Do you get nervous when you are about to be observed? No matter how long I’ve been teaching, I still do. Luckily, I have learned two things: 1. Don’t over-complicate the lesson.
2. Use your favorite ESL lesson plan sequence. It covers all four domains at a good pace, while engaging students at all levels.
What is that ESL lesson plan sequence you ask? Well, here it is.
ESL Lesson Plan Sequence
I begin with a warm-up to transition to working in our small group and to get us ready for the learning ahead. Sometimes it’s a game to review phonics or vocabulary, other times it is a speaking activity.
Next, we discuss the objectives and I tell them the steps we will take so they know what is expected. Then, I teach the skill we are working on to meet the objectives.
After that, we read. Discussion questions continue to address the chosen obectives.
Finally, we respond to the text in writing, share our work, and discuss if we met our goals. That’s it.
K/1 ESL Lesson Plan Example
I’ve shared some of my lesson that got observed on Instagram (above), so here is a different K/1 Newcomer ESL lesson plan example:
1. Review school tools vocabulary that has been taught.
2. Model getting supplies with realia (real objects) to put in your backpack. Teach new vocabulary and the sentence stem. I get my eraser. I get my glue stick. I get my scissors. Practice.
3. Read “Maria and Her Teacher” while asking questions about what Maria is doing to get ready for school. (This is from Reading A-Z, but many books on school tools will do.) Talk about what can go in the backpack with yes or no questions. Can the ruler go in the backpack? Yes. Can her brother go in the backpack? No. Adapt the questions based on the vocabulary and level of the students.
4. Model thinking, drawing, and writing to show what you might get to put in your backpack to get ready for school. Have students draw to show what they would get to put in their backpack to bring to school. Then practice writing: I get my _____.
5. Ask students to share their work with the group, and have them dictate if needed.
6. At the end of the lesson, revisit the objectives.
The school tools cards, sentence stem strip, and backpack worksheet can be found in the resource below. Happy Teaching!
