| Lesson planning with TEFL warmers: essential for | | | | act that has a profound psychological effect on the |
| effective teaching. Part I | | | | way we perceive the person we are dealing with and |
| To ensure effective learning for a language class, the | | | | nearly always for the better. The type of physical |
| challenge is to secure the students' attention, and | | | | contact varies enormously from country to country, |
| prepare their minds so that you have got a few | | | | from hugs and kisses in warmer climes to the |
| vacant neurones to program linguistically. | | | | somewhat ceremonial, brief hand shake in others. But |
| To achieve this, here are the main elements to include | | | | the underlying function is the same. We are sentient |
| in a good warmer activity to start the class, and why | | | | beings, and gain great reassurance from well intended |
| they are important. | | | | physical contact, with our trust towards others being |
| 1. An easy to succeed activity. | | | | enhanced and our predispositions relaxed. |
| Always start the class with students doing something | | | | 5. Break the usual classroom layout. |
| which they can succeed in. This makes them feel | | | | The warmer is better of it needs the students to |
| optimistic about their abilities, and sets a positive | | | | move tables and chairs, or simply relocate themselves |
| outlook to their frame of mind. What could be worse | | | | to a different part of the class. This breaks down |
| than being asked to do something at the beginning of | | | | routines that create student linguistic dependence on |
| the class that you can't do. As the warmer develops, | | | | familiar settings, as well as generating the feeling of |
| tasks can become more challenging, but the first tasks | | | | novelty. It can also be a good way to mix student |
| should make the student say 'Yes! You're good! You | | | | groupings, allowing the teacher to pair up different |
| can do this!' | | | | individuals, introducing variety into the class. |
| 2. Include continuity from the last class. | | | | 6. There should be an aim to the task. |
| Start the class by using language from the previous | | | | Many warmers seem to have no particular reason for |
| classes to activate their memories through association. | | | | being done other than for the sake of being a warmer! |
| The students benefit enormously from 'being | | | | Always make sure there is a point to the activity, such |
| transported back in time' to the end of the last class' | | | | as finding the solution to a problem, include a |
| content - helping them to access all the language that | | | | competitive aspect, or transfer information to arrive at |
| was being used. It also gives a sense of continuity. This | | | | a conclusion. |
| is a well established technique used by television | | | | 7. Link into the next part of the lesson. |
| producers, where often the last things to happen in a | | | | When the warmer closes it should serve as a natural |
| series are recapped in a few brief excerpts before | | | | jumping board for the next theme of the lesson. This |
| the current episode gets underway. | | | | allows the student to transfer their concentration |
| 3. Physical activity. | | | | effortlessly, and also gives the sense that the teacher |
| There is a world of difference between what a | | | | is in control and knows where he or she wants the |
| human being can do before and after a little physical | | | | class to go. This imbues the student with confidence in |
| exercise. However light, exercise relaxes, focuses and | | | | the teachers ability. |
| clears the mind, and increases the heart rate to allow | | | | 8. A 5 to 10 minute activity. |
| the whole body to be more prepared for mental | | | | Traditionally, a warmer has always been talked of as |
| activity. Woe to the student who gives up exercise | | | | lasting between 5 to 10 minutes, and for a typical one |
| during exam season in order to get in more hours of | | | | hour teaching period, this is a logical amount of time to |
| revision and study, only to find their attention span and | | | | spend, allowing time for the main teaching aim to be |
| ability to commit facts to memory has been seriously | | | | dealt with. Having said that, most good warmers lend |
| reduced. | | | | themselves well to in depth recycling, and this is an |
| 4. Physical contact. | | | | invaluable tool for the teacher to have on hand. So the |
| Everything in life has its reason. So why, when people | | | | duration is actually a matter that the teacher should |
| meet, do nearly all cultures introduce an element of | | | | consider to be totally at his convenience. |
| physical contact into the process of greeting each | | | | In the next article we will see how to put these |
| other? Because it is a highly effective ice-breaker - an | | | | aspects into practise. |