As a storytelling fanatic, I find it hard to hide my excitement when Halloween rolls around. There’s nothing like the power of suggestion, some creepy music and an endless supply of curiosity to really get the creative juices overflowing. So, on a sensory overload, I thought I’d share with you all this lesson I wrote for a group of C1 Advanced learners which is sure to promote lots of discussion and get pulses racing! I recently watched a brilliant 60 second documentary about creepy dolls and the (much braver than me) people who collect them. Fascinated and slightly disturbed I thought I’d put ..read more

Here in Europe, the summer sun is finally setting and swimming costumes are starting to be replaced with school uniforms once again. As classes begin to kick off and teambuilding comes the fore-front, I thought I’d suggest some back to school activities that you might want to try with your classes to get your school year off to a bang! 1. Everything I’m Not Have you ever been in a work or social situation where someone has asked that awful question, “Tell me something about yourself,” and your brain has gone blank? It’s a terrible question really; do you want to know my deepest darkest secrets ..read more

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to adjust to life on another planet? In keeping with my last lesson on space tourism, here’s another lesson on the theme of space travel. Instead of thinking about life on another planet, this lesson explores what it’s like for astronauts to readjust to life on Earth after long and arduous trips into the great unknown. With life down on Earth looking a little grim thanks to the social, ecological and political changes over the last few years, turning our attention to the galaxy has got many people dreaming about life on another planet. In this lesso ..read more

The space race has gone commercial! With the boom in recent space tourism, there is one cost that even the wealthiest of billionaires can’t cover: the environmental cost. The recent antics of the world’s richest at a time where many people are worried about their own futures seems, at best, crass, but discovering what happens to decommissioned rockets, satellites, and other space junk inspired me to write this lesson plan. Aimed at B2 students, the lesson explores the ethics around space tourism concerning its environmental impact. Lesson Overview This 60+ minute B2 lesson starts with some wor ..read more

After the excitement of IATEFL and being the sort of person who is always seeking a new challenge, I decided to use some of my IATEFL scholarship money (there’s still a few days for you to apply for a 2022 scholarship, if you haven’t already) and sign up for a course on Materials Writing with the wonderful John Hughes through Oxford Teachers Academy. And what a great course it was! John guided us through the nuts and bolts of what’s needed to create effective ELT materials, looking at the different sub-skills, and patiently answering all of our questions. It’s been great to connect with people ..read more

Here is my latest lesson plan encouraging students to express their opinions about the climate crisis using modifiers with comparative structures. Lesson Overview Lesson Objectives Learners will be able to discuss environmental issues using topic vocabulary and modifying comparative structures. Learners will develop critical thinking skills as they work collaboratively to devise a video script or storyboard to raise awareness for environmental issues. 60 min+ lesson for a group of strong intermediate or upper-intermediate students which sees learners discuss their views on different environm ..read more

It was a hot afternoon in June 2019 when I stumbled across a post on Twitter publicising the fast-approaching deadline for the IATEFL scholarship programme. As I clicked on the link and read the information I realised that this could be my way of attending the conference which I had never managed to up until this point. If the IATEFL conference is one that you would like to attend or present at but feels unattainable, read on and find out why I think you should apply for a scholarship now. I hadn’t ever considered the IATEFL scholarship programme but reading about it made me realise how access ..read more

 I’ve seen lots of fantastic posts recently from teachers about the last year of teaching online and all the challenges it has thrown up. Freeed have dedicated March to being the anniversary of remote learning with lots of insightful articles and lesson ideas about teaching during the last year.  So, as I settle down to spend a second Easter in lockdown during the third wave here in Italy, I think it’s only right to pause for a moment, catch my breath and reflect on how my teaching has changed over the past twelve months. When I think about how I feel about the past year, I’m hit by ..read more

If you’re looking for an eggs-cellent Easter activity (cringe), why not try my Easter escape room? It’s really easy to set up and your teens are sure to love trying to crack the code! How to use it Make a copy of my google form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ulsSedHKalyjnbe9hWGMEYx9tFl3l7CFk0oIwCfSbY4/copy Click on the purple send button in the top right hand corner to share with your students. You can choose to share the link, email it or embed it as HTML. Students will then open the Google Form, enter their full name and be asked to click on the link which takes them to the game pres ..read more

Following up from my last post on fostering emotional literacy in the ELT classroom, I want to share with you today a quick and easy activity that can help promote kindness and build a classroom community. With my very young learners I have introduced an appreciation board to make students recognise their own actions and behaviours and those of their classmates. At the end of each lesson I dedicate five minutes for students to individually nominate one student who has done something they are grateful for and I ask them to write a thank you note. I can introduce ambitious language through sente ..read more