In our previous post, we introduced you to the idea of lesson frameworks.

Now that you have a general overview, we can look more closely at how the structure of a particular framework progresses and what purpose each stage within it serves.   

In this post, we’re going step-by-step into how to teach a flawlessly-structured, communicative grammar lesson using the test-teach-test framework.

The first time new teachers sit down to plan a lesson or stand up to teach one, they suddenly feel overwhelmed. There’s so much you can cover; where do you even start? How do you choose and order your activities? How do you know what will work and what won’t? How do you find enough material to fill your full 60-minute class… or how do you narrow down your material so you don’t run overtime?

Here’s the one thing that basically answers all of the questions above and will completely revolutionize the way you approach teaching: lesson frameworks.

I was recently introduced to a friend of a friend and... it happened again. When I told him that I was an ESL teacher/ teacher trainer, he nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, right, English grammar and all that! I could teach grammar." He proceeded to tell me how he works in journalism so he often has to proofread articles to make sure everything is spelled and worded correctly. And he assured me he was very confident in the difference between "your" and "you're." I nodded and smiled politely. I've learned that responding with, "Oh, you know grammar- great! So how about that past perfect continuous tense, huh?" ​tends to elicit a less than positive response. (It's like no one even wants to talk about auxiliary verbs and present participles at dinner parties these days.)

In the previous post, we laid out the guidelines for how to start your lesson the right way: a lead-in.

So now you know what a lead-in is and why every lesson needs one. But starting every single lesson the exact same way will can still get old fast. Never fear- you can still follow the principles outlined in our last post while mixing things up a bit with some specific techniques. Here are five fool-proof ideas for spicing up those first few minutes of your lesson.

Why every lesson needs a good lead-in

You’ve probably had one of those teachers who begins each lesson by announcing, “Ok, class, today we’re going to learn about (insert topic here).” Or who waltzes in, and, without any preamble, says, “Open your books to page 16 and let’s get started.” Unless you’re really, really into the material in that book, you’re probably not feeling terribly excited about the class. And even if you are really into the material, “open your book” is something you could just as easily do at home from your couch, right?