If the classroom is our restaurant, the whiteboard our kitchen and we teachers the cooks, then surely our students are our patrons and are deserving of a delicious meal. After all, they have entrusted us with the difficult task of serving not only a healthy, well-rounded class, but also worth doing it with style and excitement.
Let’s start with our appetizers. Communication and conversation! The often overlooked treat that makes or breaks a fun class. I love to begin class by having the students stand up and go ask 2-3 friends how they are and what they have done so far that day. Giving them all a chance to talk and interact, without putting a spotlight on them or pressure to have perfect responses. The beginning of class should always be about getting comfortable and warmed up for speaking English and having fun interacting with classmates.
Next comes the main course, our lessons for the day. Regardless of if we are learning phonics, grammar, spelling, reading or writing, just like a healthy meal, we need to make sure there is a balance of ingredients. Clear instructions and examples, ample opportunity for speaking and a suitable lesson for the age group are a necessity. Young students, especially Kindergarteners to second graders, can find it difficult or impossible to focus on the same task or dialogue for more than 15 minutes. In this case, we must find ways to break up the lesson into short sections and get each student as involved as possible as individuals or as a team. For example, instead of having students complete page 1-5 on their own, try dividing the class into two teams, then assigning each student a single question. Maybe team A gets even numbers and team B gets odds. Now we’ve enlisted the help of healthy competition, but also reduced the amount of pressure on each student. We’ve given them a very workable-sized problem that they can confidently complete in a few minutes. We have also ensured each student will have a chance to speak up and show their individual ability.
Last but not least, we have dessert, my favorite part of a meal and the student’s chance to unwind, practice conversational English and finish class on a fun note. We have all been there with the bell ringing and students still racing to finish their last sentence or re-correct their work for the 20th time. Let this wait till the following lesson and remember that our students will learn the best when comfortable and not overly pressured. I always try to allow 5-10 minutes of game time at the end of each class to re-enforce the day’s lesson, a weak spot in the class’s English or just give the students one more chance to use their English in a natural way without the pressure of speaking perfectly or not making mistakes. While your goal is to let the kids blow off some of the steam built up from an intense 2-hour class, you can always cater the level and expectations of their English for the class. Our AP2 class, who generally have an excellent level of fluency, must always explain why, how, who, etc. they think it is in detailed sentences and this always adds a level of humor and fun to our class, as well and making sure the students aren’t selling their English short.
With a little bit of thought and planning, cooking up a delicious and exciting English class for all ages is well worth the effort and the rewards can be seen in the smiles and hugs from your students at the end of the day. Good luck!

世貿校區
 AP2
Moshe Foster