Page 28 - ELG1810 Oct Issue 461

RESOURCES .

A
Avoid the late nightsvoid the late nights

Those starting out in EFL need to develop a fast,
effi cient approach to lesson planning, explains Declan Carey

icture this: it’s late at night and you’re take long before you have a nice bank of pictures It’s also worth spending time acquainting
still planning lessons for tomorrow. and games which can be used for almost any yourself with good quality and reliable online
Time is ticking, yet with such a plethora lesson, and you’ll save loads of planning time. resources. The internet is a mind-bogglingly
Pof materials to choose from, both online If I’m teaching a common grammar topic, large space and within it there are some great
and from textbooks, it seems impossible to indefinite articles (a/an) for example, I already sites for teachers to find and share materials.
decide what to do. know which pictures, games and activities But there’s also a lot which you won’t want
It’s okay if this situation sounds familiar; I can use from my files. This leaves me with to use, so try not to waste too much time
almost every teacher has found themselves here a much easier job because half the lesson is crawling through pages and instead stick to
at some point. As an experienced teacher, I already planned. sites you trust.
still spend time planning lessons, but it’s much For instance, ISL Collective is a great page
shorter than it used to be, and the late nights with over 70,000 worksheets, games and
are no more (or at least much less frequent). Top tips for pics activities freely available to use for teachers.
Planning involves finding or creating I use it often because I know I can count
materials and putting these together in a • Use visuals/pictures for different purposes on it.
coherent way. With a little experience and throughout the lesson. Think about Further to that, social networks are
some practical hints, planning lessons can reusing them for lead-ins, introducing invaluable for ESL teachers. I follow and
be done much faster and become an grammar and vocabulary. interact with many teachers on Twitter (I’m
enjoyable process. @DeclanGCarey) who openly share fantastic
To start with, get into the habit of reusing • Laminate and keep anything that can resources and ideas in their blogs and on
everything you create. Whilst it can take be used more than once. Create a file their timelines. Language schools frequently
time initially to create materials, games and you can bring with you to lessons - this have Facebook pages where they share ideas.
flashcards, they can be used with different will save you if things don’t go to plan. Personally, I believe this is one of the
classes time and time again. best ways to meet other professionals and
Pictures can be used for introducing grammar, • Tag your materials, pictures and games find excellent materials and ideas. Just
brainstorming vocabulary and creating for specific topics and always bring them remember to also share your own ideas and
discussion activities. Make sure to laminate with you to those lessons. resources and give something back to the
them to keep them in good condition. It won’t online community.
28 October 2018