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

No matter how old my students are, we always start the class by me asking them how they are, or sometimes them asking each other. To help with this opening routine, I made this feelings wheel and now when I ask my fourth-graders how they are, they use a clothespin to attach to the image of how they are feeling. Recently, I've been choosing a mini-teacher and they have to choose 3 students and ask them how they are. They then show the class the student's answer on the feelings wheel and ask the class how he or she is. The class has to give a complete answer, he or she is excited, for example. In a classroom where I can't use screens, this wheel has been a great helper.  

 I made a cardboard stand for that last minute substitution we might have to do. It has the opening routine with how are you, how old are you, what's the day, how's the weather, and letter of the day. The right side has community helpers kids have to match to their locations of work, two envelopes with memory games that can be changed, and an envelpoe with different words that can be used for a spelling bee or just a spelling activity. Everything was easy and fun to make. Depending on the age of your students, they could help make this. 😉

    The new year has begun and we're starting off strong. I asked my second-grade class to create little paper monsters to discuss their family routines. Rather than discussing their own routines, they came up with routines for their monster families. It was easy and fun for them to create, and not at all scary. Some monsters didn't have mouths, so the kids said they couldn't brush their teeth in the morning All in all, it was a great activity that allowed the students to use their creativity and imagination.  😉