What's the Secret to Making the ESL Back to School Season Smooth and Effective?

The ESL Back to School season doesn't need to be stressful! Read on for easy tips and tricks for a smooth and effective start to the year!

ESL Back to School time can be fun, engaging, and meaningful!

When I think of planing out ESL Back to School routines and procedures, I just get so excited! Back to school is always one of my favorite times of the year; from a fresh planner to new packs of crayons, there’s just magic in the air. Add in English Language Learners, and my heart goes pitter-patter. I know that ESL Back to School time means I’m about to witness an incredible year of growth and is there anything better than that? I don’t think so! 
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Back to school can be a little overwhelming, too! I always have a billion ideas swirling around in my head to sort out, and sometimes, I’m just plain nervous! Whether this is your first time planning ESL Back to School activities or your 30th, I have some tips and tricks to make the first few weeks as smooth as can be! 

Back to School Night

Most of us have a Back to School Night, and this is the PERFECT time to invest in your ESL students. Back to School Nights are an excellent chance for your students to see the classroom, meet their teacher, and just get an overall look at what their school and classroom look like. For your English Language Learners, this night is crucial. These students tend to be a little more overwhelmed than their general education classmates because they might not understand everything that’s being said on the first day of school. Feeling comfortable in the classroom will help them feel at ease on their first day. 

Your ESL families might not know what to expect from Back to School Night. Share as much information as you can!

One important thing to note: many cultures don’t have school events. There are actually several cultures where it’s not appropriate for parents to come to the school! Furthermore, parents might not feel comfortable coming to school for their own reasons, whether they’ve had terrible school experiences or even no experience in school at all. Reach out to your ESL students’ families many times before Back to School Night. Call, text, send home a letter, use a translator. Explain the purpose of the night, where to go when they get to the school, and what to expect once they’re there. Taking out as many barriers as possible and helping families feel comfortable will make all the difference! ​

The First Days of School

So, you’ve made it through Back to School Night, and now you’re wondering how to tackle the first day of school! When planning out ESL first day activities, there’s a simple formula for success! Just make things visual, repetitive, and slow.

There's just three easy steps for a smooth ESL Back to School Season: visual, repetitive, and slow.

Visual
Your ESL students will likely be at different proficiency levels when they enter your classroom. Some might understand every word you say on a typical day, and some might not understand hello. When the brain is stressed, though, logical processing is less effective. That means your students will likely understand less language on the first day of school than they will on a typical school day. Patience is key! So are visuals. 
That doesn’t mean you have to spend tons of time finding a picture for every single thing you’re doing, though! Here are some easy, no-prep ways to add visuals to your first day lessons: 

• Act out essential words. Get that TPR going! 
• Show students exactly what you want them to do, like putting a pencil in the dull bin or writing their name on their paper! 
• Point to things around the room! 
• Have a student demonstrate an action or hold up an item! 
• Draw a picture on the board!
• Use a clock to show the amount of time they’ll have to do an activity! 

Visuals will help your students process language and help them feel “in on” your activities and lessons. You might feel like a fool acting things out (I know I’ve gotten a few weird looks from principals!), but your students will understand you, they’ll feel comfortable, and it will all make the day a lot more FUN! Who wouldn’t want that?
 
Repetitive 
What’s the easiest way to understand what’s expected when you don’t speak the language? Repetition. Repeating things over and over again will help students understand what is happening in your classroom, what is expected of them, and how they can participate. Does this mean repeating the exact same content and boring your students? No way! It does mean creating routines and procedures that stay consistent. Having a consistent routine will also make your life easier as you plan! 
You may feel like your students will get bored, but I promise they’ll just feel more at ease. Change the content and activities as needed, but keep the basic schedule and structure the same. (Bonus points if you use visuals to show the plan to your students!) 
Keeping things repetitive might look something like this: 

• Every day your students come into the classroom and get out a pencil. They answer the question on the board in their notebook. 
• Rotations happen every day. There is always a reading station, a writing station, a listening station, and a station with the teacher. 
• Always turn in papers by the door. Extra papers are always on the counter. 
• Every Friday, there is a quiz on Google Forms. After a quiz, students always have time to read. 

Anything you can do to add routine and repetition to your classroom will help your students feel comfortable and understand what is expected!

When planning ESL Back to School Activities, plan for as much repetition as possible!

Slow
When planning your ESL back-to-school activities, it is so important to remember to go slow. Your students will need extra time to process what is being asked of them, and feeling rushed can make your students feel overwhelmed! Plan on taking things slow for the first few weeks of school, then gradually build up speed. Start with simple texts that introduce what you will be doing in class. Build in extra time for practicing routines and explaining directions. All your students will benefit from the added clarity and the stress-free start to the year. Are you worried about early finishers? Let them read or work on homework! No need to create more work for yourself. As a bonus, your early finisher students will be sure to appreciate the time to get work done! 

ESL Back to School Games

You didn’t think I’d suggest keeping back to school all business, did you? Games are the perfect way to get students involved, making friends, and having fun in your classroom! When planning ESL back to school games, remember to keep things visual, repetitive, and slow—no need to introduce extra-competitive games with complicated rules. Keeping games fun, easy to follow, and free of academics will help build a strong community in your classroom! Here are a few of my favorite games for the first weeks of school: 

• Silent Ball: This is always a class favorite! Get a small ball (or a waded-up piece of paper). Have students stand in a circle or sit on top of their desks. Students pass the ball around the room completely silently. If they make any verbal noise or drop the ball, they’re out! Students who are out should sit at their seats and act as judges. The last one standing (or on top of their desk!) wins! 
  • This game is especially great for pre-literacy and pre-emergent ESL students, as the expectation is no talking! Students of all levels can participate. 
• Group Count: This is an excellent game for those few extra minutes at the end of class. Start by saying the number “one.” Students then try to count to 20 as a group. The catch? Only one student can say each number, and students cannot verbalize any strategy. If students repeat a number or start to talk strategies, start back at one. I usually introduce this game without directions. Just say “one” and wait...they’ll catch on quick! 
  • I love the low language entry point for Group Count! 
• Heads Up Seven Up: You know the deal. Students put their heads down and their thumbs up. The seven students who are “it” pick one student and silently touch their thumb. When everyone is finished, the picked students stand up and guess who touched them!
  • Another great game with no language required! Be sure to act out all the expectations on this one before starting! The nuances can be a bit tricky. 

When it comes to ESL Back to School Games, just remember: the less talking, the better!

Start slow and demonstrate how to play each game with your class. Your students should catch on to all of them quickly! As far as repetition goes…. Play the game you picked for the entire week! Your students will look forward to game time, know exactly how to play, and work on strategies and teamwork. What a fantastic opportunity for learning together!

No-prep, differentiated resources for ESL Back to School