☕ Coffee Chat: Why Warmers Really Matter
☕ Coffee Chat: Why Warmers Really Matter
Let’s be real—walking into a classroom in China (or anywhere, really) without a warmer is like stepping into a boxing ring without gloves. You might survive, but you’re going to take a few hits.
When I first started teaching, I underestimated warmers. I thought: “Why waste five minutes on a silly game when we’ve got real grammar to cover?” Oh boy, was I wrong.
🌏 The Challenge in Bilingual / International Schools
In China, I often had mixed classes: a few kids with fluent English, a bunch of shy ones barely stringing a sentence together, and a handful who’d rather be anywhere else than in my classroom.
That first five minutes mattered more than anything. Without it, the lesson dragged. With it? Suddenly the room was buzzing, everyone was awake, and we had a shared energy to ride on.
Warmers weren’t just icebreakers. They were like the ignition key—getting all those different levels moving in the same direction.
👨🏫 Teachers with TEFL Backgrounds Get It
If you’ve ever done proper TEFL training, you’ll know the importance of warmers. They wake students up, reduce anxiety, and create instant engagement.
I remember running into classrooms in Fuzhou after cycling through the crazy traffic, sweaty, out of breath, and praying the projector would work. A warmer was my secret weapon—something I could start immediately while I figured out the tech.
No PowerPoint? No problem. I could grab a piece of chalk and kick off a quick game, and just like that, the class was alive.
🎲 Three Warmers That Never Failed Me
Here are three of my “go-to” warmers when teaching bilingual and international groups:
1. Find Someone Who…
Perfect for: building connections & practising Present Simple.
I’d say: “Find someone who has a pet. Find someone who plays football. Find someone who likes pizza.”
Suddenly the room turned into a social marketplace. Kids were laughing, moving around, and forgetting they were “doing grammar.”
2. Keyword Brainstorm
Perfect for: revising vocabulary.
I’d toss one word on the board: “Travel” or “Food”. Then say: “One minute—shout as many related words as you can!”
The noise level? Off the charts. But the energy? Electric. Even the quiet kids jumped in, because shouting out “hamburger!” is a lot less scary than reading a full sentence.
3. Caption This!
Perfect for: sparking creativity.
I’d throw up a silly picture (sometimes from my own travels in China—yes, I once used a photo of a man balancing six chickens on a scooter). Then I’d ask: “OK, caption this in English!”
The results ranged from “This is my uncle going shopping” to “Crazy chicken man takes over the city.” Honestly, some of their captions were funnier than memes.
☕ Final Thoughts
Warmers aren’t “extra.” They’re the glue that holds the whole class together—especially in bilingual or international classrooms where the language gap can feel like a canyon.
Think of them like stretching before a run. You can skip them, but you’re going to feel the pain later.
Whenever I’m teaching now—whether it’s in person or online—I still start with a warmer. Because I’ve learned that if you win those first five minutes, the rest of the class flows so much easier.
👉 What about you—what’s your never-fail warmer that gets your class buzzing?
☕ Coffee Chat Extra
I’m giving away some ready-to-use ESL warm-up games and visuals that go perfectly with these activities.
👉 Grab your free downloads here 👉 ESL FREEBIE
Check out my Beacons store for full packs, teacher toolkits, and more.
Because let’s be honest—every teacher needs a few quick wins in their back pocket.
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