When I first started teaching, lesson planning was the biggest obstacle I faced. I would stare at my textbook (if I had one) and stare at an empty page, utterly lost. How did I convert what was in the textbook into an actual, workable lesson? Where did I start?

Over time, I figured out pattern, a bit of a groove. But in the last few years, I’ve streamlined my process and really focused on creating an outline, a structure I could use in every lesson. Now, every time I sit down to plan a new ESL lesson, I simply follow the steps of this outline and plug in everything all the words and activities! This is my go-to lesson plan!

Homework Check

At the beginning of class, I will check the homework from the last lesson, if homework was assigned. Students will either hand in their work, or I will walk around the class to check each students’ homework individually.

Review

To start class off on a lively note, get students’ brains fired up, and allow for those stragglers to get settled, I always review 4-5 vocabulary words that we’ve learned that semester. The simplest way to do this is put the words on the board one by one and have the students define them. The most fun way to do this is to play a review game. You can check out some of my favorite review games here: https://www.atlasteaching.com/games/eslreviewgames

Goals

I love to have students set personal goals at the beginning of the semester, so sometimes when I start class, I’ll take a minute to have students remind themselves of their goals. But most of the time, before I start teaching, I tell the students the goals we have collectively for this particular class. It helps them get focused and understand that there’s a purpose or a focus behind the activities we do.

Speaking Practice

You might notice that I take a while before I actually start “teaching.” That’s because, in an ESL class, I want students to be practicing and using the language more than I am. After doing introductory things, the next thing I want my students to do is practice. Jumping into the topic with a speaking practice is a great way for students to warm up as well as start to understand what they can and can’t say about the topic. They get to experiment with the topic before learning new vocabulary, grammar, or anything else about the topic. Generally, this speaking practice is rather simple (because I know students might not know a lot about the topic yet). For example, if the topic is about reading, I would simply have students chat with their partner using questions like, “Do you like reading? How often do you read? What kind of books do you like to read? What’s your favorite book?” These questions can be easily answered without learning much vocabulary or grammar. It also helps start the class on a high note and enforces the idea that students should be participating and using the language for themselves; they shouldn’t just sit back and listen to a teacher lecture.

Vocabulary

Now that students have warmed up, I give them vocabulary words they can use for the rest of the lesson. Usually, I chose just 10 words, since I’ve found that’s a manageable number to learn and use during the lesson. If you have a shorter lesson, you can always reduce that number. I put the words on the board/screen, and have students write down the words in English. Then, they use their phones to translate any of the words they don’t already know. Once they’ve written down the words and their translations, I pronounce the words and allow students to repeat after me. I ask them questions like, “What does this word mean?” to make sure they truly understand and also give more details about usage. For example, I might tell them how the word is used or help them understand the connotation behind it.

Teaching

Finally! It’s time for input. We’ve warmed up, students have been armed with vocabulary words to understand the topic better. Now, I can teach. This is where I’m sharing information about marketing, teaching grammar, having students do exercises—whatever is necessary for that day’s lesson.

(Speaking) Practice

Once input is finished, it’s time for output. Now students will practice with what they just learned. Depending on the lesson, this could mean completing exercises in a textbook, but I always try to add at least one more speaking practice as well. This practice is always a little more complex than the first one. For example, if the topic is about reading, I might ask students to debate the pros and cons of e-books vs. physical books.

Backup Speaking Practice/ Conversation Questions

By now, you probably have enough for a full lesson, but I always like to have a back-up activity in case students fly through the lesson. Often, I don’t use this, so I don’t spend much time on planning it. Usually, I just write down an interesting question students can discuss. Perhaps something like, “Should additional reading be required in school?” or “Should certain books be banned?”

Homework

Last step is assigning homework! I don’t always give homework, but if I do, it’s the last thing I put in the lesson. If you need some ideas for homework, I’ve written three articles to help!

https://www.atlasteaching.com/lesson-planning/basichomeworkideas

https://www.atlasteaching.com/lesson-planning/5creativeeslhomeworkideas

https://www.atlasteaching.com/lesson-planning/creativeeslhomeworkideas

Planning lessons, especially when you’ve first started teaching, can be daunting. Try out this structure for yourself and see if it helps!

How to Plan an ESL Lesson