Lesson structure & momentum

OPENINGS (max: 5 minutes) briefly focus the students’ attention on the lesson’s goals:

by using a short review of something previously learned, e.g. “pop” quiz, quick review,

by asking questions about some concepts/skills they previously learned,

by having students form teams, make up questions, and quiz each other,

by introducing a startling idea or newspaper headline to capture student’s interest, by a thought provoking question, something that motivates further investigation.

SEQUENCE LESSONS so simple receptive activities precedecomplex production exercises:

a new structure or topic is introduced / presented,

learners are given practice in the new structure under teacher’s guidance,

learners practice using the structure without teacher’s control,

teacher brings out new example/structure to check students’ comprehension, and

example is practiced in new situations or in combination with other structures.

LESSON PACING depends monitoring students' involvement, deciding when to bring a task to completion, or when to move on to another activity before attention begins to fade. These suggestions may help you pace your lessons well:

avoid needless lengthy explanations/instructions - let students “get on with the job”

use a variety of activities rather than spending a whole lesson on only one activity

avoid predictable repetitive activities, that only serve to bore students

select activities of an appropriate level because you want the students to succeed

set a goal or a time limit to maintain interest and momentum (don’t wait for boredom)

monitor students’ performance to ensure sufficient practice for most students

EFFECTIVE PLANNED CLOSURES will help or serve to:

reinforce key points and summarize what has been covered

integrate or point out links to previous lessons and relate the lesson to study goals

praise and reinforce students for their good work and accomplishments

prepare students for future tasks / learning or independent study

show how the lesson relates to the real-world and the students’ future needs

Closure strategies will vary according to the lesson and the class level; a typical closure might involve summarizing main points brought up by the students (or) applying discussion outcomes to other situations (to draw things together). Closures can serve as a transition to a future lesson; assign a problem to think about or a task that provides an entry to the next lesson.

LOSURES and FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES... ..can include music, puns/jokes, role-plays and oral activities, competitions, reviews, homework, praise for accomplishments, a quick quiz, brainstorming, game-20 questions, poem/limerick/tongue twister/etc, chat, chalkboard, review games, eliciting opinions, agreeing/disagreeing, quick debates, developing new ‘inventions’ or ideas, prioritizing opinions, relay races, hangman or other word games [homonyms, alliteration, similes, idioms, or slang], crossword quizzles, back-to-back drawing while someone describes something, “what if’ situations, photographic memory of a picture quickly shown, surveys, vocabulary review games: jeopardy, concentration, crossword, What’s my line, Scrabble, Bingo, Gordian Knot, identify parts of speech, place in space, etc. Add your ideas:

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