Changes in Your Classroom: no-prep lesson plan

I think the best moment in January to start introducing changes is the end of the month. The New Year Resolutions are now the song of the past. Still, January is the first month of the year, so people are still open for changes.

But what changes? you may ask, and let me answer straight away: I don’t know. I think the changes should be made by your students and you – so why not have a lesson on the changes your students need? Make students use English in the most relevant way: to create a positive change in their immediate environment! And you, as their teacher, make sure to listen to them carefully.

Ready? Let’s go!

Lesson: Changes
Activity: speaking, communication
Age: 12+
Level: A2 and above
Time: 45 min
Type of work: groupwork
Vocabulary: connected with classroom language, various aspects of learning etc.
Grammar: conditionals, future tenses

Introduction: 5 min

Start the lesson with a quick discussion about change. Ask students how they feel about change and if they have experienced any recent changes in their lives. You may talk about New Year resolutions, whether they work or not and what makes these resolutions so prone to failure yet so popular. You may also make a list of the most popular resolutions. Then introduce the topic of “classroom changes”. Explain that today you will work on deciding which one thing you all would like to change in the classroom.

Brainstorming: 10 min

Divide students into groups and ask each student to write down one idea for a classroom change on a piece of paper. Then ask them to share their ideas within the group and discuss the reasons behind their proposed changes. After the discussion, invite a few students to share their ideas with the whole class. Write these ideas on the whiteboard or flip chart.

Preparation for discussion: 5 min

Depending on the ideas, divide the similar ideas into groups, e.g. “classroom rules”, “exercises”, “communication”, “materials”, etc. Then divide the students into the same groups so that each area is covered – their task will be to discuss the ideas and choose the best ones.

Discussion: 10 min

Encourage group discussions about the proposed changes. Students should choose one change that would be the most beneficial to introduce. Ask them to express their opinions on each idea, its potential benefits and drawbacks. Ask questions to guide the discussion, such as “How do you think this change will impact our classroom?” or “What challenges might we face in implementing this change?”

Presentation: 10 min

Each groups presents their chosen proposal, especially its benefits and potential challenges. You should appreciate students’ ideas and emphasize the importance of their input. Explain that you will consider all options presented and choose one of the suggested changes. Then you will all implement it in the classroom.

Summing up: 5 min

Highlight all the grammar and vocabulary your students revised and learned during the lesson. Ask students to reflect on the lesson and share their thoughts on the chosen change. Did they find the activity engaging? How do they feel about the selected changes?

If you want to assign homework, you may ask your students to write a short paragraph about how the chosen change might impact their learning experience.

Don’t forget to present the option you’ve chosen on the next lesson, and make sure to discuss with the students why you are selecting that particular change! You should also include this change in your class contract, so that everyone remembers it.

As you can see, this no-prep lesson plan encourages student engagement, discussion, and active participation in suggesting and implementing changes in the classroom. I think the best part of this plan is that the lesson itself will depend on the group you teach – they will have different needs, ideas and implementation plans. And that’s something we should always remember – no two groups, and no two students are the same.

Enjoy!