Wrapping Up the Year

This morning I taught three adult English classes for my friend Erin who went home to the States for Christmas. It was the first lesson for all three groups so I could do what I wanted without having to feel guilty about getting them off track, and, since they hadn't met Erin yet, their expectations were still low. Phyoo!

Here was my lesson plan. Yes, Try it at home! Especially number 3. 

1. INTRODUCTIONS. Who are you? Are you on my list? What is your perception about YOUR English? Where are you and where do you want to go?
2. FLUENCY SOUP RECIPE. Which is basically what this is talking about.
3. MAIN LESSON: WRAPPING UP 2014. 

Step 1. Take a piece of paper.

You have 5 minutes. Make a list of all of your victories and/or achievements for 2014. Yes, all of them: Personal, Professional. Big, Small. For all year. GO!

Step 2. Conversation. (in pairs and then the group)

How was that experience? Were your victories mostly personal or work-related? You probably remembered the big ones first and the most recent ones and then as you wrote you may have remembered some from earlier in the year. Any victories you want to share with us?

The takeaway here is that it reminds you that 2014 was a year of 12 months and not just the most recent one.

Step 3. Go back to that piece of paper.

You have 5 minutes. Make a list of everything you learned in 2014. These can be concrete lessons (I learned how to CODE) or life lessons (I learned that it is possible to live without wearing a watch). GO!

Step 4. Discuss the results. Focus on the experience, then share the ones you found most profound. Or silly. Or strange. Or surprising.

Step 5. Go back to that piece of paper.

Imagine it is December 31, 2015. You had the BEST YEAR EVER. What happened during the course of the year? Give me 5 or 6 big things. They can be material/monetary, personal achievements, professional recognition, you decide.

Step 6. Stop. Now. Write down three or four values you want to focus on for 2015. Here are some ideas: Health, Family, Prosperity, Transparency, Friendship, Leadership, Trust. Put them in order of importance.

Step 7, What values did you focus on? How can you reconcile your list of desires for 2015 with those values? Example: I want to earn A GAZILLION EUROS so that I can have more and higher-quality time with MY FAMILY. See What I am getting at here? Give those desires some real significance so you can make them come true.

4. CONCLUSION: Parting thoughts? Teacher listens.

5. GOOD BYE AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

FOLLOW-UP TO MAIN LESSON. PREPARING FOR 2015. 
1. WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS FOR 2015. ALL OF THEM. THE YEAR IS LONG.
2. WRITE OUT THE MONTHS FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER. LEAVE THREE OR FOUR LINES BETWEEN THEM. 
3. COPY YOUR GOALS IN THE MONTH YOU PLAN ON STARTING AND FINISHING THEM. 
4. CHECK YOUR PROGRESS EACH QUARTER. 

IN THE MEANTIME...For more of this kind of stuff, here is the place. 

2015 is going to be OUR YEAR, People!!