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As teachers we are familiar with the fact that some of our groups may be a little time-challenged. Teaching appointment-making in a hands-on way can provide students with a way to re-examine how they view and use time. Follow these tips to involve your students in time managing their lives by learning how to set appointments.

Writing is intimidating enough for second language learners, so why not simplify the process for them. Using mind maps to organize thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and synthesize information will surely jump-start your students’ writing.

One of the best things about second language learners is that they eat up grammar and often enjoy learning about the nuances of practical usage. One area that students seem quite baffled about is punctuation rules. There are a lot of rules, but if you follow these tips on teaching the basics of punctuation, your students will go from befuddled to enlightened.

Have you ever seen your students sitting in front of a blank notebook with a still pencil in their stiff hands? Nothing on the page and only a blank look on their faces? For some students, giving instructions alone is not enough to get them writing. You can give your students some direction, and that will often be enough to help them get past the barrier of writer's block. However, the most successful prompts are not about faraway places and people unknown. The best way for your students to write is to write about the things that they know, their experiences in life, themselves. The following ideas are meant to inspire your students to get the words on the page and share a piece of their lives at the same time.

Recently a family friend told me tactfully it was no longer necessary to leave my full name on or my contact information on his answering machine as I was the only “Stacia” of his acquaintance, and he had my phone number. I laughed, a little embarrassed, realizing I was out of habit practicing business phone etiquette with a personal friend. However, the reverse is a far more common problem in my experience: one of the reasons I give my full name and phone number is that more than once I’ve answered the phone to be greeted with “Hi, this is Steve,” and was left wondering which Steve was speaking: my brother? Fellow committee member at work? Repair person? Voices can be difficult to recognize over the phone, even those belonging to someone you are close to, so determining who is on the line can be challenging without a full name. In addition, I also get messages in my voice mail to the effect that Steve is calling and I should call back—with no contact information or reason for the call. Given the choice of calling all the people I know named Steve to find out if they called or waiting for the Steve in question to call back, I usually choose the latter. But the entire problem could be avoided if people would practice correct telephone etiquette—not a skill that comes naturally, even for native speakers of English, but it can be of critical importance in the business world, especially. Imagine if Steve had called about a previously discussed sale or service, for example, and I didn’t get back to him because I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted: that potential business would have been lost to him.

On the first day of class, the halls buzz with excitement. Teachers get ready to greet their students, anxious to get started, and our young, or not-so-young, learners are nervous, wondering what their teacher’s like. Of course, first impressions count, and it’s essential to have a first day of class that will set the tone for what the rest of the school year or course will be like. And it will be fun! Here are some fabulous ideas for the all-important first day of class: