All You Need is Paper (and a little love) ESL/EFL activities

 So, here we go again! It’s another first day of school with new students, and the butterflies in our stomachs have once again come alive. For me, the first day of class is about building connections. We want to get to know our students’ likes and dislikes, not only to have them practice the English language, but also so that we can show them that we care about who they are. The first day leaves an impression on them. I want to let them know that they are seen, remind them that I’m on their side, and show them that I want them to come back the next day. With my younger students, I’m going to have them write their names and draw, inside their names, things they like. Then, we’ll sit in a circle, and they’ll each share what they drew with the class. I want to use the information they give me on this first day to test their memory on the second day of class. For example, I might ask, “Who has a dog named Jack?” and they will have to tell me the name of that student. Here’s what I wi...

On the first day back to school, I had my new 5th-grade bilingual group talk about their lives. They then wrote their names, decorated the letters, cut them out, folded them and then glued them on yellow craft paper. I asked them to write a positive word for each letter of their name that would describe a liitle who they are. I emphasized that they had to write positive words. When they were done, each student came to the front of the class to share their work. One of the most creatives characteristics was "not dumb" for the letter N. 😊 They were really excited to take their 3D names home to show their families.