Video Timeline
00:00 Introduction
01:06 – The Rambler
01:55 – The Mystery Task
02:35 – The Teacher Commentator
03:27 – The Overloader
04:08 – The Clockless Task
04:48 – The “Any Questions?” Trap
05:50 – The Worst Question
6:31 – Final tip: The power of demonstration
Video transcript
Picture this: You've just given what you
thought were crystal-clear instructions. You look out at your class and... a
sea of blank faces stare back at you like you've just spoken ancient Greek.
Sound familiar?
Bad instructions don't just confuse students,
they kill lessons. But the good news is that most instruction disasters follow
the same seven patterns and once you know what they are, you can fix them. Stay
to the end for my best instruction tip too.
I’m Jo Gakonga, CELTA tutor and assessor and a woman who’s heard a lot
of instructions in her time… the good, the bad and the ‘Wait, what are we doing
again?’ If you like this, please do the like/ subscribe dance and check out my
website for lots more support for CELTA and beyond.
Right. Let’s get going.
1. The Rambler
Don’t say this:
"OK, so what I’d like you to do now is maybe… well…
if you could just get into pairs, but not with the person next to you because
you always work together, maybe behind you, and then, um, we’ll look at… oh, I
should explain this bit first…"
Say this:
"Work with your partner. Read the text and underline the adjectives.
Two minutes. Go."
Why:
Keep it short, clear, and in the right order. Then stop talking.
2. The Mystery Task
Don’t do this:
Silently hands out worksheet. Stands back. Waits for magic to happen.
Say this:
"I want you to listen and write the answers. You have 2 minutes to read
the questions first. (2 mins later) Ready?"
Why:
Always tell them what to do before they start. Don’t make them guess.
3. The Teacher Commentator
Don’t say this:
"Right, so here’s a worksheet- I’ve got one for each of you, oh, where
did I put them? Oh, they’re here on my desk. I want you to read the article. I’ll
just write the title up for you on the board. Let me find my board marker. Has
anyone seen it? Thanks Philippe. Right – I’ll move over so you can see…. And
answer the questions”.
Say this:
“Read the article and answer the questions”.
Why: They
don’t need to know what you’re thinking. At lower levels especially it’s
probably just a wall of sound. Just tell them what to do.
4. The Overloader
Don’t say this:
"OK, so read the article, answer the questions 1-5,
then compare with your partner, then write a short summary of the main points,
and if you have time, prepare a short presentation…"
Say this:
“First I want you to read the article and answer the
questions”.
Why: Give
one instruction at a time. You’ll only have to repeat the next step again
anyway, so keep it simple.
5. The Clockless Task
Don’t say this:
"Work through the questions."
(20 minutes later: still on Question 2.)
Say this:
"You have four minutes for the questions. Go."
Why: Time
limits focus attention and create energy. It really helps learners to stay on
track.
A quick caveat with this one, though. You
don’t ALWAYS have to give a time. Vary your approach to keep it fresh.
6. The ‘Any Questions?’ Trap
Don’t say this:
"Any questions?"
(Cue: awkward silence. Even the learners who do have questions stay
quiet because they’re embarrassed and some of the ones who don’t understand,
don’t KNOW that they don’t.)
Say this:
“Are you working alone or in pairs?
(They answer: "Pairs.")
“Do you have to do exercise 3?” (They answer: No- just 2 and 4)
Why: Use
ICQs (Instruction Checking Questions) - targeted questions to check they understand.
Again though, there’s a caveat here. These
kinds of questions can sound really patronising if they’re overdone. Make sure
you’re checking things that might confuse them.
7. The Worst Question
Finally, and in a similar vein to the Any
questions trap, DON’T ask:
“Do you all understand?”
They probably won’t tell you if they don’t
and (even worse) they might THINK they understand but have got the wrong end of
the stick.
"So, there you have it: seven instruction fails to avoid on CELTA… and
exactly what to say instead. Remember: be clear, be brief and check they get it
before you let them loose.
As a final tip: remember that a DEMONSTRATION
is ALWAYS a good idea and the easiest way to explain any activity. Use one of
your stronger learners to show them what to do.
Which of these have you been guilty of? Be
brave and drop it in the comments. I promise I won’t judge!"
