Warmers and Coolers

Short activities at the start (warmers) and end (coolers) of a lesson. Not filler; they serve specific pedagogical functions.

Warmers (Lesson Openers)

Purpose:

• Activate schemata related to the lesson topic
• Lower the Affective Filter: transition from L1 world to L2 classroom
• Build energy and focus after students arrive from different contexts
• Review previous lesson content (spaced retrieval)

Examples:

• Quick-fire questions on last lesson's vocabulary
• Picture prediction: "What do you think today's lesson is about?"
• Two truths and a lie (personalised, low-stakes speaking)
• Board race: teams write words related to the topic

Timing: 3-7 minutes. A warmer that exceeds 10 minutes is eating into main lesson time.

Coolers (Lesson Closers)

Purpose:

• Consolidate learning: what did we cover today?
• Provide closure and a sense of completion
• Lower energy after an intensive lesson
• Bridge to next lesson or homework

Examples:

• Exit tickets: "Write one thing you learned and one question you still have"
• Ball toss review: catch and answer a question
• Three-word summary of the lesson
• Peer quiz: students test each other on key points

Timing: 3-5 minutes. Plan for it; coolers get cut when teachers run out of time.

Design Principles

• Align with the lesson: a warmer should connect to the main aim, not be a random game
• Keep it simple: no complex setup or lengthy instructions
• Maximise student talk: the warmer is for them, not for teacher monologue
• Vary the format: if every lesson starts with a vocabulary quiz, it stops being engaging