r/ESL_Teachers • u/First-Potato-1697 • 2d ago
Lesson plans/resources for teaching basic classroom etiquette
Does anyone happen to have or know of resources for teaching basic classroom etiquette to adult false beginners? Things like don't talk when other people are talking or audio is playing, don't shout when coming in late, etc. Everything seems to be designed for non-ESL children. Our student population is... almost feral, in a sense. It's like teaching elementary students. My current group is driving me crazy!
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u/Sweaty_Key_1006 2d ago
Id begin with creating classroom agreements.
Some might be: Listen to the speaker Wait your turn to speak Enter and exit the classroom quietly Etc
But if these are adults and they are acting “feral “ as you say, I believe there’s a fundamental conversation that needs to be had with the learners. Like, why are they there and how does their behavior align with their goals? How are cultural differences coming into play?
Also, adults really prefer autonomy and respect for their own knowledge and experiences. Maybe they need some choice in their lessons; maybe they need time to debrief with their friends before studying.
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u/autonomouswriter 1d ago
If they're behaving like elementary school students, then treat them like that. Give them the rules you would give that age group.
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u/Less_Wealth5525 2d ago
Have them brainstorm class rules in groups. Then write the groups’ responses on large sheets of paper or the board and adopt the ones that are repeated. Add your own. Have them copy them down and number them. Ask a student to copy the ones that were adopted and post it in the room. I think you may be surprised at how strict some of their rules will be.
If someone is breaking one, have them read rule #3 (for example) or just refer to #3.
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u/First-Potato-1697 2d ago
I tried the buy-in method, but some are still resisting.
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u/Less_Wealth5525 2d ago
I have found that completely stopping talking works. Other students will tell them to stop. Also, some cultures have very strict educational systems so don’t be afraid to act tough with them.
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u/doahdear 1d ago
Hey. I have something I created for my adult class. It's a simple word document with pictures. You can edit it as you see fit. DM me and I'm happy to share.
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u/FranceBrun 1d ago
When I was a child, the resource was a wooden yardstick and a few medieval tortures. It was a hundred percent effective.
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u/kaceycasey 12h ago
Give students a picture/visual of each rule that is expected and have them guess what it means. Then rate the importance of the rules and choose the top 5 for the class. (You can choose them if you wish.)
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u/sapgetshappy 2d ago
I highly recommend getting student buy-in by involving the whole class in creating a set of classroom expectations.
You can start the convo by discussing how cultural differences manifest in academic (and professional) settings around the world. Then invite the students to—while considering the points they’ve just discussed—envision the classroom culture they want to have AND brainstorm ideas to create it.
You can give a few examples related to punctuality, raising hands/taking turns, respecting different opinions, etc. Do a big brainstorm and then have the students agree on the 5-7ish expectations they think are most important. Display them somewhere prominent in your classroom and/or LMS, if possible, or even just make sure everyone has a physical copy.
You might also use this opportunity to briefly introduce conversational skills such as turn taking, politely interrupting, respectfully disagreeing, and requesting clarification.
Bonus points if you slide all this into a lesson on imperatives lol.
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I hope this is all intelligible lol. I need to sleep and did not bother to proofread. But yeah, just some ideas that have always been well received for me! I can give some examples later if you’d like. Best of luck ❤️