Organizing Tips
for New (and not so new)
ESL/EFL Teachers
Staying organized and incorporating
language learning into classroom
management while you’re at it
J. E. Seibert
Tokyo International University of America
2009
Why stay organized?
Reduces teacher and learner anxiety
Increases shared assumptions
Creates a predictable classroom “culture” where
the outside culture may be confusing
Maximizes use of prep and teaching time
Allows for novelty and creativity within a
predictable framework
Makes you look like you know what you’re doing
Makes teaching the course again easier
Term/year start up
•Checklist of things to do
•Lesson plan form
•Template for handouts or web
pages
•Student number
Course schedule
and day’s “agenda”
Post the course Have a student
schedule and write the day’s
homework agenda on the
board
Website
calendar
example
Calling on students
Making pairs and groups
Making pairs and groups
1. Name cards: easy to 2. Old scrabble tiles for
move around determining order
Making pairs and groups
3. Vocabulary review 4. Using dictionaries for
pronunciation
Give a different review Write a new or difficult word
on cards: enough words for
word to each student in
half the class or a third of
half the class and a the class (for groups of 3).
corresponding Give each student a card.
definition to the other Each student looks up the
half word, practices saying it,
then circulates saying the
word. Students compare
their pronunciations.
Making pairs and groups
5. Grammar review 6. Geography
For pronunciation,
Half the class has sentence allocate place names:
beginnings and half two or three students
have sentence ending. have the same name.
Students circulate and They find each other.
find a partner that For content knowledge,
allows for a correct half the class has a place
sentence. name the other have
each has the geographic
location
Timing activities
“Kitchen” timer Three-minute timer
“Job” cards
Bright cards of different colors
For example
Leader
Recorder-Reporter
Time keeper-Trouble shooter
Using board space
The same information always in the same place
Dartmouth Recorder
for student speaking
http://helix.dartmouth.edu/dl-
recorder/
For absent students: folders with
handouts and returned work
Electronic grade books
ABCDEF
Password protected web access
My favorite: Gradekeeper
http://www.gradekeeper.com/
Storing materials for next time:
paper and/or on a web server
Notebook File box