In a previous article we talked about the importance of including a warmer in TEFL lesson planning and outlined the most important aspects to be included. Here is a summary of what we said the warmer should include:
- An easy-to-succeed activity.
- Include continuity from the last class.
- Physical activity.
- Physical contact.
- Co-operation between students.
- Break the usual classroom layout.
- There should be an aim to the task.
- Link into the next part of the lesson.
- A 5 to 10 minute activity.
But how can we put these things into practise?
To illustrate how, we will go through an example warmer - a classic called 'Grab' - and each time one of the elements above is satisfied, it will be shown in brackets. Lets take an imaginary group of students to give some context:
- Ages: 15-17
- Level: Intermediate
- Number of students: 10
- Previous class teaching aim: should for advise
- Present class teaching aim: phrasal verb forms
- Materials used: flash cards with illustrations of common action verbs
What to do:
- Greet the students.
- Hold up a flash card (e.g. a picture of someone running)
- Ask the students 'What's he/she doing?' (easy to succeed)
- The first student to reply correctly (S1) is asked to come to the front of the class. (activity)
- S1 is given the next flash card and the teacher prompts S1 to ask the class 'What's he/she doing?'
- The first student to reply correctly (S2) is asked to come to the front of the class. (activity)
- S2 then continues with the process.
- When all the students are at the front of the class, the teacher tells the students to form a closely knit circle sitting on the floor. (activity, co-operation, breaking with the classroom layout, physical contact)
- All cards are placed face up on the floor.
- The teacher says an unfinished 'should for advise' sentence with an action verb from a flash card in mind e.g. 'To keep fit you should...' (includes continuity from the last class)
- The teacher, by way of example, then grabs a relevant flash card (running, for example)
- The teacher states that by grabbing the card he/she has won a point. (an aim to the task)
- The game is now set to start, and the teacher gives another 'should for advise' sentence.
- As the students try to grab relevant cards, their hands will collide (activity and physical contact)
- The teacher will often have to peel away layers of hands to find whose is at the bottom of the pile and who is therefore the winner (teacher-student physical contact)
- To keep the card, the winner has to complete the unfinished 'should for advise' sentence appropriately using the verb from the flash card.
- The student who wins the card then has to say the next unfinished 'should for advise' sentence to continue the game (this student does not grab for a card)
- The winner is the student at the end who has most cards.
- The teacher then says 'Thank you. Now please go back to your seats, sit down, pick up a pen and note down what I write on the blackboard.'
- The teacher then writes these very same instructions on the blackboard, and asks the students to say what kind of verbs he has underlined: 'Go back to your seats, sit down, pick up a pen and note down what I write on the blackboard.' (Link into the next part of the lesson - phrasal verbs)
By the time you have finished this warmer, you will have well prepared students, and a very positive cooperative atmosphere in the class. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention: your students will adore you!
In the next article, we will give a list of different activities that meet all these requirements for a good warmer, all of them great fun, and needing next to no materials.
Adrian Allen is one of the co-founders of http://www.findateacher.es andhttp://www.buscaprofesor.es which is a bilingual search tool for private teachers to advertise themselves to students. It can be used either for free, or by paying a small subscription fee for better ranking in the database. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adrian_Allen |
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