From A to Zest: Your Ultimate Back-to-School Playbook for ESL Teachers!
As the beach towels get folded, and the flip-flops retire for the season, it's time to rev up for a fresh school year! Your journey starts here! Let's make it a fantastic school year!
A: All About Icebreakers
Start the year with fun icebreakers to help students get to know each other and feel comfortable in the classroom. Did you miss our Planning For the School Year Webinar? We gave participants 20 pages of icebreakers. You can still receive them by purchasing the recording and obtaining all of the slides and tons of material we provided for the entire school year. Our website also has two free icebreakers—the Two Truths and One Lie and the M&M Sweet Connections icebreaker. You and your students will have so much fun getting to know each other!
B: Building Rapport
Build solid teacher-student relationships from day one to create a positive learning environment. It is as easy as 1-2-3. 1. Welcome students with a smile at the door; 2. Learn their names, and 3. Bond through icebreakers! We also love a great questionnaire to get to know what students’ interests are, and we use it as a diagnostic tool as well. These resources are also included in our Planning For the School Year webinar. If you want to know more about building rapport with students, this article is a great read!
C: Classroom Management
Establish clear rules and Classroom procedures and a daily routine to manage your classroom effectively.
Teachers can have different procedures for students getting up to sharpen pencils during instruction, letting students go to the bathroom, lining up at the door before the bell or staying in their seats until it rings. This is why we provide already-made Classroom rules and procedures that you can use immediately in class or modify to suit your needs. Establishing a daily routine in the classroom offers students security and eases anxiety. Our Bell Ringer slides, used after the bell rings while you take attendance and wait for late arrivals, feature exciting, fun facts, daily jokes or thought-provoking questions, and captivating video discussions for each school day. We offer tailored sets for both elementary and high school ESL learners, ensuring engaging and age-appropriate content. The slides for Classroom rules and procedures and the ESL bell-ringers for the entire school year are excellent resources teachers receive with the Planning For the School Year webinar.
When students are actively engaged and have well-defined rules, clear expectations, established procedures, and a consistent routine in place, it significantly reduces opportunities for them to become distracted or off-task
D: Differentiation
Adapt your teaching methods to meet your ESL students' diverse needs and proficiency levels. We have an entire webinar on differentiation coming up in November! Learn how you can design any unit with your students in mind! Use practical differentiation strategies and receive easy-to-use templates to use in every lesson and engage every learner! If you are looking for tasks that include differentiation, all our LES’s include differentiation activities.
Choice boards are powerful tools for differentiation in the ESL classroom. They provide students with various options to demonstrate their understanding and apply their language skills, catering to diverse learning preferences and abilities. By offering choices within assignments or projects, you empower students to take ownership of their learning, fostering a sense of autonomy and motivation.
E: Engaging lessons
Create diverse and engaging ESL lessons based on students' interests and needs. You can find free activities here. Want to learn how to write your own unit and create your own Learning Evaluation Situation (LES)? Join our live webinar and learn how to create a dynamic for elementary and high school students. Discover the essential components of LES: Crafting effective evaluations and assessments—customizing materials for diverse learners, and Harnessing the power of Canva and AI to enhance your teaching. Take advantage of this opportunity to take your curriculum to the next level.
F: Fun and Games
Incorporate interactive activities and educational games to make learning enjoyable. Fun games in ESL lessons engage students' interest, encourage active participation, and enhance language acquisition by providing meaningful, context-based learning experiences, ultimately boosting motivation and retention. These games create an enjoyable atmosphere, reduce anxiety, and promote natural language use among students, fostering linguistic and social development. With our Planning For the School Year webinar, participants leave with many ready-to-use games to use in the ESL classroom. We also have free games on our website, such as Conversation Jenga and A-mazing Conversations. Your students will love them!
Here are some websites with fun ESL games: ESL Games Plus, Games to Learn English, ESL Games and Activities for Adult English Learners,100 ESL Games | Ready-To-Use ESL Activities For Your Class. Do you know about more fun ESL games or websites that we don’t know about? Please share here so we can spread the word!
G: Goal Setting
Set clear language learning goals and track progress throughout the year. Goal setting in ESL helps students understand their learning objectives, providing a sense of direction and purpose. Tracking progress measures their achievements and reinforces their commitment to language improvement, creating a structured and motivating learning journey. Use this template to help your students set learning goals for English class!
H: Homework Strategies
Implement effective homework strategies that support language development and reinforce classroom learning. We have homework choice boards for Elementary and high school ESL learners included in the package of resources that participants receive with the Planning For the School Year Webinar. Homework choice boards empower ESL students by offering a variety of assignments catering to different learning styles and abilities, allowing them to choose tasks that align with their strengths and interests. This autonomy fosters a sense of ownership over their learning and promotes language development in a more personalized and engaging manner.
I: Inclusivity
Foster an inclusive classroom environment that respects and celebrates cultural diversity. Inclusivity in ESL fosters a welcoming atmosphere, respecting and celebrating cultural diversity. For instance, incorporating culturally relevant materials, discussing various traditions, and encouraging students to share their cultural insights helps create a classroom where all students feel appreciated and understood. Use a sociogram to check in on your group dynamics and make sure everyone is included. Read about it here!
J: Journaling
Encourage students to keep journals to practice writing skills and express themselves in English. Journaling in ESL is a valuable tool for honing writing skills and encouraging self-expression in English. It allows students to reflect on their experiences, thoughts, and language growth while providing a structured outlet for regular writing practice. We have writing prompts for every day of the school year included in our Planning for the School Year Webinar recording. We have provided a comprehensive list of links for writing prompts here.
K: Knowledge Sharing
Facilitate peer-to-peer learning through strategies like "Think-Pair-Share" and collaborative discussions to construct a text's meaning collectively. Encourage students to provide constructive peer feedback when working on texts, promoting a supportive and cooperative learning atmosphere while enhancing language proficiency and writing skills.
L: Language Integration
Create opportunities for students to practice English in real-life contexts. Promote language integration by incorporating real-life scenarios into lessons. For instance, organize a "Facebook marketplace" activity where students use English to buy and sell items or have them conduct interviews with their peers using target vocabulary. Such hands-on experiences immerse students in practical language use, making learning more engaging and effective. Students love to do role-plays and even improvisations. Using the language in meaningful communicative activities is always a winning strategy!
M: Mindfulness
Incorporate mindfulness exercises to reduce stress and improve concentration in the ESL classroom. Incorporate mindfulness exercises to help students reduce stress and improve engagement, especially after high-stress situations like gym class or last period. Given children and teens' prevalent anxiety challenges, mindfulness practices such as deep breathing or short meditation sessions can provide essential tools for managing anxiety and enhancing focus throughout the school day.
N: Nurturing ESL Knowledge and Non-Legally Qualified Teachers
For teachers needing a refresher, join our webinar, "Teaching ESL: Essentials and Program Review." Designed to cater to NLQ teachers and those seeking to enhance their understanding of Quebec's ministerial TESL objectives, this session offers a nurturing environment to refresh and deepen your ESL knowledge. Walk away with valuable insights and resources to support your ESL teaching practice.
O: Organized Lesson Plans
Plan your lessons thoroughly, ensuring they align with curriculum goals and accommodate diverse learners. Crafting organized lesson plans is essential for effective ESL teaching. Utilize the K-U-D (Know, Understand, Do) method to ensure your lessons align with curriculum goals and cater to diverse learners. Start by identifying what students should know, understand, and do by the end of the lesson. Then, structure your plan to achieve these objectives, making it easier for you and your students to track progress and reach desired outcomes. We have included global planners with the KUD in our Planning For the school year webinar recordings.
P: Parent Communication
Establishing open lines of communication with parents is crucial in ESL education. It allows parents to stay informed about their child's language development and progress, fostering a partnership in their education. Furthermore, involving parents in the learning process can lead to more significant support and motivation for ESL students as they navigate the challenges of acquiring a new language.
Q: Questioning Techniques for ESL Learners and the QEP: Quebec Education Program
Use effective questioning techniques to stimulate critical thinking and language development. Questioning techniques are pivotal in ESL education, encouraging critical thinking and language development. Open-ended questions, for instance, prompt students to articulate their thoughts in English, enhancing their communication skills. Additionally, scaffolded questioning, gradually increasing in complexity, helps learners progress from basic vocabulary to more nuanced language use, promoting cognitive growth and language proficiency. The Quebec Education Program (QEP) is paramount in the Quebec education system. The emphasis on competency development is crucial for students. It focuses on not just the acquisition of knowledge but also the ability to apply that knowledge in meaningful ways. This approach prepares students to navigate the challenges of the modern world, fostering critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and adaptability. It serves as the cornerstone of educational excellence in the province. We will go over the QEP in detail for elementary and high school teachers teaching ESL in Quebec in this webinar on September 28, 2023.
R: Resourceful Teaching
Stay up-to-date with our ESL teaching resources and materials to keep your lessons fresh and engaging. Sign up for our newsletter and get free resources when they come out. To stay current with ESL teaching resources, teachers can regularly explore educational websites, become a member of SPEAQ (Society for the Promotion of English as a Second Language in Quebec), and attend their event this year at the Sheraton in Laval. Find the details here. Meet your professional development opportunities, such as workshops and webinars. These efforts help keep lessons fresh, engaging, and aligned with evolving educational practices.
S: SPEAQ and Support Networks
Being an ESL specialist can sometimes feel isolating, but finding connections within the ESL community is essential. Organizations like SPEAQ (Society for the Promotion of English as a Second Language in Quebec) and networking with fellow ESL teachers such as Nairy and Sophie from ESL Interactive, who are passionate about helping educators, provide a vital lifeline for professional support, mentorship, and collaboration as well as Facebook groups such as Quebec ESL teachers and Quebec ESL Secondary, These connections offer a sense of belonging and opportunities for growth, making the ESL journey more fulfilling.
T: Technology
Explore new technology and digital tools that can enhance ESL. Stay ahead in ESL education by harnessing the power of new technology and digital tools to improve your teaching. Join our webinar on Artificial Intelligence for Teachers to learn practical tips on using AI, Canva, Chat-GP, and other unique tools to create powerful and engaging lessons efficiently. Save time and elevate your ESL teaching with the latest technology.
U: Utilizing Assessments
Effectively utilize assessments within Quebec's education system by familiarizing yourself with various methods, including formative and summative assessments. This involves understanding how to interpret Ministry of Education evaluation criteria and grading rubrics. Ensure your assessments align with curriculum goals and evaluate students' competencies to support their language development and academic success. Additionally, consider using resources like our Practice Ministry Exam on the topic of "A Future with AI." Designed to mirror official exams, this resource empowers your students to understand the intricacies of Artificial Intelligence, further enhancing their language and analytical skills.
V: Visual Aids
Elevate language learning by seamlessly integrating visual aids, multimedia, and flashcards into your ESL lessons. Engaging resources such as videos, images, interactive presentations, and flashcards enhance comprehension and make the learning experience more captivating and compelling for students.
W: Work-Life Balance
Prioritize a healthy work-life balance to prevent burnout and maintain the energy to support your students effectively. Our ready-made LESs (Learning Evaluation Situations) evaluate all ESL competencies and can span up to twelve classes, making lesson planning more efficient and allowing you to balance your professional and personal life better. These resources are here to help you excel in both your teaching and personal well-being.
X: eXplore Language Variations
Encourage students to eXplore the richness of language variations in ESL. Delve into different English dialects, accents, and regional expressions, celebrating the diversity of English worldwide. Engaging in conversations and activities highlighting these variations can enhance students' language proficiency and cultural appreciation while preparing them for real-world language encounters.
Y: Yearlong Planning
Effective ESL teaching requires yearlong planning for a cohesive curriculum. You can enhance your planning skills by watching the recording of our "Planning for the School Year" webinar, which covers critical topics like curriculum structuring, expectations, icebreakers, and essential tools. As an added resource, we provide global planners, including an example filled out with practical examples, to help you stay organized and on track throughout the year. Good planning is essential to ensure a successful and engaging learning experience for your students. Join us to empower your teaching and make a lasting impact on your student's educational journey.
Z: Zeal for Teaching
Sustain your enthusiasm and passion for teaching ESL, as your energy is contagious and serves as a wellspring of inspiration for your students. Your dedication and zest for education contribute immensely to a vibrant and thriving learning environment where you and your students can achieve excellence.
With this A-to-Z ESL playbook, you'll be well-prepared to navigate the joys and challenges of teaching ESL during the back-to-school season and beyond.
We wish you an excellent beginning of the school year and are here to help you with your ESL needs.
Sincerely,
Nairy & Sophie
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