Knowing students before teaching them helps both the teacher and the
student! Of course assessing the proficiency level of a student helps the
teacher know where to start, and knowing something about students'
personalities, strengths, challenges, and background helps teachers create a
positive learning environment for them. But just as
important (if not more
important) as what the teacher knows, is the need for the student to feel trust
- to have some kind of relationship allows the student to feel safe and valued.
Students are more likely to try, to have courage, and to be teachable when
they feel seen, valued, and known by the teacher.
Students getting to know one another is also important. For many, having a
feeling of trust among the class give them the courage to try new skills. Fear
of mistakes is much more manageable when we feel that our classmates are
encouraging, understanding, and want to see us succeed.
The game in this lesson plan is easier the more English a student knows, but
students starting out in an English class for the first time will benefit from
using a tool like Google Translate to help them identify the words they want to
use to list facts about themselves.
