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Useful Stuff for Teachers


This is a collection of blank grids, customisable worksheets, and miscellaneous printable resources for teachers. I developed these materials over the years to help me with various aspects of lesson planning.

The worksheets are in PDF form, so to view, save and print them you will need Adobe Acrobat.

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Click on the contents list to go to the grids you want to see, or scroll down for the full list.


Contents:


Please note that for the "Before" and "After" flashcards, and the Picture Writing worksheets you will need pictures from newspapers or magazines.

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Useful Stuff for Teachers

  1. Blank Board Games

    2. Make your own board games by customising these blank board game sheets. There are two grids in this set, a blank board game in portrait format and one in landscape format. They print out to be A4 size, but when I used them I would often enlarge them to A3 size on a photocopier. After I had added tasks and pictures to the squares, I would colour in the game original then make several colour photocopies of it. I have games I made this way in 1999 which are still in reasonable condition today, even after heavy use. The games could be laminated to preserve them for even longer.

    Blank Board Game Grids in PDF form

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  2. Self Introduction Grid

    3. This is a single worksheet containing basic personal information statements, with blanks for the students to fill in, for example, "My name is _____ and I'm from ____." I found this useful when I was teaching classes of false beginners, who had a bit of English but lacked confidence in expressing themselves outloud. This worksheet could be made into a transparency and used on the OHP as a warm-up task in a first lesson with beginner students.

    Self Introduction Grid in PDF form

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  3. Question Grid

    4. This is a simple survey sheet with a blank space at the top for a question, and a grid below for students' names and responses. I used this worksheet most often with beginner students, to get them moving around the room and speaking to each other, but since it is totally customisable, it could be used for any level.

    Question Grid in PDF form

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  4. Presentation Response Sheet (Individuals)

    5. When a class is practising giving presentations, it can sometimes be difficult to get everyone to listen to who is speaking. I made this presentation response form for students to write down the names of everyone giving speeches and make notes on what they spoke about. I added a section for listeners to give suggestions on how each speech could be improved. Since the students I was working with tended to be quite shy, I would keep these suggestions private, and with some classes, I would change this section to: "Write a question for the speaker". Feel free to change this form to whatever will suit your class.

    Presentation Response Sheet for Individuals in PDF form

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  5. Presentation Response Sheet (Pairs)

    6. This is a similar type of form to the one above but for when students are giving presentations in pairs or groups. Again, when I used it, I would keep the suggestions for improvement, and the marks out of ten, private. Feel free to change this form to whatever will suit your class.

    Presentation Response Sheet for Pairs in PDF form

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  6. Blank Mini-Book

    7. Students can use these two worksheets to make mini-books in which to write stories or project information. The first worksheet has the book's outer pages and the second has the inner pages. When the pages are cut out and folded, they can be stapled together into little books.

    Blank Mini-Book in PDF form

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  7. Picture Frame

    8. This is a very simple worksheet showing a picture of a large blank scroll. Students can draw pictures or write stories inside the frame. I sometimes used this when students were making "Wanted" posters.

    Picture Frame in PDF form

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  8. Blank Surveys and Quizzes

    9. While the question grid above is for simple class surveys, the three blank grids here are for more sophisticated quizzes and opinion polls. The first worksheet is a blank survey form with spaces to write open and closed questions. The second and third worksheets are blank multiple choice grids of the type used for personality quizzes in magazines. The surveys could be made by either the teacher or the students, depending on the lesson.

    Blank Survey and Quiz Worksheets in PDF form

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  9. Essay Outline Grid

    10. This is a blank grid for essay writing and is divided into Introduction, Main Body and Conclusion sections. The sections help students to stucture their essays. The essay can be written directly on the form, or the grid can be used for essay planning.

    Essay Outline Grid in PDF form

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  10. Quiz Results

    11. This single worksheet has four different styles of "result grids", the type that are found at the end of personality quizzes to explain the quiz results. They can be used with the blank quiz sheets above. For example, if the quiz was on the topic of "What kind of person are you?" the result grid might have sections such as: "1-5 points = Happy-go-lucky, 6-10 points = Level-headed, 11-15 points = Serious" etc. Again, the quizzes and results can be written by either the teacher or students depending on the lesson.

    Quiz Result Grid in PDF form

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  11. Blank Menu (Posh Restaurant)

    12. This blank menu has spaces for various courses and drinks. The font is fancy so it might lend itself to a posh restaurant! I used this form to make a series of menus for different kinds of restaurants. I customised each with magazine pictures and kept the menus in plastic sleeves (many years later, and after countless lessons, those menus look as good as new!) The menus came in handy for various activities in beginner to pre-intermediate classes. Another way I used the blank menu form was for students to work in pairs or groups to come up with their own menu and pricing scheme, which could then be used in role-playing restaurant scenes.

    Blank Posh Restaurant Menu in PDF form

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  12. Blank Scorecards

    13. Are you going to have a class quiz? These blank scorecards can be used to keep a tally of points and winners. This sheet has two styles of scorecard. Feel free to change the grids in whatever way you like.

    Blank Scorecard Grids in PDF form

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  13. Blank Menu (Burger Bar)

    14. This blank menu is the same as the posh restaurant one but the font suggests a more casual establishment, say a diner or burger bar.

    Blank Burger Bar Menu in PDF form

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  14. Blank Recipe Grid

    15. Those endless pre-intermediate lessons on food and cooking... By using this structured worksheet, students can write their own recipe and use some of the vocab and grammar they have learned.

    Blank Recipe Grid in PDF form

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  15. Game Money

    16. Why score boring old points when you can win money?! Well, not real money. These three worksheets feature cut-out bank notes in $25, $50 and $100 denominations. Sadly, the bills don't look remotely real but they are fun to win in games! I used this play money with some of the board games I made.

    Game Money PDF

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  16. Music Show and Tell

    17. A popular lesson I taught, often at the end of a session or term, was to ask students to bring in their favourite piece of music and play it to the class. I asked each person to say a bit about the music before they played it. The second worksheet in this set is a structured grid for students to write down what they will say about their music. After listening to the music, the class note down their responses to it. The first worksheet is a grid for them to do this. Both worksheets could be made into transparencies and used on an OHP.

    Music Show and Tell Worksheets in PDF form

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  17. Fashion Show Excursion Worksheet

    18. This single worksheet can be used by pre-intermediate level ESL students going on a field trip to a fashion show. It has questions on the process of getting to the venue and about the outfits, fabrics, colours etc. Feel free to change any part of this sheet.

    Fashion Show Excursion Worksheet in PDF form

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  18. Art Exhibition Excursion Worksheet (Intermediate)

    19. This set of two worksheets can be used by intermediate level ESL students going on a field tirp to an art gallery or exhibition. It has spaces where students can do mini-drawings of the artwork they liked and write descriptions of the exhibits. Students are asked to find a favourite picture, photo, and sculpture, as well as what, in their opinion, was the most unusual piece of art. Feel free to change any part of this sheet.

    Art Exhibition Excursion Worksheet (Intermediate) in PDF form

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  19. Art Exhibition Excursion Worksheet (Advanced)

    20. This set of two worksheets can be used by upper-intermediate/advanced level ESL students going on a field trip to an art gallery or exhibition. Students are asked to choose two paintings by different artists, to describe them and then compare them. Feel free to change any part of this sheet.

    Art Exhibition Excursion Worksheet (Advanced) in PDF form

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  20. Homework Diary

    21. Students not doing their homework? In this blank printable homework diary, they can write down the assignments they are given, and when the work is due to be handed in. The diary has space for five weeks' worth of homework because I made it when teaching English in five-week sessions to secondary school students preparing to enter Australian high schools. The pages print out to be A4 size but I used to reduce them on the photocopier to A5 so as to get two pages on one A4 sheet. On one sheet would be the cover page and the week five page. On the other would be weeks one and two, and weeks three and four. Then I would copy these sheets back to back and fold them up to make the homework diary.

    Blank Homework Diary in PDF form

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  21. Blank Wordsearch Grid

    22. You can make your own words puzzles by using this blank wordsearch grid. I used to add in letters and words on the computer, or print out the blank form and add the letters and words by hand.

    Blank Wordsearch Grid in PDF form

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  22. Blank "Before and After" Flashcards

    23. This worksheet features flashcards with a "before" space and an "after" space. To customise them, you will need some pictures from magazines. I used them to make a series of flashcards for teaching "used to". I found pictures of people who seemed to have changed, for example, in one flashcard, in the "before" space I pasted a photo of a man doing sport, and in the "after" space I put a picture of a man who was similar in appearance but dressed in dirty ragged clothes. I wrote an imaginary name for the man on the flashcard and asked the class to discuss what he used to do, what he was like now, and what might have happened to make him change. I also enlarged each flashcard to A4 size.

    Blank "Before and After" Flashcards in PDF form

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  23. Blank "Whiteboards" for Planning

    24. This is a blank grid for planning how to use the whiteboard, as part of a lesson plan. It can be used by teachers or by students who are planning a presentation and want to use the whiteboard. Most often, I would write my board plan in the corner of a piece of A4 but this grid can help if you have a very formal lesson or presentation to plan, or to reinforce to students the necessity of planning how to use the whiteboard before giving a speech.

    Blank Whiteboard Planning Grid in PDF form

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  24. Blank Syllabus Grid

    25. This syllabus planning grid is divided into twenty squares. Say you have twenty lessons to give on a particular subject over the term, you can note down in each box what you plan to teach. Feel free to add or erase squares.

    Blank Syllabus Grid in PDF form

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  25. Blank Session Grid

    26. This session planning grid is designed for a course taught two days a week over five weeks. Feel free to change it to suit your own particular course schedule.

    Blank Session Grid in PDF form

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  26. Blank "Find Someone Who..." Grid

    27. What would English language teaching be without "Find Someone Who..." activities? You can use this blank grid to make your own "Find Someone Who..." survey.

    Blank "Find Someone Who..." Grid in PDF form

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  27. Blank Multiple Choice Grid

    28. When I was teaching EFL/ESL, I often found myself writing multiple choice tests, and I would use this blank form as a template.

    Blank Multiple Choice Grid in PDF form

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  28. Marking Writing Mini-Grid

    29. This small grid can be used for marking students' writing. It is divided into areas of grammar accuracy, content, paragraph structure, overall structure, and spelling and layout. Feel free to add or change areas, and to alter the point weighting.

    Mini-Grid for Marking Writing, in PDF form

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  29. Marking Informal Speaking Mini-Grid

    30. This small grid can be used for grading speaking tests. It is divided into areas of participation, grammar accuracy, pronunciation, discussion skills and fluency, and content. Feel free to add or change areas, and to alter the point weighting.

    Mini-Grid for Marking Informal Speaking, in PDF form

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  30. Picture Writing Lesson

    31. These four worksheets form the basis of a writing lesson, in which students look at a picture, imagine they were involved in that scene in some way, and write a description of the scene and their feelings. You will need photos from magazines - pictures of scenes from different countries, a picture of a house, a picture of a restaurant interior, and a picture of a frightening situation. When I taught this lesson, I had a picture of a house cross-section showing all the rooms, a photo of an underwater restaurant, and the frightening scene was a photo of a demonstration taken at child's height.

    Picture Writing Lesson Worksheets in PDF form

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  31. Film Review Worksheet

    32. Students watch a film and write a review using this form. The worksheet can be customised for whatever film they are watching, or can be used as is.

    Film Review Worksheet in PDF form

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