Managing and motivating teens

By: David Spencer


Start of Term activities for teens
Did you really???!

Ask students to write a variety of sentences about what they did in the holidays. Tell them to make some of the sentences true and some false, but to make it difficult to tell which is which. Students compare sentences in pairs or small groups. They can ask each other follow-up questions about each sentence in order to decide whether they think each statement is true or false. Finally, the students make their decisions and see if they were able to separate the truth from the lies.

Holiday Pyramid
Ask students to draw a pyramid with five levels, and number each level from 1 to 5.
Then tell them to make notes in each section about:

1 souvenir or thing they bought in the holidays
2 places they went
3 good or unusual things they ate or drank
4 people they met or spent time with
5 enjoyable or interesting things they did

They then compare pyramids with a partner and explain in detail their notes. Did they have any points in common?

‘My Favourites’ Pyramid
As above, but the students make notes about:
1 favourite school subject
2 favourite dishes
3 favourite hobbies or sports
4 favourite places
5 favourite actors, singers, writers…

Who, What, Why?
Ask students to think of as many question words as possible and to write them down. Then ask them to write one question with each question word they thought of to find out information about their partner. The students then interview their partner using their questions. Finally, ask the students to tell you one interesting thing they found out about their partner. The students can then choose some of their questions to find out information about YOU.

The Five-Pointed Star
Tell students to draw a five-pointed star and write their name in the middle. At the tips of the star, they write (a) the name of someone who is important in their life, (b) a date which is significant to them, (c) a number which is special, (d) a place that has some relevance to them, and (e) the name of a film/band/book/computer game that they love/hate/have seen recently… Students get into pairs, compare stars, and ask and
Managing and motivating teens David Spencer
Webinar 14th September 2016
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answer questions to find out more about each point. Then ask students to tell you one interesting thing they discovered about their partner.
What was the question?
Give the students the answers to some basic personal questions and ask the students to work out the questions. The answers can be sentences or multiple choice, e.g.:
1) …………………………………………………..…?
A Very often B Sometimes C Never
2) …………………………………………………..…?
A One B Two C More than two
3) …………………………………………………..…?
A Mexico B Russia C Another country
4) …………………………………………………..…?
A Yes B No C Don’t know
5) …………………………………………………...…?
A Surfing the net B Doing homework C Sleeping

The students then use their questions to interview other students in the class and feed back to the whole class with interesting things they discovered.

Two-Minute-Topic Tic Tac Toe
Draw a noughts and crosses (tic tac toe) grid on the board and write different topics in each square (e.g. sports, music, family, cinema, home, learning English, school, holidays, my future). Students play noughts and crosses. To win the square they must talk about the topic in the square they chose for two minutes. If they don’t manage to do this, the square remains free. The students can play the game again, but this time they can choose the topics themselves.

The A to Z of Classroom Language
The students must think of a word connected to the classroom for each letter of the alphabet. For example:

A = Answer, B = Board, C = Computer, D = Desk, E = Exercise, F = …

They can leave out difficult letters and try to go back to them later. This is a great way to revise useful classroom language at the start of the year.

Draw and label, in English, a plan of your classroom/school
Again, a great way to revise useful classroom/school vocabulary in English, but also a great way to help new students find their way around their new school building.

Diagnostic Test
A new year and a new group of students. To get a quick idea of what they know or don’t know, and also to jog students’ memories after the holidays, why not do a short diagnostic test with them? If you’re using Gateway 2nd Edition? Download diagnostic tests from www.macmillangateway2.com.
Managing and motivating teens David Spencer


Textbook Race
A new year, a new group of students AND a new textbook. Before the year, we, as teachers, tend to look at the new book and know what’s inside it and where to find what we want. But do our students???? So why not give the students a quiz to help the students to find their way around the book and realise how much useful information there is in it? Make the quiz into a race to make it more fun. For users of Gateway, check out the pdf I’ve made of a quiz you can use. If you use another book, simply adapt the quiz.

Classroom Management – A few basic tips for classes with teenagers
1 Make sure you know before you walk into your first class what your school or institution’s policy is towards typical discipline problems. What can/must you do in each case? If you have free reign, do you know what your policy is?? Decide before problems happen, not after.
2 In the light of the above, you may like to negotiate some class rules with your students, but don’t bother negotiating what is unnegotiable.
3 It is usually more helpful to spend more time praising good behavior than punishing bad behavior. Make sure you keep your eyes open for good things to say to students and the class as a whole.
4 Learn students’ names as quickly as possible and use the students’ names. Prove to students that you know who they are and see them as individuals, not just part of the class.
5 Have activities ready to keep fast finishers busy and motivated. Fast-finishers can get bored quickly and disrupt the class.
6 Decide before the year starts how you want students to keep vocabulary records, grammar notes, corrections etc.
7 Beware shouting all the time. Ultimately, the more you shout, the less students will pay attention to you.
8 It may generally be good advice to be firm rather than too friendly at the start of the year. However, showing that you enjoy being with your class can only be positive.
9 Although it’s easier said than done, it’s worth remembering that, according to research (see ‘Interpersonal relations and education’ by David H. Hargreaves, Routledge & Kegan Paul 1975), teenage students like a teacher who:

1) keeps good control.
2) is fair and has no favourites.
3) gives no extreme or immoderate punishments.
4) knows and can explain their subject well.
5) gives interesting lessons.
6) is cheerful, friendly, patient, understanding.
7) has a good sense of humour.
8) takes an interest in pupils as individuals.