15 unique ways to welcome your students

Beginning a lesson is just as important as the lesson itself. As a teacher, you have the opportunity to create an engaging atmosphere and motivate students to stay focused. It’s easy for students to become disinterested if you ask the same question every week, receiving the same type of answers each time. Therefore, introduce engaging ESL class starters to break the routine and captivate your students’ attention.

In the upcoming academic year, my resolution is to begin each class with a varied question. This change should keep my students engaged and prompt them to provide diverse sets of answers. If you find yourself repeating content and struggling to engage your students, have a look and think about incorporating some of the ideas I plan to implement in my classroom this year.

Variations of ‘How are you?’

I really dislike asking this question. Every time I ask it, I feel like it’s so basic and I regret asking it immediately. It’s not a bad question, but it usually just gets the same I’m fine. Thanks. every single time. Here are some other ways to ask the same question and get more detailed answers.

1. What’s new? – This question is an easy way to help students focus on recent changes and experiences while discussing their mood.
2. How’s your week been so far? – Similarly to the question above, this question helps students concentrate on their experiences within a narrower timeframe, potentially leading to reflections and deeper conversations about their week.
3. How are things (with you these days? / going for you now?) – In this more casual variation of How are you? students experience a more natural way of speaking while reflecting on their personal and professional lives.
4. What’s going on? – This question might be initially misunderstood, but it could also be an interesting way to show students that a question can have more than one meaning.
5. How’s your energy level today? – This question can lead to deeper conversation as it encourages students to talk about their current physical and emotional state and explain the reasons for it.

I am definitely going to try to use a blend of these questions to keep my students engaged, and hopefully, it will produce some intriguing results.

If it’s your first lesson with the students, you might want to start things off by getting them chatting with each other. It’s a great way to help them bond right from the start. If you’re wondering what that could look like, check out my lesson idea, Introduce your classmate, where students introduce each other, putting them in charge of the presentations.

Inviting a discussion

Consider moving away from asking the typical How are you? and instead use engaging ESL class starters to encourage students to open up about their lives, feelings, and current situations. Here are some sample questions and the reasons for asking them.

1. Reflecting on positive moments

I usually prefer to begin my classes on a positive note. I see my lessons as an opportunity to provide an escape from the daily grind, so I often begin by reflecting on positive moments. There are several ways to start the class and create an optimistic atmosphere.

• What made you smile today?
• What’s been the highlight of your week so far?
• What’s one thing you’re grateful for today?

2. Creatively reflecting on your mood

If you are currently practising the second conditional, you can use these questions to creatively reflect on your day. However, you are not restricted to just the second conditional; feel free to expand on this idea in various ways

• If you could describe today in one word, what would it be?
• If your day was a headline, what would it say?
• If your day was a weather forecast, what would it look like?

3. Complaining and venting

You can also encourage students to reflect on their day creatively, even if it involves negative aspects. Let’s face it, not every day is perfect, and it’s important to give students an outlet to release their stress. You can still ask them the same questions as before, but this time, focus on the negative aspects of their day.

• If you could change one thing about today, what would it be?
• What’s something you’ve been struggling with recently?
• What’s something challenging that’s happened to you recently?

4. Talking about goals and plans

Of course, we aim to keep our lessons positive. You can help students step away from negativity by encouraging them to focus on their goals and plans. This can help clear their minds and think positively about the future.

• What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this week?
• What’s something new you’ve learned recently? / What’s a skill or hobby you would like to improve in the next few months?
• What’s something exciting you have planned for the future?

5. Being vulnerable

I always strive to create an inviting environment for my students, where they feel safe to be vulnerable. If you believe that your students could benefit from discussing their problems in a neutral and supportive setting, you could provide them with that space. Although you are not a therapist, over time, students may come to see you as a trusted person in their lives and feel comfortable sharing their experiences with you. You can initiate these conversations by asking the following questions.

• Is there anything you wish you could talk about but haven’t had the chance to?
• How do you feel about where you are in life right now?
• Is there something that’s been weighing on your mind lately?

These are some ideas that I plan to use in my classroom. I believe that varying the questions with engaging ESL class starters could encourage students to be more attentive at the start of the lesson and also prompt them to elaborate on their answers and discuss their current thoughts in more detail. It is important to note that not all of the questions are suitable for every student, and they should be selected accordingly. Remind your students that they are never required to discuss anything that makes them uncomfortable or consider too personal to share in class. Ultimately, aim to create a safe and open environment where students feel free to express whatever is on their minds!

There are tons of other places to discover fun ways to begin your class. For example, The TEFL Zone often shares cool ideas for starting your lessons, like Her Favourite Warmers or small-talk with a spin, which students will actually remember for a while.

Do you have any favourite methods for welcoming your students? What are your resolutions for the upcoming academic year?