Comments on: What Do You Do On The Last Day Of Class? (Part Two)

By: Olga Galperin

Olga Galperin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:10:54 +0000

We play board games. I bring in Scrabble and we play it until the students get the hang of it. They always get excited to land on double letter/triple word squares and they’re eager to learn ‘little tricks’ which help reach a higher score. They then introduce traditional board/card games played in their home countries. They’re responsible to lay out the rules and take us through a few trial sessions. They’re thrilled to see their teacher can’t pronounce some of the key words required by the game. We wrap up by eating traditional snacks while learning their names and discussing the basic ingredients. Time flies when you learn and have fun!

By: Simon

Simon — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 07:10:21 +0000

This won’t work with every class situation, but I find food and drink a must for final classes. It’s a simple thing, but it’s amazing how sharing something to eat and drink with the students creates a new dynamic, makes the final gathering less “classroomish” and more like a real life situation. It’s often (sadly) on the last day that I find out some really interesting things about my learners, as it breaks down barriers. Sometimes even the ’shy’ ones will contribute more when they have a drink in their hands, and I have noticed they seem to be quite pleased to see me without my “teacher” hat on.