How can I motivate my students after disruption to their learning?
Coronavirus has transformed our learners’ worlds. What can teachers do to motivate them to re-engage with learning English?
Make learning meaningful
Set short-term and long-term goals and share them with your learners to give them a sense of purpose and direction. Preparing for an exam can support this.
Talk about the situation
Understanding how your learners feel about the pandemic will help you to support them to get back on track.
Try our COVID-19 lesson plans:
Life after lockdown lesson plan (B1 Level)
Life in lockdown lesson plan (B2-C1 Level)
Create a motivation wall
Create a wall of positivity in the classroom or on a tech tool like Padlet. Use it to share short motivational messages each week.
Shout-out Friday!
Give learners five minutes on a Friday to think about their highlight of the week, e.g. something they have done well or a message of thanks. Learners can write their idea on the motivation wall.
Try a selection of ideas to see what works best with your class. Good luck!
Some of my students think they’ve forgotten how to speak English. How can I rebuild their confidence in speaking?
Learners may be returning to school after many months away or still studying online. They may have had little opportunity to practise speaking in English. It is no surprise some of them have lost their confidence.
Here are a few tips you might find helpful:
- Think about who your learners work best with. They will appreciate working with a close friend or someone they trust and feel safe with.
- Look for speaking games and activities where learners can practise speaking in pairs. This will be much less intimidating for them than speaking in front of the whole class.
- As you monitor speaking activities, take notes of points you want to give feedback on. Try to focus on the positives that the learners did well as you give feedback.
- Make time for a warmer and a cool down activity at the start and end of class. Many of these fun activities are designed to practise speaking, so will really motivate and encourage your learners. See our new Warmers activity booklet for some fresh ideas.
Good luck and remember, it’s always good to keep talking.
My students with special educational needs have found the disruption to learning very difficult. How can I help them?
SEN learners may have found the disruption to learning particularly hard. Here are a few tips to help you support them in their return to the English classroom.
Try to re-establish a routine to help them settle in more quickly and explain any changes and why they are necessary. Create a sense of structure by setting achievable goals in each lesson, which can be linked to the longer term goal of an exam.
Good communication is crucial. If possible, have one-to-one conversations with them to understand how they are feeling and to help ease their anxieties. It is also important to communicate with their parents.
Use pair work and group work, giving them roles that make the best use of their strengths.
Consider their needs when giving homework; e.g. a dyslexic student could produce a video or podcast instead of a written text.
Help them to express their feelings in a safe way, e.g. through writing stories or using emotions flashcards, or encourage them to keep a learning journal (written or video/audio).
Celebrate success. Look back at the goals, so they know what they have achieved.
Don’t forget that normal good practice in the English classroom will help all your learners, including those with special educational needs, such as communicating goals and giving clear instructions and examples.