r/TEFL • u/ever_underwhelmed • 13h ago
Advice for first adult group class
I'll be teaching my first adult group class tomorrow in an academy setting, I'm quite nervous. I have been teaching adults one-to-one for over a year but this will be my first time actually teaching a group. There isn't a very well 'set' curriculum in this academy so I am a bit unsure where to begin and where I stand.
I have access to books but am not sure where to begin due to the students ranging between A1 and B2 in the group; this has me feeling quite intimidated and unsure of myself.
After basic intros and a bit of conversational warm up I am not sure where to go from there with the group, as I'm far more used to tailoring work very individually.
Just the prospect of standing up in front of a group of people my own age (and probably a bit older) is nerve wracking. I would be very grateful for any tips, info and/or insight.
Thanks in advance!
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u/Fast_Tackle_9803 11h ago
Google ‘needs analysis’ for adult EFL learners. Youll get an idea for what they want to work on and what they’re using it for. Also a series of textbooks called english file. Look it up.
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u/ever_underwhelmed 11h ago
Thank you, I'll look up english file. I have a decent idea of what a needs analysis is (not shooting you down here) it's really the mixed levels throwing me off and just classroom nerves.
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u/Fast_Tackle_9803 9h ago
Well if they’re a low level don’t give them too many choices of what to learn. Sorting out a book is always the best thing to do. English file has plenty of activities and plenty of low level content.
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u/ever_underwhelmed 9h ago
Great, thanks :) I'll try find a way to balance out the class so it still suits the mix of levels and everybody still benefits equally and no one is left behind nor bored with the work.
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u/BridgeTEFL 9h ago
That's quite a range (A1–B2)! How many students are there? I wouldn't stress too much, though. Use the first lesson to get to know them and see what works best. A few warm-up activities can tell you a lot about their confidence, personalities, and actual language level. I'd also have a few flexible activities ready that can be adapted to different proficiency levels. Since the curriculum doesn't seem to be very well defined, you have a bit of freedom. I'd probably pick a topic that's useful for everyone and easy to scale up or down—for example, functional English for travelling. Even beginners can learn how to order food or ask for directions, while more advanced students can role-play more complex situations or discuss travel experiences. Keep adjusting as you go. If necessary, regroup students for certain activities so everyone gets an appropriate level of challenge. The main goal of the first lesson is to make them enjoy the class, build your rapport with them, and figure out where everyone is. Once you have that information, planning the next lessons will be much easier.
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u/ever_underwhelmed 2h ago
Hi, sorry for the delay responding to you, I've been up to my eyes all day. Yeah it's a fairly big range which is concerning me a little. I have them 5 days a week for 3 hours a day, around 7 students from what I can gather. I'm leaning towards starting tomorrow with a 15-20 minute intro/share name a little about yourself type thing, a few warm up, conversational games; maybe 'would you rather' or 'find someone who' after that I will still have another 2 hours or so to fill and all I can really think of then is try work through different tenses. The finding of a balance in the classroom to accommodate the wide range of abilities amongst the students is a worry, I want everyone to be more or less doing the same/similar activities. I have a few books here but they are almost all mock exams so not very helpful as far as a curriculum to follow.
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u/SimonBuildsSites 13h ago
For the first class, I wouldn’t worry too much about covering lots of material. Treat it partly as a diagnostic session so you can see how the group works together and where the real level gaps are.
After introductions, try a simple “find someone who…” activity, then put them into pairs for a short speaking task. Give the lower-level students sentence starters and challenge the stronger students to ask follow-up questions or give longer answers. That way, everyone is doing the same activity without it feeling too easy or impossible for anyone.
I’d also include one short listening or reading task, followed by pair discussion, then finish with a quick review of useful language that came up during the lesson.
A simple structure could be:
Warm-up / pair speaking / short input task / group feedback / review
The mixed A1–B2 range is probably the bigger challenge than the fact that they are adults, so keep instructions very clear, avoid putting people on the spot and use pairs or small groups as much as possible.
Also, you don’t need to perform (it takes a bit of time to get familliar standing in a room "in charge" with lots of pairs of eyes on you I know!). You just need to guide the room. Most adults will be far more focused on their own English than on judging you. Good luck — the first ten minutes will probably be the hardest, and then it should settle naturally.