[liebkostdrache]

Wow, do I have my work cut out! I'll have a kids' camp coming up, beginning Monday (!!)and the kids are a wide variety of ages from just turned 9 to going to turn 13. It's a group of 8, 6 boys and 2 girls, and I'll have them from 930am to 230pm for 5 days in a row. As you can imagine...I'm running out of ideas! The kids go to a French school here in Germany, so tend to be a bit more advanced, but with this group, I've got the random lot...total beginners to those with A2 skills. I'm planning a 'restaurant/food/eating out' theme for the week, with the final presentations being a class restaurant the students essentially 'create' from menu, to staff, to colors with specific targeted vocabulary, as well as grammar structures 'I'll have', 'I'd like..' and so on associated with eating out and placing orders. I've scoured the web the past couple nights and have some basics, but I fear they are either a. too easy or b. to complex for the ages I'll have.

My problem is, I don't want the older kids to get bored, or the younger ones too antsy..any suggestions for good motivators, worksheets or activities? Unfortunately, I won't be able to take the kiddies out to run...essentially we're shut in together in a fairly small classroom. I'm to use a certain template for this camp, but unfortunately, I didn't even know I had the camp until this past Thursday, and my direct supervisor failed to give me a heads up on the kids, the template (didn't email it to me), and there is no material whatsoever for me to use...I'm free flying here folks! I also have limited materials at hand, and can't afford to go out and supply myself (and the camp) with a lot.

Thanks a bunch!

-one stressed out teacher-

[bread_baker]

Definitely look at this website. It's a goldmine of free resources, and it will take you awhile to explore it.
Free Printables for Teachers | flashcards, printable games, worksheet templates, phonics materials, ESL printables, conversational activities

I would suggest that on the first day you conduct some icebreakers and also use some activities that will let you see what skills your students have.

[liebkostdrache]

Great thank you! I'll definitely take a look

[bread_baker]

Run a search on this website with the word "icebreaker" and you will find some activities you may like.
Also, if possible, find some activities that take at least 30 minutes of class time. That way you don't need too many activities each day.
Some place, I can't remember where, I saw this activity that looked like a ton of fun. The students work in groups (you set the size) and each group creates a menu for a restaurant. Not only that, but they create the dishes, and you encourage them to be as creative as possible. Maybe someone comes up with "fish in chocolate sauce." The dishes don't necessarily need to be appealing! This for sure will be good for a lot of laughs. Plus the students have to write the menus and you can turn this part into an art project too. What do you think?

[bread_baker]

After you have the menus, you can start to do role plays with them. Some students are customers, other students are waiters.

[liebkostdrache]

wonderful! Thanks! I was a little nervous about a restaurant theme, especially with so many boys, but think it will work I found a nice project for restaurant/menu creation at MES (i think), so will definitely use that and have based some activities and role plays around it. this will definitely be interesting, so I'll pop in after the day is finished to give a 'report' thanks for all the tips and advice! now, i must finish up (nothing like an entire weekend being consumed with things still left undone on the day you are to begin!)

[liebkostdrache]

Ha ha! Joke's on me Nothing like a class where you have only 3 students who WANT to learn, and 5 boys who are completely out of control, behavioral/discipline problems, extremely distracting, beyond hyper, and say directly to you as their teacher "I don't want to be here." Great grammar, but makes for an extremely tough job, and I've had a lot of children. I genuinely like the kids...ages 9-13...and at 4 different levels of ability .

However, I actually told my director today, that essentially, I felt like a baby-sitter, not a professional.

Any suggestions for dealing with this? I have 4 more days with these kids, no chance of going outdoors to let them run during breaks, TPR activities only charge them up more instead of wearing them out, games semi-work, but they become too excited (hence extremely loud and bouncing up and down), they will not follow rules, nor remain in their seats. They whip through exercises, projects, drills, faster than I can pass out them out, and role plays are a complete disaster with this group...they decide to do a bit of 'improv' and it's not just language..it's adding running around, hitting, pulling hair and so on! Plus, they are ready to go home by 1pm, and I have them until 2:30.

I've asked to split the group up, but that is a "no-go". I want to help those 3 students who WANT to be there, but find myself having to deal with constant distractions by the other students. Apparently, this is 'normal' for the boys. (I asked the mothers after class today.) It's ironic, my younger students (anywhere from 5-9) are exceptionally well behaved, helpful, eager, and productive

Any suggestions, ideas, activities for these guys would be fantastic! I've run the gamut on my 'old reliables and emergency kits', the 'silent treatment', reduction of break time, ticks on the board next to their names, rewards--physical and verbal--and could really use some input if anyone else has experienced this and dealt with it successfully or has any other ideas! I don't know quite what to do...I have NEVER experienced this before, especially having to run through a complete bag of tricks for management the first day. Exhausting. :|


Again, thanks for any input...I sure could use it! Even my director isn't quite sure what to do at this point...

-at a loss-

[liebkostdrache]

Things are finally going better. I now have 3 classes within the class. That's tough, and keeps me very busy hopping from group to group (I had to physically separate them into different tables and areas of the room) but giving each 'class' a project that is different seems to be working, but even then, the children are reluctant to 'work', so I try to make it fun. Today we'll try creating our own adventure game. We'll see how that works...I'll give each group a different 'job' for the game, but I'll have to act quickly...these kids are 'finished!' with being there at 11:30! I've switched the focus to 'Illustration and Stories' with a different topic each day. So far, it's working! Now, I'll just need to put together the 'Camp Magazine', take some photos, get the kids to keep putting their work on the walls instead of trying to sneak it home, and keep giving the rewards and daily 'good student' type certificates to those who earn it. Any suggestions for keeping them focused now that they've calmed down a bit?

[bread_baker]

I think you will find ideas for rewards at this site.

Free Printables for Teachers | flashcards, printable games, worksheet templates, phonics materials, ESL printables, conversational activities

[davidwilsoon]

Quote liebkostdrache

wonderful! Thanks! I was a little nervous about a restaurant theme, especially with so many boys, but think it will work I found a nice project for restaurant/menu creation at MES (i think), so will definitely use that and have based some activities and role plays around it. this will definitely be interesting, so I'll pop in after the day is finished to give a 'report' thanks for all the tips and advice! now, i must finish up (nothing like an entire weekend being consumed with things still left undone on the day you are to begin!)

Any suggestions for dealing with this? I have 4 more days with these kids, no chance of going outdoors to let them run during breaks, TPR activities only charge them up more instead of wearing them out, games semi-work, but they become too excited (hence extremely loud and bouncing up and down), they will not follow rules, nor remain in their seats. They whip through exercises, projects, drills, faster than I can pass out them out, and role plays are a complete disaster with this group...they decide to do a bit of 'improv' and it's not just language..it's adding running around, hitting, pulling hair and so



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