Staying Relaxed in Class: No-Prep Lesson Plan

As you know, I’ve been sharing my no-prep lesson plans for a while. I always make sure to emphasise the *no-prep* part, as I believe you already have a lot on your plate, so creating a lesson scenario where you’d need to prepare additional materials sometimes is just too much.

Plus, this February is a month I want you to celebrate chill and relaxation, so creating a no-prep lesson plan is quite obvious.

As a teacher, and as a director of studies, I’ve been observing students (and teachers) for a while now, and I think we all could use some relaxation. I shared some of my favourite activities in my previous post (click!) but I believe you and your students may have completely different needs. That’s why this lesson plan not only addresses the importance of staying relaxed in class but also transforms the learning environment into a space where students can unwind and thrive.

So, grab a seat, take a deep breath, and let’s see how we can make our classrooms a haven of relaxation and learning with this no-prep lesson plan!

Lesson: Forms of in-class relaxation
Age: 13+
Level: A2 and above
Time: 45 mins
Type of work: groupwork, presentation, role-play
Vocabulary: relaxation, chill, stress relief, methods, strategies
Grammar: constructions connected with giving advice

Introduction: 5 min

Begin by discussing the importance of relaxation and chilling, even in a classroom setting. Ask students when they feel overwhelmed and when they need to relax during your course: is it before the test? During revision? After introducing new and complex grammar structures? Also, ask them if they have specific strategies for relaxing during class.

Brainstorming: 10 min

Divide students into small groups and ask them to brainstorm the best ways to chill in a classroom. Encourage them to think about both mental and physical strategies. If you want to have some fun (and if your students allow it), ask them to consider both socially acceptable (e.g., yawning) and unacceptable (e.g., sleeping) ways of classroom relaxation. After brainstorming, ask each group to share their ideas with the class. Together, decide which methods are the most promising in your classroom.

Discussion: 10 min

Again, divide the class into small groups and assign each group a specific method of in-class chill from the brainstorming session – choose from the ones your class decided to be the most promising. In their groups, students discuss the advantages and potential drawbacks of their assigned method. Then each group presents their findings to the class. Make sure to encourage discussion and interaction!

Role-play: 10 min

Ask students to prepare short role-plays where the stressed person needs to be helped to chill in the classroom. They assign roles among themselves (e.g. teacher, student, someone stressed, etc.) and act out a short scene introducing a stressful situation mitigated by using the relaxation technique.

Presentation: 8 min

Each group acts out the scenario in front of the class. They try incorporating the relaxation methods discussed earlier. Which group created the funniest scenario? Which one was the craziest?

Summing up: 2 min

Recap the various methods discussed during the lesson, revise grammar, vocabulary and constructions used during the lesson. Encourage students to apply these strategies in their daily lives to enhance their learning experience. If you want to assign homework, you may ask students to write a short reflection on the effectiveness of one of the in-class chill methods discussed.

Remember to adapt the plan to the dynamics of your class, and feel free to make any adjustments to better suit the needs of your students – I hope you and your students will create some space for much-needed relaxation.

Enjoy!