Published 1 min read
The first lesson of term is where children decide whether this subject is frightening or somewhere they want to be, and that verdict sticks hard. A child who walks out feeling the room is safe will keep taking risks all term. Rushing one topic into day one costs far too much if the price is the mood of the whole term.
The 50 minute plan for lesson one
- First 10 minutes: introduce yourself in simple English. Hello, my name is... I like... Then let the class guess what you said. They discover they can work out far more than they expected, and that's the first block of confidence in place.
- Next 15 minutes: write the class agreement together. Let them settle the most important line themselves: is it all right to get things wrong in here? Put their answer on the wall and leave it there all term.
- Next 15 minutes: a light game that measures where everyone is without anyone noticing. Something as simple as hands up if you know this word will do. You come away with a map of the whole class and nobody felt tested.
- Last 10 minutes: the first routine of the term. Teach three basic commands, Stand up, Sit down, Listen, each with its own action. Then finish by telling them what's coming next lesson. Children love knowing what's ahead.
The only thing worth measuring on day one
It isn't what they remembered. It's whether they want to come back. If somebody stops you on the way out to ask what you'll be playing next time, the lesson worked. Every topic on your syllabus has a whole term to be taught in. The first impression only gets one go.