3 Great activities to get your TEFL class going

Warming up your class is not just a simple technique to shake off the morning tiredness or the afternoon glum, instead it is a great way to build bonds with the children, to create excitement in the classroom, to influence debates and most of all to create the ultimate stimulus for learning! So, go wild in your classroom and begin each lesson with a fun, energetic warm up game!

 

Circle time with an edge!

Get your students to sit on the floor in a wide circle. Choose one student at a time; whisper to the student a simple 3 letter word e.g ‘cat’ instruct the student to repeat the word ‘cat’ going around the outside of the circle until they wish to change the word ‘cat’ to a different word that rhymes e.g ‘mat’. Ask the student to walk along the outside of the circle tapping each student on the shoulder at the same time as saying the word ‘cat’, once they change the word to a different rhyming word, the student who was last tapped on the shoulder must get up and chase the other student around the outside of the circle to get back to their spot in the circle. Depending on the experience your class has in the English language, you can provide 10 words, along with rhyming pairs, before this activity to keep this a little simpler.

What is the picture?

Put your class into pairs or small groups, show the class a simple detailed picture for example; ‘A green tree in a field next to a big lake’. Allow a few minutes for the children to discuss the picture. Now take the picture down and invite each pair/group at a time to write one describing word on the blackboard, do this until the children feel all the words to describe the picture are on the board. Once this is done, put the picture back up and go through with the class whether every possible describing word has been used.

Pass the object

Choosing an object, preferably something soft, you don’t want any un-planned trips to the hospital for a field trip! Let’s say a bean bag. Putting on a song of your students’ joint choice, pass the bean bag along as fast as possible. Once you stop the music, whoever is left holding the beanbag must answer an English language trivial

Including fun ways of learning In your classroom is a ‘no brainer’ when it comes to encouraging a positive expression through learning development behaviours.

The added incentive of becoming a TEFL teacher is the freedom in how you wish to go about this, of course there will be guidelines to the curriculum. On the other hand, you are seen as an ambassador to the English language, you will have control in your lesson planning, you will have the resources to assist you and you will have the amazing opportunity to inspire young minds while enhancing your own experiences and career.

You will not only grow bonds with your students but with the parents too, why not take a peice of your own childhood to the Chinese school and create a sports day for the parents to celebrate too! One of our recent TEFL teachers did just this at their pre-school in Wuhan

To discover more about the amazing opportunities F&Y Consultant Ltd. has on offer and to search through our vacancies please visit www.teach-in-china.co.uk, or siply upload your CV to info@fyconsultant.co.uk and let us to all the leg work!