| "body"> | | | | which was the most interesting topic that was brought |
| I always find the first ten minutes of a lesson the most | | | | up. |
| difficult - it's vital to capture students' interest and | | | | 2. Guess the Famous Person |
| involve them from the start. An effective warmer | | | | The following warm up works well to lead into a topic |
| could make the difference between an alert and | | | | on celebrity or fame and fortune. This exercise will |
| participating class, and a group of zombies who decide | | | | require pictures of famous and recognisable celebrities |
| to catch up on the sleep they missed out on from | | | | (one for each student). Make the students stand in a |
| partying the night before... (This comes from my | | | | line with their backs to you and stick a picture on their |
| experience of teaching teenagers on the holiday island | | | | backs with some sticky tape. The aim of this warmer |
| of Malta!) | | | | is to ask people questions about their celebrity and |
| 1. True / False | | | | help others find out about theirs. The students will need |
| For a first lesson with a new group of students I | | | | to keep circling round, looking at the pictures on each |
| usually use the True or False warmer. First I make | | | | others backs and helping out until everyone has found |
| sure the class know the difference between true and | | | | out who they're mystery celebrity is. This works as |
| false, and can give me some examples of true and | | | | particularly good practice for forming yes / no |
| false statements. I then ask the class to write three | | | | questions, or as a follow on from a lesson learning |
| interesting sentences about themselves on a new | | | | how to describe people. |
| sheet of paper. Two sentences must be true and one | | | | 3. Where in the world |
| must be false. | | | | This warmer works really well with an international |
| When they have finished writing their sentences, I ask | | | | group of students as they will be able to contribute |
| the class to stand up and move the desks out the | | | | more varied information and will spark discussion |
| way so that they can mingle. Each student must find a | | | | amongst themselves. Before students arrive I place a |
| partner, greet them and introduces themselves, say | | | | piece of paper with a name of a continent on each |
| what country they are from, and listen to their partner's | | | | table. When the students arrive I let them deliberate |
| three sentences. They must then guess which is the | | | | and wonder about the continent. I then put the following |
| false statement. Once both students have attempted | | | | headings up on the board: food, clothes, famous |
| a guess, they move on to another person in the class | | | | people, drink, animals (and any others you may want |
| and repeat this process. | | | | to add) I give them some time to brainstorm items to |
| This works really well to break the ice in a group of | | | | put under each heading for their continent. This leads |
| students that don't know each other. It gives them an | | | | into some good discussion about differences between |
| opportunity to introduce themselves, say what country | | | | countries, and stereotypes about countries within them. |
| they are from, and share some interesting information | | | | These warmers should get the students to participate |
| about themselves. I always participate in this warmer | | | | and lead in nicely from a previous lesson or into the |
| so that the students feel that they know something | | | | coming one. If they are successful it will set the tone |
| about the teacher too. You can follow this activity by | | | | for the lesson and keep the students interest more |
| discussing which sentences were the most original and | | | | effectively. |