124 Part II: Putting Your Lesson Together
From a simple stick figure you can create an entire back story in collabora-
tion with your students. For example, a class can practice the past simple
using a stick man on the board:
Teacher: What’s his name?
Student A: His name is David.
Student B: His name is Abdul.
Student C: No, it’s Ramon.
Teacher: Okay, it’s Ramon. Where’s he from, class?
Students: Colombia!
Teacher: How’s he feeling today?
Students: He’s happy.
Teacher: I think he’s happy because something good happened yesterday.
What happened?
Student A: I think he’s happy because he met a girl!
The lesson can continue with students drawing their own additions to the
story on the board, while their classmates guess what happened. The pic-
tures, along with some key vocabulary that you write up, can serve as the
basis for a writing or speaking activity with students telling each other the
story.
When you’re teaching grammar, a nice clear layout on the board is the best
substitute for a worksheet. Use columns and boxes so that everything is
clear. Lists and mind maps are also easy to copy down. Mind maps are dia-
grams which look a bit like spiders because you put the main idea in the
centre and then have ‘legs’ coming out from the middle that point to related
ideas and information.
Beyond the use of the board, your most effective tool is your own body. Use
your voice well by varying pace and power as much as possible. Use good
volume and gestures (Chapter 7 has a section on body language). Acting and
mime are great fun and keep the lesson lively.
