Index

Dear SEAL students, this is the worksheet Huehue team prepared for you. This week we wanted to
focus on instructions. Bellow, there is an index for the tasks of this week and the estimated time
you will take doing each one. This time is not fixed and can vary from student to student. Feel free
to ask if you have any questions about the exercise.

Huehue team

Index .................................................................................................................................................... 1
Task 1 – Facebook sharing................................................................................................................... 2
Time: 20 minutes

Task 2 - My experience with instructions ........................................................................................... 2

Time: 20 minutes

Task 3 – Instructions............................................................................................................................ 3
Time: 20 minutes

Task 4 – Reading .................................................................................................................................. 3

Time: 40 minutes

Task 5 – Evaluating instructions .......................................................................................................... 6

Time: 30 minutes

Task 6 – Writing instructions ............................................................................................................... 9

Time: 40 minutes

Task 7 – Why instructions? ............................................................................................................... 11

Time: 20 minutes

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Task 1 – Facebook sharing
Time: 20 minutes

Instructions: Go to the Facebook post where teacher Erik posted this document and answer the
following question:

What do you do when you don’t understand the instruction someone gave
you? It doesn’t have to be at school but in general. For example, the
rules of a game, the instructions of a manual guide, when your mother
sends you out to do “mandados”, etc.

After you answer the question, comment on at least two posts from your friends from another
site.

Objective:
The objective of this week is to remember the principles we follow when giving instructions. By the
end of the week, you will have identified the principles of the instructions delivery process and you
will plan the instructions for two activities.

Materials:
For this week you will need the following materials:

 Internet connection to comment on Facebook posts

 Printer (If you do not have access to a printer, copy the exercises on a paper sheet.)
 Pen or pencil.

Task 2 - My experience with instructions

Time: 20 minutes

Instructions: In the box below, answer the following question: How was your experience giving
instructions in your first class as a teacher? Remember to mention how you felt, what you did well,
and what you would change for the next time.

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Task 3 – Instructions
Time: 20 minutes

Instructions: In the box below, answer the following question: What is it important to consider
when giving instructions?

Task 4 – Reading
Time: 40 minutes

Task 4.1
Instructions: Bellow there are three options of a title for a text. Read the text and choose the title
that fits best.

☐ Instructions and its importance in class

☐ How to give instructions in English

☐ Principles of instructions delivery process

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Text
1. Call your students' attention: When giving instructions the teacher is the star of the show.
All your students must be looking at you. Be sure you make eye contact with ALL of them.

2. Chunk your instructions: Give your instructions step by step. When you plan your
instructions assign time for students to do the action. If you want them to stand up and
share with three people, tell them to stand up, wait all of them are standing up. When you
finish that, say the second part of your instructions. Give them small pieces of information.

3. Use clear and simple language: Use language your students can understand. Use cognates
(words that are very similar in English and Spanish: silence = silencio; adult = adulto) when
you can. Fancy words are not needed.

4. Model or provide visual aid: When giving instructions “to do is to say”. If you want your
students to walk around, walk around. If you want them to stand up and change sits, change
your sit with a student. Sometimes using your more advanced students as a model can save
a lot of time. Many times if a student doesn’t understand what you say, the student will
understand what you model. Feel like if you were in a fashion catwalk and everyone is
looking at you and MODEL.

5. Check understanding: If you did all the steps before NEVER think your students understood.
The best way to see if they understood is by asking them. Use ICQs (Instructions
Comprehension Questions). These are questions your students answer to show they
understood what you told them. Here there is some advice to help you create good ICQs

Good ICQs

a. are designed to help the teacher as much as the students

b. are for the specific task
c. check understanding of all the relevant aspects of the task
d. contain two options so students can respond with x or y
e. are Yes/No questions.
f. are delivered while all students are looking at the teacher
g. are delivered quickly with appropriate intonation. You want a fast response.
h. are written in your lesson plan

Be careful you ask ICQs when necessary. Avoid obvious ICQ. Also, avoid the use of questions like
“Do you understand?” and its friends.

Adapted from: https://eltresource.com/icqs-making-sure-your-students-know-what-to-do/

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Task 4.2 – Is it true or false.

Instructions: Answer the following sentences true or false according to the text you read in Task 4.1

1. “Do you understand?” is a good example of an ICQ.

☐ Ture ☐ False

2. When giving instructions, the teacher should call the students’ attention.

☐ Ture ☐ False

3. Modeling instructions help students to have visual support.

☐ Ture ☐ False

4. Using words students do not understand is helpful in the instructions delivery process.

☐ Ture ☐ False

5. ICQs should be used all the time.

☐ Ture ☐ False

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Task 5 – Evaluating instructions
Time: 30 minutes

Instructions: Teacher Eduardo is a SEAL student in Huehuetenango. He will do 3 different activities

with his BEAR students, but he does not feel that confident when giving instructions because he has
had some issues delivering instructions in his class. You will help teacher Eduardo evaluating the
instructions he wrote in his lesson plans. To do it you will use the criteria you read in Task 4.1.

Task 5.1 – Students will make a poster to decorate their class

Instructions: Check ☒ the box next to each principle if the instructions teacher Eduardo wrote
follow the principle. If the instructions do not follow the principle, or the principle is not obvious in
the instructions, leave the box empty.

Teacher will… Students will… Criteria

Teacher will ask students to
pick a poster, markers, a
magazine, masking tape, and
nylon from the material’s
corner.
Teacher will tell all the class
the 5 topics of the posters,
one topic to each group of
students.
Teacher will divide students
into 5 groups.
Teacher will ask students:
“How many posters will each
group make? 1 or 2?
Teacher will tell students to
start.
Students will listen.
Students will listen.
Students will divide into 5
groups.
Students will answer. [1 is the
correct answer]
Students will start.
☐ Call your students'
attention
☐ Chunk your instructions
☐ Use clear and simple
language
☐ Model or provide a visual
aid
☐ Check understanding

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Task 5.2 – Students share their opinion about a text
Instructions: Check ☒ the box next to each principle if the instructions teacher Eduardo wrote
follow the principle. If the instructions do not follow the principle, or the principle is not obvious in
the instructions, leave the box empty.

Teacher will… Students will… Criteria

T will ask students to take out Students will take out their ☐ Call your students'
their notebook. While asking notebook. attention
that the teacher takes his
notebook out of his bag. ☐ Chunk your instructions

T will ask students to have a Ss will take out a pen or pencil ☐ Use clear and simple
pen or pencil in their desks from their bags. language
while showing a pen to the
students. ☐ Model or provide a visual
aid
T will say: “Please, read the Ss will read the text and
text “Videogames make kids answer the questions in the ☐ Check understanding
violent”. When you finish notebook.
reading the text, answer these
questions in your notebook: In
your opinion, is the text right
or wrong? And Why” After
saying that, the teacher will
write on the board the
question.
Ss will raise their hands to
After 7 minutes, the teacher show they are paying
will raise his hand to call attention.
students attention.
After the teacher models,
After every student raises students will ask and answer.
their hands, the teacher will
say “Stand up and share your
answers with three different
people”. Before students
start, the teacher will get
closer to Jorge and will ask
“Hey Jorge, do you think the
text is right or wrong, and
why?” Ss will answer. [3 people is
ICQ. Will you share it with 1 or the right answer]
3 people?

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Task 5.3 – Students need to clean the class before they leave
Instructions: Check ☒ the box next to each principle if the instructions teacher Eduardo wrote
follow the principle. If the instructions do not follow the principle, or the principle is not obvious in
the instructions, leave the box empty.

Teacher will… Students will… Criteria

T will raise his hand to call
students attention.
T will tell students. “Today
you will clean the classroom,
each one of you will have a
responsibility”. The teacher
will read the name of each
student and say the
responsibility each student
has to fulfill.
T will ask: “Any question?
Who has to clean the
windows?”
Students will raise one hand.
Ss will listen.
Ss will listen and answer.
[Melany has to clean the
windows.]
☐ Call your students'
attention
☐ Chunk your instructions
☐ Use clear and simple
language
☐ Model or provide a visual
aid
☐ Check understanding

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Task 6 – Writing instructions
Time: 40 minutes

Instructions: Teacher Eduardo is very thankful for your help. Now it is your time to write your
instructions. You will write instructions for two activities.

Task 6.1 – Match pictures with words

Instructions: Your BEAR students will do an activity where they match words the teacher gives
them with pictures that are on the wall. Please, write detailed instructions you will give to your
BEAR students. When you finish, evaluate your instructions. Check ☒ the box next to each
principle when your instructions clearly show they have the principle.

Teacher will… Students will… Criteria

☐ Call your students'
attention

☐ Chunk your instructions

☐ Use clear and simple

language

☐ Model or provide a visual

aid

☐ Check understanding

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Task 6.2 – _______________________________________
Instructions: This time you will write detailed instructions for an activity you have thought for your
class. It can be an activity you already thought, a warm-up, or a game. Please, write detailed
instructions you will give to your BEAR students in this activity. When you finish, evaluate your
instructions. Check ☒ the box next to each principle when your instructions clearly show they have
the principle.

Teacher will… Students will… Criteria

☐ Call your students'
attention

☐ Chunk your instructions

☐ Use clear and simple

language

☐ Model or provide a visual

aid

☐ Check understanding

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Task 7 – Why instructions?
Time: 20 minutes

Instructions: Go to the second Facebook post teacher Erik posted (Thursday, May 7th.) and answer
these questions on the comments section:

Why is it important to pay attention to the way instructions are

delivered?
Besides the aspects mentioned here, what other aspects should be taken
into consideration when giving instructions?

After you answer the question, comment on at least two posts from your friends from another
site.

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