Photo by me, also shared at http://flickr.com/eltpics, used under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
Today, mine was plane-shaped. A simple thing like moving the chairs into a different formation, and me standing at the front giving a very brief safety briefing (In case of emergency, the fire exits are in that corner…), was enough to get students imagining they were on a plane and meeting strangers for the first time. It only took a couple of minutes to move the chairs, and it created the right atmosphere immediately.
It helped me to easily set up a role play – something which I’m trying to introduce to my lessons as part of my Delta reflection, by getting students in the right mindset. It was also easy to end the roleplay, as all I had to say was “Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the seatbelt sign and we will soon be coming in to land.”
Have you ever tried anything like this? Apart from buses and planes, what other environments have you created?
(This is the first in what I hope will become a series of shared mini reflections on some of the activities I try out during my Delta.)
What shape is your classroom?
October 25, 2012
Comments on: "What shape is your classroom?" (8)
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for another great idea. I teach a Study Abroad Prep Class and this will be perfect when we practice filling out the immigration and customs form practice lesson.
I’ve done a drama class which started off with no chairs in the class and all the students had to sit on their desks. We were roll playing a flood situation and students had to holler across to each other and share their resources.
Kevin
I realy like that idea. I’m writing a Delta essay about conditionals now, and that could potentially be a good contet for making offers: ‘If you come and get me, I’ll help you find some food’
So nice! and easy to include in our lessons!!! Thank you Sandy. I´m going to work with the film “the Terminal” so I´ll use it on my first lesson with it.
I’d be interested to hear how you use it
[...] Millin on how the shape of your classroom can lend itself to particular activities. Why not try a plane layout, or a pod from the London [...]
I like the idea of a pod from the London Eye
[...] (This is one of a series of shared mini reflections on some of the activities I’m trying out during my Delta. The first was here.) [...]
[...] mini reflections on some of the activities I’m trying out during my Delta. The first was here, the second [...]