Icebreakers For Teachers

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Xijing Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Changzhi Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Games are popular activities, enjoyed by learners both young and old. From early development on, play and learning have gone hand in hand, as parents encourage their children to experiment. Games can be used to elicit interaction in the classroom and establish rapport with the students, can add diversity into any stage of a lesson plan and enhances the accessibility...  [Read more]

Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are ice breakers and when and where do we use them? In this blog post, we will cover these issues and give actual examples of activities you can use with your classes. Icebreakers are games or activities that are designed to ‘break the ice’. Typically you would use these kinds of games or activities at the beginning of a new school year, when you have a new set of students, or a new class that you don't know and they don't know you. You also can use icebreakers to get your students going at the start of the lesson speaking in English and that's really important as you don't want to come into the classroom and say, “Open your books to page five” and then start studying. Often your classroom may be the only place where they are...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Liangcheng Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jining Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. We must up our game as ESL teachers in the 21st century – both figuratively and literally. I use games to engage students and promote learning in my classroom for a wide range of learning objectives. Below is a short list of icebreaker games that I regularly use in my classroom, and I will discuss the learning target(s) that each game aims to facilitate and...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas No matter how well-prepared a teacher may be, every classroom is different, which means each student is different, and each teacher needs to be able to adjust and be able to establish rapport with the new class. For some teachers, working in a foreign country may cause them to feel uneasy; however, a teacher needs to overcome this feeling to be successful in the classroom. Indeed, building rapport with all students will help. Although this is a continuous process throughout the term, the key to establishing a friendly learning environment starts on day one. Thus, the best way to build rapport is to know the students’ names and interests by the end of the day or week (depending on class size). This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas I have been teaching ESL classes professionally for two years. In addition to this experience, I have several years of experience as a volunteer teacher/mentor with ESL students. Through my experiences, I have learned that importance of establishing immediate rapport in the classroom. In this short article, I will talk about why it is vital to establish rapport from the very first day between the students and teacher as well as among the students. I will offer advice from my own experience of teaching both young learners and adults. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michael S. Establishing rapport between the teacher and student is something that begins on the first day of class and it starts with a smile and welcoming words. In...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to start your very first lesson or transition to study after a long summer vacation? The following activities help you easily break the ice with your English students. Students of all ages love interesting games that encourage interaction. Try one of them as a starter or as an icebreaker! Ask students to draw an self portrait and display them on a bulletin board in class. Each person writes a positive adjective describing each of their classmates on a sticky note and sticks it to the portrait. Do this activity in 1 day or over a period of time, let students take their portraits home. It’s a fun and engaging activity for the first day of school. You can also adopt it to the online activity by using Google Presentations or similar tools. Also Read:...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences We must up our game as ESL teachers in the 21st century – both figuratively and literally. I use games to engage students and promote learning in my classroom for a wide range of learning objectives. Below is a short list of icebreaker games that I regularly use in my classroom, and I will discuss the learning target(s) that each game aims to facilitate and deliver as well as the context in which the game is used. Since I work with high school age and adult students, the games are geared for English Language Learners in these age groups. As learning communities become more globalized and data give more information on how people learn, one major challenge I find with gamifying learning in the ESL classroom is making the games that I use more culturally...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Lingqian Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xianyang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. I have been teaching ESL classes professionally for two years. In addition to this experience, I have several years of experience as a volunteer teacher/mentor with ESL students. Through my experiences, I have learned that importance of establishing immediate rapport in the classroom. In this short summative task, I will talk about why it is vital to establish...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Use these 10 tips to encourage your students to follow directions in the classroom. These tips work for students of all ages in EFL classrooms all across the world. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Think adult students don't enjoy a good EFL game? Think again! These 5 best TEFL games For adult students will make your lessons interactive and fun! Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas These top 5 icebreakers for new TEFL teachers are ideal for every classroom setting and all levels of students. Get your students thinking and talking in English to start your lesson in an effective way!  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Use these 10 tips to encourage your students to follow directions in the classroom. These tips work for students of all ages in EFL classrooms all across the world. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Think adult students don't enjoy a good EFL game? Think again! These 5 best TEFL games For adult students will make your lessons interactive and fun! Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas These top 5 icebreakers for new TEFL teachers are ideal for every classroom setting and all levels of students. Get your students thinking and talking in English to start your lesson in an effective way!  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teachers are always looking for ideas that might help them to better understand their students. In this post, one of our graduates explores the child development theories put forward by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Every TEFL student enjoys their own unique experience, both during and after their course. In this post, an ITTT graduate talks about their own journey from EFL student to EFL teacher. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who explained how you could benefit from taking a TEFL course. Elizaveta Pachina Destinations Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teachers are always looking for ideas that might help them to better understand their students. In this post, one of our graduates explores the child development theories put forward by the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Every TEFL student enjoys their own unique experience, both during and after their course. In this post, an ITTT graduate talks about their own journey from EFL student to EFL teacher. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who explained how you could benefit from taking a TEFL course. Elizaveta Pachina Destinations Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas As you have learned during your TEFL certification course, a good lesson starts with an engage, or warm-up phase. This usually consists of a fun and interesting activity to get your students going and speaking in English. For new teachers, it’s often these more casual moments of a class that are a challenge because of their lack of teaching experience. However, these top 5 icebreakers for new TEFL teachers will help you to get your class energized and ready for your lesson. This is a great activity for your very first lesson with a new class. Basically, the students each write down three statements. Two statements are true but one of them is a lie. Next, the students either present the statements to each other or to you, the teacher. The other students,...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Xiaxi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Leshan Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. In this section I received a good reminder of the nature of learners. A teacher should be able to assume different roles depending on the makeup, experience, and age level of the learners. What works well for a beginner child would probably not work well for a beginner adult; although, the need to learn the basic skills is the same. At the same time, all learners need...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas As an ESL teacher, getting your students talking can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. English learners often lack the necessary confidence to speak openly and freely in English. The following activities are perfect for getting your students out of their shells! Here are 7 go-to activities for your ESL conversation class. Catia Pereira dos Santos Teaching Ideas What kind of teacher do you want to become? Can you picture it in your mind? Well, I did! When I first started my journey as a Portuguese and English online tutor, I asked myself this question and it landed me on a few ideas which are also present over some units of the ESL teachers course. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is a part of our "Teaching Ideas"...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas As an ESL teacher, getting your students talking can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. English learners often lack the necessary confidence to speak openly and freely in English. The following activities are perfect for getting your students out of their shells! Here are 7 go-to activities for your ESL conversation class. Catia Pereira dos Santos Teaching Ideas What kind of teacher do you want to become? Can you picture it in your mind? Well, I did! When I first started my journey as a Portuguese and English online tutor, I asked myself this question and it landed me on a few ideas which are also present over some units of the ESL teachers course. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is a part of our "Teaching Ideas"...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Shiwuliyuan Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Liaocheng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Teaching groups of students is always a challenge for a teacher because of the diversity of the individuals involved. Teaching a multilingual group or those from assorted cultures will certainly escalate the challenge. Add to that the different student experience and ability levels, and a teacher must find some tried and true methods that will ensure all...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Sanli Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Xi'an Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. To begin with, I’ like to say that I’m pretty excited about writing this summary since this course was an interesting online journey and there are some things to share, indeed. I have noticed that the topics suggested include all the units materials in the strict order. In my essay I’m going to try to incorporate just a little part of the knowledge obtained. To...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article is a guide on creating teaching materials. Our TEFL graduate explains how to choose materials correctly and how to implement the in teaching. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by our TEFL graduate who shares their experience of working on their professionalism. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to the problem of teaching receptive skills. Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts and ideas. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our TEFL alumna shares their story of working in Japan. They explain how they built relationships with the students and what helped them. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article is a guide on creating teaching materials. Our TEFL graduate explains how to choose materials correctly and how to implement the in teaching. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by our TEFL graduate who shares their experience of working on their professionalism. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to the problem of teaching receptive skills. Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts and ideas. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our TEFL alumna shares their story of working in Japan. They explain how they built relationships with the students and what helped them. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Huangtu Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Linfen Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Over the last decade, a technological revolution has brought about an acceleration of new innovations. Each year, new and improved applications and software are available. This has summoned a major shift in education. An online learning platform can be an effective means for teaching courses other than in the classroom. Before committing, teachers need proper...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Guanyi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jining Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. As the world becomes increasingly globalized, EFL programs are nearing ubiquity. A substantial portion of EFL participants are young learners. Although there is a lot of crossover between techniques used for young learners and those used older children or adults, there are certainly strategies that can be employed to get the most out of a classroom of young learners....  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Teachers play vital roles in the lives of the students in their classrooms. Teachers are best known for the role of educating the students that are placed in their care. Beyond that, teachers serve many other roles in the classroom. Teachers set the tone of their classrooms, build a warm environment, mentor and nurture students, become role models, and listen and look for signs of trouble. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Charles I. The most common role a teacher plays in the classroom is to teach knowledge to children. Teachers are given a curriculum they must follow that meets state guidelines. This curriculum is followed by the teacher so that throughout the year, all pertinent knowledge is dispensed to the students. Teachers teach...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Yangying Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jining Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. As a teacher building confidence in any classroom can prove to be a difficult task, however confidence in a classroom is vital to a student’s success in a subject. Confidence will provide students with the motivation to actively engage in class and foster their ability to grow. There are many ways for a teacher to build confidence in a classroom some of the most...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Teaching Ideas It is undeniable that rapport between the teacher and students and between students themselves makes the class successful and enjoyable. However, some teachers face problems trying to establish rapport with the students. Being an experienced EFL teacher, I keep facing the same problem: it is hard for me to create a relaxed atmosphere in the classroom and keep a balance between being students’ reliable friend and their authority. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Elena K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. To begin with, it is important to create a warm relationship from the very beginning. Therefore, the first lesson should be more like an icebreaker than a lesson. It...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Yunyan Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Yan'an Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. Do teachers’ interactions with students really matter? After all, a teacher’s role in the classroom is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge or skill in such a manner that a learner can accomplish a specific outcome. Is it necessary for a teacher to know students’ weekend plans or when Sally is going to take her driver’s test? Does knowing students’...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ma. C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The assessment of drilling is to monitor students learning and identify strengths and weaknesses. the teacher helps recognize where students are struggling and address problems immediately. The goal of this drilling method is to evaluate students learning and at the end of the lesson, the students will be able to drill the language properly and for the teacher to identify if the drilling method is effective. Also Read: How do I choose a TEFL course? first, define the definition of drilling, types of drilling and drilling, and fluency then gives students a drilling activity. First, I want my...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Destinations Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their experience of teaching ESL students in China. Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences This article was written by an ITTT TEFL course graduate tells us the 10 important roles a teacher takes on in the classroom. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their thoughts on why games are important in the classroom. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their thoughts on games and how to use them as icebreakers in the ESL classroom. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Once qualified as a TEFL teacher you will have many opportunities...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Destinations Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their experience of teaching ESL students in China. Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences This article was written by an ITTT TEFL course graduate tells us the 10 important roles a teacher takes on in the classroom. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their thoughts on why games are important in the classroom. Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences This blog post was written by a recent TEFL course graduate who shares their thoughts on games and how to use them as icebreakers in the ESL classroom. Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Once qualified as a TEFL teacher you will have many opportunities...  [Read more]

Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in NanyanzhuZhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Jinzhong Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language. At the beginning of my teaching career I didn't quite understand what circle time was. I remember starting a new job in a preschool where one of my colleagues asked me to get the kids ready for circle time so I got the kids attention and asked them to make a circle. Thankfully, my colleague did the rest as I was training so I just needed to observe and learn. That...  [Read more]