Читать книгу Teach Without Stress. Great Lessons Without Great Efforts - Jenny White - Страница 3

First impressions set the tone for the future relationship. They break or build barriers that will be difficult to overcome later. They create unwritten laws and rules that will facilitate or slow down the learning process. That is why the first lesson is so important.

In this chapter you will learn:

• how to capture students’ attention in the first minutes of the lesson

• how to facilitate the process of making new friends

Week 1: Find the leader – Look for biggest cluster

“Engage the leader, and the leader will engage everyone”. On coming into the classroom for the first time, you may see the following picture: students are scattered around the classroom in groups or pairs, or even sitting alone. Look for the biggest cluster. The leader is always surrounded by numerous supporters. Come to this group and start talking to them first. The leader will be the first to answer your questions. Talk to the leader. All the other students will listen to you and join in.

Week 2: Nice to meet “new you”

Put a colorful paper feather into your hair like an Indian and write on the board your new name according to this model: name + the + adjective + noun. For example, “Billy The Black Wolf”. Explain your choice: “I chose ‘wolf’ because I am lonely and strong. Black is my favourite colour”.

Invite your students to introduce themselves with new names and explain their choice. Call them by these names during the whole lesson. You can start every lesson with asking how they feel: “Are you still the Black Wolf today?” – “No, I am a Flying Dragon because…”

Week 3: Friendship Snow Ball

Students introduce themselves and add one fact about their life. Every next student should first repeat the information and only then add a fact about his or her life. “This is my new friend Laura and she likes sausages. This is my new friend Paul and he can skate. This is my new friend Lucy and she’s got 5 sisters. And this is me, Mike, I am from Portugal”. In large classes you can first show how to play in a small group of students, and next all students will play in groups of 5—6.

Week 4: Box of Likes/Dislikes

Write on small pieces of paper something that people like or dislike: boiled onion, singing in the shower, playing computer games etc. Try to include something funny, something strange and really popular things. Put the cards into a box. Students one by one should take out a card and say if they like what is written on it or no. When they finish, check their memory. Read the cards one by one and students should say who spoke about this card and what he or she said.