Nov 7

How Not to Run Out of Time: A CELTA Story

CELTA tips
Why Your Lessons Run Out of Time (and How to Fix It)...
Ever planned a beautifully structured lesson, only to realise halfway through that the clock has betrayed you?
I've watched countless CELTA trainees do the same so in this video, I’m sharing the story of a fictional CELTA lesson (but so based on real life) that looked perfectly timed on paper… until spontaneous stories, unexpected questions and over-enthusiastic explanations pushed everything off track.
Video transcript - Where Did the Time Go?

If you’ve ever come to the end of your lesson BEFORE you got to the end of your plan, you are SO not alone. See if this scenario rings bells for you.

I had a plan. A really good one.

Lead-in: 5 minutes
Clarify the grammar: 10 minutes
Controlled practice: 8 minutes
Freer practice: 15 minutes
Feedback and wrap-up: 5 minutes
Total: 43 minutes. Boom.

Except… it didn’t quite play out like that.

The lead-in took nearly ten minutes because I got caught up in a spontaneous (but very funny) story about losing my passport. Then, during the clarification, I asked, “Any questions?”… and one student asked a question I hadn’t anticipated. I panicked slightly, gave a long-winded explanation and somehow we were still in clarification at minute 27.

When I glanced at the clock, I realised I hadn’t even started the practice tasks yet.

I rushed through the controlled practice, skipped part of the freer practice and didn’t really have time for feedback. I wrapped up the lesson with “Thanks everyone!” and an awkward little wave. I smiled, but inside I was mortified.

The learners were lovely about it. But I left the classroom feeling like I’d only delivered the first half of the lesson I’d planned.

Oh dear. In my 25 years as a CELTA trainer, I’ve seen this play out SO many times in teaching practice, especially when the lesson has a PPP structure like this one does. It’s just so easy for the more authentic practice activity to fall off the end of the lesson. Let’s imagine we’re in feedback after this lesson. Here are the kind of questions I might be asking. What are your answers?

  1. Why do you think timing is so difficult to manage during early teaching practice? What factors throw it off most often?
  2. What are the possible consequences of poor timing in a lesson… for the learners and for the teacher?
  3. In this lesson, what might the trainee have done differently to adjust to the unexpected delays?
  4. How do you personally plan for timing?
  5. What’s more important in a CELTA lesson: completing every stage exactly as planned or meeting your aims? Why?
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Gently Offered Advice

Have you got some answers? I hope thinking about these things was helpful.

Timing issues are incredibly common, especially when you’re still learning to ‘read the room’ and manage transitions.

Planning conservatively can help. If you think something will take 5 minutes, give it 7 or 8. Then have an extra practise activity up your sleeve just in case everything goes a bit faster than you think.

Include flexi-stages (‘If you have time” or “Skip if needed” stages in your lesson plan.

In conjunction with that, keep an eye on the clock and don’t be afraid to make real-time decisions. If your lead-in runs long, consider shortening your clarification or simplifying your practice stage.

This one is important. Always prioritise meaningful practice over lengthy teacher talk or complex board work.

Practise your instructions and explanations in advance. Even a quick rehearsal out loud can help with pacing.

And lastly, remember: you’re learning. Each lesson helps you develop that internal clock. It’ll come.

Want more help and support with CELTA and beyond? Check out my website at ET-Training. Hope to see you there.

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