5 mins)
I start the class by having them brainstorm words related to the weather, while the computer starts (can take a really long time, and I don’t like wasted time).

Have students call out words they came up with, or walk around taking words (depending how shy or open your class is).
Present the Prezi (10 minutes)
Show the Prezi to the class, don’t forget to use examples from the vocabulary that they provided. Write key phrases on the board.

Go over the “6 times” on the boardgame, tomorrow, tonight, this weekend…etc.

Worksheet. (5-10mins)
Have students turn over the paper and work on the worksheet,
they are usually done in about 5 minutes.

While this is going on, go around handing out the gameboards you printed (big size if you can), but don’t give the dice until you are ready. Also don’t forget to help students!
The Board Game (15 mins)
Students roll, and whatever word it lands on they have to use.

Ex. Lands on “cloudy”

A) It is going to be cloudy…

Additionally,
they have to state a time based on the number rolled.

If dice rolls 1

1) Today** (if dice rolls 1)
2) Tomorrow
3) This Afternoon
4) This Week
5) This Weekend
6) Next Week (if dice rolls 6)

It is going to be cloudy TOMORROW
or
TOMORROW, it is going to be cloudy.

Kaboom (10 mins)
Print out the words
Cut them out

Divide the class into 4 groups.
Usually I take 2 groups and coteacher takes the other 2 groups.
(That way students whose turn isn’t arent bored)

Put the words in a hat/bag/box.
Students must make out a sentence + whatever time they want, with the word they pull out.

Award 1 point but loose all if they get Kaboom!
First to 10 points win.
Review (5 Mins)

Start off by writing on the board

“What were you like 10 years ago?”

It helps if you write some questions such as:

• What did you look like?
• What were your hobbies?
• etc. 

Give the students about 5 minutes to come up with phrases and vocabulary. As you walk around, take note of what the students are writing and write them on the board.

Now you have a word bank that students came up with and phrases they came up with themselves.

After 5 or so minutes are over, go over the phrases on the board with the students, correct mistakes and explain grammar points.

At this point, show the students a picture of your old self, maybe 10 years ago or whatever. On the board, write 2 things you “used to” and 2 things you “didn’t use to” do or be. Ask the students if they notice any particular phrase or structure.

• I used to xxx
• I didn’t use to xxx

I group the X used to/didn’t use to phrase along with whatever never phrases the students came up with themselves.

Survey

In groups of 4 students have to create a survey of 10 questions using questions like.

• Where did you use to…
• What did you use to…
• Did you use to…
• Etc.

Usually I write the first 3 and let them create their own from there. Students are encouraged to use that structure but also the ones they came up with.

After that, students will go around asking other students different questions and writing in the responses.

If students aren’t motivated, let them know the first person to fill the surveys and questions gets a donut.

Guess who

For the second activity, once students have become familiar with one another. I have them fill out identity cards.

On a card, have each student write their name and:

• 3 things they used to do
• 3 things they didn’t use to do
• 2 things about how they look like now

Pick up the cards, shuffle them, and have them sit with a partner. Have each other question one another and they respond based on the answers on the card.

Their objective is to guess who in the room the are talking about.

This will be my first post sharing some lesson plans, it is not really something I am doing out of the fairness of heart but actually I just want to archive modified ideas and  things I come across online because I could use them again someday or may want to go back and change things.

Additionally my teaching style is something I feel I kind of adopted for myself and might not work for everyone. I am teaching at a technical high school where the English proficiency levels vary from not being able to read and write to some students who can speak pretty good English (on average 1 or 2 students a day).

As for my background in teaching, I received an MA in ESL at the University and have taught adults. Besides that, the other teaching experience I had was mainly in tutoring bio/chem/org chem/biochem and I taught Intro to College Writing at the University. I do take my teaching quite seriously and am constantly researching teaching methodologies and ways to improve my own teaching.

Most of my ideas are originally rooted in websites like waygook.org or anything you can google 0nline. I don’t usually stick to the lesson plans I find online but instead take the idea or theme and modify it towards how I see it fit for my classrooms.

EPIK would like us to use a PPP (present, practice, produce) style of teaching but personally I feel that is too restrictive and doesn’t allow much student input.  It is good for students at really low levels but I know my students are capable of much more. Personally I am a fan of TBT or Task Based Teaching or learning but the teachers  I work with feel that it is too reliant on writing and not enough students get to practice speech, which I agree since I am here to teach conversation.

As a result, I have my own little balance that allows student input as well as some restricted practice.  It works very well for me and my coteachers and students are pretty content about it. It also brings peace to my mind that I am doing my best for the students and not bullshitting around.

Additionally, I rarely use the computer in the classroom since the computers tend to take sometimes up to 10 minutes to get started (students have a key to use it, co-teacher has to put in a password, its very slow too, the virus checks sucks penis). As a result, I have reverted to using the chalkboard or whiteboard for saving time and lets the students take notes.

Students work in groups of 4 and are allowed to use dictionaries or their smartphones. If I see kakaotalk I pick them up.

So, enjoy and feel free to take whatever you feel you can use.