I know the plan, do you know the plan?

A simple thing that you can do to make your classes run more smoothly is to write the lesson plan up on one side of the board.  I never used to do this, but when I started doing it, I noticed a big difference in terms of keeping things organized and on track.

It's very easy to do.  For example, I'll write:

1. Review Game "Big/Bigger"

2. Page 32-Family Vocab + Conversation.

3. Grammar: simple past. Page 35
Partner conversation +class activity.

4. Homework: June 12 +19

5. Next week: Unit 7 +talk about final test

At the beginning of class, after the "Hello, the weather is terrible, how are you today?" spiel, I'll walk over to the edge of the board and go over the plan for the day.  And at the end of the class, I'll go over it again quickly, highlighting the homework and what's happening next week. 

I think the thing I like most about it is that it keeps students motivated until the end of class.  Sometimes, when there is no end in sight, it's tough to keep going.  But, each time I move to a new activity, I point it out and it's easy for the students to see where we're at.  If we're on the last thing, the students know they are almost done and will put in a final little bit of effort.