Ice Breaker Activity For Teachers

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Building and maintaining a good rapport is one of the most crucial parts of a successful relationship. Cambridge dictionary defines rapport as – ‘a good understanding of someone and an ability to communicate well with them.’ This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nagashree C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Rapport is a skill that goes beyond simply agreeing with others in order to connect with them. It allows a free and non-judgmental exchange of different viewpoints and creates a sense of security to express without condemning, fear or guilt. It is rather a positive feeling of being understood and respected. Establishing a...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Practicing conversational skills is often daunting for students. However, with these awesome activities, you’ll engage your students in speaking quicker as they will like the tasks. Jenga is a favorite stack game to millions of people. Your students will get excited as soon as they see the blocks. For this activity, you need to customize the blocks a bit by writing 1 ice-breaking question on each piece. Students need to pull a block and answer the question before putting it on the top of the stack. You can adjust this game to online classes by using online Jenga. Also Read: Can I teach English as a foreign language online? Before the lesson, brainstorm as many personal characteristics as possible (e.g.: have a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas We all know what it’s like to teach a class with reluctant students who don’t want to talk. It’s like pulling teeth. However, with these 7 awesome ESL conversation activities, you can really get your students talking! For this activity, you simply use a tumbling block game such as Jenga and write 1 simple ice breaker question on each block. Before a student places a block on the stack, they must first answer the question on the block. This activity is especially great for small ESL classes or for small groups in a big class. Also Read: The 5 Best Ways To Build Rapport With Your TEFL Students First, take a few minutes to brainstorm characteristics a person might have. This could be something like “has flown in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Who doesn’t love a story? Stories are universal. Stories connect us all. Stories also transcend caste, creed, color, and age. From the beginning of time, to-date the medium may have changed but stories engage us with others because it is easy to see ourselves reflected in them and understand the message conveyed easily. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shaimuna C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English using stories can be very effective in class. As an English teacher, I have used stories for classroom activities from Year 1 to 6 at the primary school level. The different age groups need diverse styles. Below are...  [Read more]

Michela Coticone TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Classroom management creates a set of rules and guidelines that helps to keep an organized classroom environment. Having a good structure for classroom management opens the door for the teacher to engage in the students learning and development. It would be almost impossible for the teacher to be able to do his/her job effectively if a classroom is disorganized and fails to have effective classroom management expectations in place. To practice good classroom management the teacher must be patient and set clear boundaries throughout the course This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarah C. Please note that this blog post...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas For many kindergarten students, their English classes are likely the first time being introduced to and interacting with a native speaker. As such, the experience that the children have in the class can have a huge impact on their future outlook of learning English. It will be my job as a teacher to make the class fun and engaging so that the kids associate English with fun. The importance of the formative years in learning means that there are several aspects to consider when approaching English teaching in a kindergarten, many of which I picked up throughout the course. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Eleanor R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Classroom management is an important part of every classroom lesson. Due to the classroom complex dynamics having this skill is important to maintain discipline, to have an organized lesson, to create a friendly and positive environment to nurture the student’s learning. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Oscar V. As part of classroom management, maintaining discipline is important to ensure the class is effective and goes according to the plan in order to achieve the lesson’s goal. There are plenty of ways to maintain discipline inside the classroom. The first thing to consider when dealing with bad behavior or disciplinary problem is to act immediately as this will prevent a problem...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are ice breakers and when and where do we use them? In this blog post, we will cover these issues and give actual examples of activities you can use with your classes. Icebreakers are games or activities that are designed to ‘break the ice’. Typically you would use these kinds of games or activities at the beginning of a new school year, when you have a new set of students, or a new class that you don't know and they don't know you. You also can use icebreakers to get your students going at the start of the lesson speaking in English and that's really important as you don't want to come into the classroom and say, “Open your books to page five” and then start studying....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom Management is a crucial skill to ensure friendly, fun, well organized, disciplined classes be carried out in a relaxed atmosphere. When done correctly the teacher can then continue to inspire confidence in the students, creating a platform to ensure effective learning. Teachers need to know when to be firm and when to leave students alone. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Craig W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Establishing a good rapport with the students is crucial to ensuring a successful and enjoyable class. The general approach and attitude of the Teacher towards the class and its students will determine...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Every single person who wants to be a teacher needs to develop some skills such as being creative, respectful, good listener, motivate students and dominate the subject if he/she desire to become a proficient teacher, however, any of these will not be enough in a class if the teacher is not able to gain the students’ trust, and this will certainly happen if this person can establish rapport with the students as well as to help them to establish it between each other, to create a good environment and the class flows properly. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Carlos E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A teacher, who can...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learners, whether children or adults, tend to lack attention in the classroom at some point. Certainly, this problem varies from one type of age-range to the other. Indeed, this issue may be due to different reasons: mature students may be tired from work, whereas youngsters may struggle to keep up with the content. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Debora M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Moreover, additional factors may come to decrease motivation in the classroom. For instance, some learners find the topic being at hand particularly difficult; others may just be bored or going through tough problems at home, and the list...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The roles of an English teacher in a TEFL classroom are varied and depend largely on the stage of the lesson and the situations that may arise, both planned and unplanned. Many people see the teacher as the main source of information and an example of the English language. This, in a sense, is the primary role of a teacher; however, in order to fulfill the ultimate goal a teacher has, they must create a productive atmosphere in the class and a good, working relationship with their students. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shannon T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. One of the primary issues that a teacher has to overcome...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Teachers are people who help, motivate, and encourage students to acquire knowledge. Their role in society should not be underestimated, as they tend to have a significant influence on student achievement, discipline, and overall intelligence. Many personality characteristics can be linked with a good teacher, such as their ability to be kind, patient, lively, knowledgeable, and caring amongst many other things. Their primary role in the classroom, however, should be to effectively encourage learning. Almost everyone can name a teacher who stands out amongst the rest not because they gave easy A’s, but rather due to their ability to fully engage and inspire their class. This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Caroline Chartier Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Being a teacher is more than teaching the subject matter that you are paid to deliver. We have a lot of impact on the kids that enter through our classroom doors and reside in our halls. Teaching is made easier when a teacher forms a strong connection with her students. Now, a teacher will not connect with every one of her students- some students just do not care about school, do not care about teachers, or simply like other classes better. However, making those connections with specific students will help you as a teacher have a better classroom and strengthen relationships with the rest of your class. You're spending most of your time with your students inside the classroom....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A good student-teacher relationship inside the classroom is necessary for the instructor to teach efficiently and for the students to learn effectively. Several factors need to be taken into consideration to manage the classroom well. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Roxanne C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, good eye contact should be established within the classroom. This signifies the connection between the teacher and students and it shows sincerity on the part of the teacher. Eye contact is encouraged during a teacher-centered activity but not in students- centered activities. Proper use of gestures, on the...  [Read more]