Responsibility vs Spontaneity: no-prep lesson plan

Let me put it straight: I find educational systems oppressive per se. It doesn’t mean I believe all teachers should get carte blanche and teach only the way they want, but if we want to grow our students into individuals full of integrity and self-confidence, we simply have to allow teachers to include something individual into the curriculum.

Some time ago, I watched a short film by Walt Disney Animation Studios from 2016. It’s a simple story about Paul… and his Brain, Heart, Lungs, Stomach and even Bladder and Kidneys that wake up on a typical day for work. Now, this film immediately brought me back to the first week of the new school year when my brain goes let’s do this, let’s be more productive! and my heart goes more into it’s September, such a beautiful month! go hiking! enjoy the last moments of summer… and that’s why I decided to make a short no-prep lesson plan where your students can talk about holidays, school, more or less realistic resolutions… and fun!

Lesson: Responsibility vs Spontaneity
Time: 45 mins
Age: 12+
Level: A2+
Areas covered: vocabulary: parts of body, daily routine/ grammar: narrative tenses, conditionals, modal verbs/ UoE: giving advice, plans for the future

Introduction (5 min)

Brainstorm the most annoying questions we ask/ answer in the classroom after holidays. Once the list is complete and your students are relaxed, tell them you are going to be very very serious and talk about their responsibilities! After all education is very important, so you won’t waste time on talking about holidays.

If you can, try to make them believe you’re really serious!

New (school) year resolutions (10 min)

You may either work in pairs/ groups or with the whole classroom.

Ask your students to discuss their previous experiences with the resolutions they make in the beginning of a school year. Completing homework on time? Passing all the tests? Not participating in school dramas? Finally talking to a crush? Discuss the most common ideas (you may write them down on the board) and focus on those connected with the education – how many of those resolutions are kept? When (and why) do we fail?

Now, discuss what students would really want to change in their school – not only in the system, but also in the classroom. Is it possible? Why – and why not?

Let’s watch a film: Inner Workings (10 min)

Tell your students you are going to watch a short animation about a man named Paul and his everyday life.

You can stop the film in the appropriate moments to check comprehension and ask “what do you think will happen now” – then watch on to check. Give your students some time to comment on the animation.

Responsibility vs Spontaneity: discussion (15 min)

You may either work in pairs/ groups or with the whole classroom.

Ask your students which is more important – responsibility (aka Brain) or spontaneity (aka Heart). Once they decide the proportions between them, ask them to brainstorm on particular activities in pairs or in groups (eg. 5 minutes of English daily and 25 minutes of playing a favourite game). Then ask them to make a list of resolutions that will make not only their brains happy, but also their hearts. They can write it down and check it in June – which resolutions will be kept, I wonder.

Well, no, actually I don’t wonder 😉

Summary and homework (5 min)

And as to homework – this one is for you, dear teacher. Think about your classroom as of a body full of various organs with various needs and purposes. Think about the ways you can make your teaching more individualised, varied and more responsive.

And remember: make some space for simple joy!