Listen to the show.

Mark and Ron pick up from the show two episodes ago and deal with new classes, new students and new teachers. This show covers adult classes and young adult learners. we go over some ideas for a teacher’s first class, an entirely new class, a single new student and private classes. There are tips, advice and a few things to just to be aware of. Enjoy the show!

Game of the Week: Tic, Tac, Know
A quick game that’s easy to set up. You need 9-16 flashcards and a few students. It’s flexible and gets the students moving. It is designed for young learners but I’m sure adults as well can enjoy the game and learning. Happy teaching!

Good show, as always. I just wanted to comment on private students quickly.

I usually begin the first lesson by gathering information about the student. I have a set questionnaire that requests basic information -- something like a personality profile. We talk about these points, generating additional conversation. This allows us to get comfortable with one another. It also allows me to determine the type of student I'll be working with (laid back, focused, a goal setter, etc.). It also allows me to better pick and choose material for later lessons.

Equally important, I learn in the first session why he/she wants to study, and what he/she wants to accomplish. This ties with the first point, because I have to understand when to scale back. For example, the student is tired and growing frustrated with the lesson, which means that I have to change the plan for the day (or heavily adjust it). Or maybe the student just wants to maintain their English, in which case I have to construct lessons that seem far less structured than they really are.

All in all, the first lesson gives me important information that establishes the type of class the student and I are about to embark on.

Chris Cotter
http://www.headsupenglish.com