Are you ready for the first day of class? Here is a handy back to school checklist for ESL teachers that can help you get ready.
Study Up on Students
I find it helpful to find out as much as I can about the students who will be in my class. For example, I want to know where they are from, how long they have been in the U.S., whether or not they are working, what languages they speak, and if they have relatives in the class.
It can be helpful to see their recent English proficiency test scores to determine their level and what skills they may need to work on.
I tend to have large classes, and if I have many new students, it can be a challenge to learn all of their names. To help with this, I make tent name cards with index cards. I hand them out on the first day and ask students to bring them to class with them for the first couple of weeks.
Create a Syllabus and a Calendar
Most institutions require that instructors provide a course syllabus with basic information about the course. Depending on the English level of your students, the information might be difficult to understand. I create a simplified version for my lower-level students and I make sure to go over the pertinent information in class (see below for a fun scavenger hunt activity!).
A course calendar can be a great organizational tool to give to students. Include the course start date, end date, holidays, important test dates, and units/chapters/topics if applicable.
I like to print the syllabus and course calendar on brightly colored paper for easy access!
Create Back to School Scavenger Hunts
Don’t bore your students by simply going over the syllabus and calendar on the first day of class. Liven things up by creating a scavenger hunt!
Give students copies of the syllabus and calendar along with a set of questions such as “When is the first test?” or “What is the name of the textbook?”. Students will need to skim and scan the documents to get the answers. You can even turn this into a game! My students love Jeopardy.
If you have several new students, you can create a fun campus scavenger hunt. You can have students to a virtual scavenger hunt on the college website, or you can have them actually go to the offices/campus resources and get their questions answered. For example, have them go to the campus fitness center and ask the front desk about opening hours, facilities, and sports.
Create a Back to School Ice Breaker Activity
Spend some time having students get to know each other on the first day. This will make everyone more comfortable, which lowers the affective filter. There are countless activities that you could do, from simply putting up a list of questions they can ask each other, a “find someone who” activity, or discussion cards. Grab this free set of discussion cards for beginners and intermediate-level students!
It is also important to introduce yourself and help your students get to know you. If they are more advanced, have them each write a question to ask you and hold a Q & A session. Show them pictures of you and your family. For my beginner class, I like to read a short self-introduction couple of times and ask them questions about what I said. This is a great listening practice activity!
This back to school checklist for ESL teachers will help you start your class off right!
If you are looking for fun back to school activities for your ESL class, check out this post.