I usually engage everyone in a friendly chat, just to get them ready for the start of the lesson, then, when I know they are concentrated on me, I walk out of the classroom.

Seconds later (after the chatter has died down a little – ‘where’s he gone?’) I knock loudly on the door, then open the door, wave to the class, walk into the classroom, take a pen out of my pocket, write my name on the board, put the pen back into my pocket, scratch my head, sit down, cross my legs, cross my arms – and then I say “What did I do?”

From then you are listening for use of the past tense, giving you an idea of how much teaching is needed.  The fact that students call out the answers will help the weaker students.  If they miss an action out of the sequence, do it again.

I usually emphasise my movements so they remember them all.  

This exercise works just as well as “What am I doing?” (call out as do the action) and “What will I do?” (call out before I do the action – can be great fun if you change your routine).

This post was submitted by Tim Musgrave.

This is a great way to practice the future tense and learn about each other. Adapted from Jill Hadfield’s “Communication Games”.

1. Ask students about their resolutions. Put the target language on the board – “This year, I will / I resolve to / I’m going to ……….

2.  List some of the common resolutions as you discuss.

3.  Students write down 3 resolutions and then go around the class surveying classmates. They must find as many classmates with the same resolution as them.

4. Finally, why not sing Auld Lang Syne!

Here is a handout that students can use to check off their resolutions prior to “hunting”. You might also list language of agreement like – “So am I ” / “Me too!”  / “Same here”

This post was submitted by David Deubelbeiss.

The best and easiest way to “teach” a story is to tell it through prediction. Get the students in a comfortable area if possible and read them the book, showing the pictures. You can also use all the great stories on EFL Classroom 2.0, if you have a computer and screen.

Start telling the story and at a good point stop and ask, “What’s going to happen next?” Let students tell each other or the class. Then continue to see if they are right. Stop again, and ask them to predict….continue doing this until the end of the story.

A good extension would be to have the students rewrite the story in their own words. Or stop the story before the end and have them write their own ending! Then share the “real” ending. 

A great story for this, available is The Eyebrow Story. Students love this one!

This post was submitted by David Deubelbeiss.