My new favourite GTKY for one to one classes
Particularly good for first classes with low level private students. It’s the simplest thing in the world and it goes like this:
- Ask the student some questions about themselves whose answer will lead to a drawing or a word or two next to a drawing, e.g. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” (picture of two younger brothers), “How old are you?” (number under a stick man to represent them) or “Do you live in a house or a flat?” and draw or write their answer. Continue until you’ve done about 15 questions. After running through what questions you used if they seem like they need it, ask your student to come up to the board to ask you the same (or similar) questions and draw your answers on the board next to your drawings about them. You can then write full sentences and/ or questions next to the drawings as the final stage if you like.
This my new favouritest activity because:
- Because you are going to draw their answers, you can also easily draw to illustrate what the question means if they don’t understand
- Ditto for them if they can’t articulate their answer
- They get just enough support for the question stage
- Either of you can go off topic and extend the conversation if you want to, but it’s easily to stick to the task or get back on task if you want to do that instead
- It’s really easy to tie in with whatever the first point in the book or syllabus might be
- It’s a good diagnostic task
Am planning on doing a whole article on ice breakers with one to one classes soon, so other ideas very gratefully received.
More on drawing in class in the Draw on Drawing Games series (first published in MET):
Competition, challenges and cooperation
