Here’s Mido Farid’s game of the week, although this time it’s a very useful classroom control activity:
1. Tell the students that whenever you say “freeze!” they have to stop and remain completely still!
2. Even if they are playing a game or talking in an activity they have to freeze!
3. Give points to team members or individuals who keep frozen even when you try to make them smile!
This is a great idea to do in the first few lessons so that you can always stop the class at any point (for example if you forgot a rule in a game or find kids are all making a common mistake with the English) but as you make it into a fun “game” the kids love it!
The easiest way to teach it in the beginning is with the Eat! Drink! Dance! lessonΒ – where you can also use it to calm down the sugar high younger kids!
Another alternative is to use the “I am a robot!” lessonΒ and use the “switch off” phrase!
IΒ΄ve been using the GenkiΒ΄s ideas in my classes. They really work out! The students love new ideas and I can find them in this fantastic web site. THANKS A LOT.
I have been using the “hand in the air” technique to keep them quiet (everyone has to raise their hands when they are ready to be quiet until everybody does), and for the next two lessons all I had to do was stop talking, and one of the kids got it and raised his hand. I didn’t expect that to happen! Sometimes it is so easy to be a teacher with the help of the kids… I will try to control them with the freeze, I am sure it will work and make them laugh. Thank you for all your ideas.
This has been of paramount importance to me and my students`needs. They enjoy and learn a lot. Activities are so funny that they demand them every class as warm up or a specifis topic ,because there are for everyone and for everything Congratulations and thanks a lot‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘‘