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Teaching Activities

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34 activities

Stand Up & Sit Down
Participants respond to statements by standing (agree) or staying seated (disagree).
Everyone joins in
2–4 min5.04.8
Stand Up & Sit Down
- Take a stand and back it up
- Changing your mind is allowed, and visible
- Start of a topic, recall or energizer
- One round shows where the class stands
Taking Turns
Work in pairs or small groups. Take turns giving one answer to the question.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inCooperative learning
2–4 · 3–5 min
Taking Turns
- Listening and taking turns
- Equal space for every participant
- Processing the material or a warm-up
- Calm discussion in small groups
On time
Everyone gets a timed turn to speak about a topic — choose the group size and grouping while playing.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins in
2–4 · 3–5 min
Full steps after registration
On time
- Speaking concisely within a time limit
- Equal speaking time for everyone
- Check understanding or practise speaking
- Hear quickly what the group thinks
Interview in Three Rounds
Interview each other in groups of 4: A↔B and C↔D simultaneously. Then switch and share with the class.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inCooperative learning
7 min
Full steps after registration
Interview in Three Rounds
- Listening and retelling in your own words
- Interview in pairs, then share with four
- Getting acquainted or a deeper discussion
- Everyone is heard and represented
Movement Quiz
Walk around the classroom, find a partner, ask your question and give feedback. Then change partners!
Own materials neededEveryone joins in
10–15 min
Movement Quiz
- Movement plus repetition or a check
- Changing pairs and taking turns to ask
- Processing after instruction or revision
- Energizer with real substance
Numbered Minds
Everyone gets a number in the group. Write individually, discuss together — then the facilitator picks a number to explain the answer.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inCooperative learning
2–6 · 3–5 min4.5
Full steps after registration
Numbered Minds
- Explain until every number can
- Nobody knows which number is drawn
- Check understanding after your input
- You hear where each group gets stuck
Think, Write & Share
Write individual ideas, compare them in your group and share the combined list with the class.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inHigher-order
2–6 · 3–5 min5.0
Full steps after registration
Think, Write & Share
- Thinking alone and comparing together
- Write alone first, then merge the lists
- Activating prior knowledge or a brainstorm
- Everyone contributes before the discussion
Copy Me
A makes something and says step by step what A is doing; B sits turned away and copies from the words alone. Then side by side: which instruction was right, which too vague? Next round the roles swap.
Own materials neededEveryone joins inTPR
2–3 min4.0
Full steps after registration
Copy Me
- Say it precisely, hear it precisely
- B does not look — words do the work
- Vocabulary after the explanation
- You hear which word was missing
Pair Coach
A solves exercises and thinks aloud. B watches and coaches. Then switch roles!
Everyone joins inHigher-orderCooperative learning
10–20 min5.0
Pair Coach
- Thinking aloud about your own approach
- The coach asks, never tells
- Right after your explanation, on practice
- You hear where the thinking stalls
Written Thoughts
On an open question everyone writes ideas — one per slip, said out loud and put in the middle, until the time is up. Then the group sorts the pile: what belongs together, and what is that group called?
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inHigher-order
5–7 min
Full steps after registration
Written Thoughts
- Many ideas from everyone at once
- Say it aloud — no discussing
- Opening a topic, or as a check
- Everything sorted on the table
Inner & Outer Circle
Two circles facing each other. Short conversation with your partner — then the outer circle rotates to a new partner.
Everyone joins inChanging groupsCooperative learning
10–15 min5.0
Inner & Outer Circle
- Speaking briefly and listening closely
- A new partner every round
- Open questions or gathering opinions
- Everyone talks — nobody watches
Pomodoro: get to work
Focused, serious work on one task within a set time. When the timer ends, take a break or switch to something else.
Everyone joins in
Alone · Pair · Group · 5–20 min5.0
Full steps after registration
Pomodoro: get to work
- Focused work on one task
- You bring the task — we bring the frame
- Processing, project work or practice
- A calm room without constant nudging
One by one
Discuss a series of statements or questions together — one by one.
Everyone joins in
Alone · Pair · Group · 5–15 min
Full steps after registration
One by one
- Forming a stand and backing it up
- One statement at a time keeps the focus
- Statements, reflection or revision
- The timer keeps the pace even
Shuffle & Pick
Groups of 4 with a card deck: A holds the cards in a fan, B draws one and reads the question out loud, C answers, D checks and coaches. After every rotation the roles move along.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inHigher-order
3 min
Full steps after registration
Shuffle & Pick
- Questions and answers in fixed roles
- Four roles — everyone gets a turn
- Revising concepts or rules
- Everyone joins in, nobody watches
Flashcards
Participants create question cards and practise in pairs by asking and answering each other's questions.
Own materials neededMaterials in the basic kitEveryone joins in
7–10 min
Full steps after registration
Flashcards
- Recall it from memory
- The compliment, not the score
- Revision, right before a test
- Everyone practises, you listen
Read and Ask
In pairs: A reads a passage aloud, B listens without reading along. Then A asks one question about the text; B answers and A checks in the text — right: a compliment, wrong: A points to the place. The next passage is read by B.
Own materials neededEveryone joins in
2 min5.0
Full steps after registration
Read and Ask
- Reading aloud and asking about it
- Wrong answer? A points to the spot
- Reading comprehension in pairs
- You hear whether the text landed
1 goes, 3 stay
One participant visits another group to gather information and brings it back to their own team.
Materials in the basic kitChanging groups
10–20 min
Full steps after registration
1 goes, 3 stay
- Gathering information and reporting back
- One travels, three stay as hosts
- Groups share different sub-topics
- Knowledge flows between the groups
Jigsaw
The learning material is divided into 2–6 parts. Each team member becomes an expert in one part, shares that knowledge in an expert group, and returns to their home group.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inChanging groups
30–45 min
Full steps after registration
Jigsaw
- Becoming an expert in one part
- Teaching it to your home group
- Splitting up a large topic
- Everyone teaches somebody something
Gallery Walk
Every team lays its work on the table and picks a keeper who stays with it. The rest go on tour past the other tables and give feedback on the questions on the screen; the keeper writes it down. Back at the table the keeper reports, and the team reflects.
Higher-orderChanging groups
5 min
Full steps after registration
Gallery Walk
- Giving and receiving feedback on work
- The guard writes down what is said
- Halfway through a project or design
- Every team hears from every other
Placemat
Each participant writes their answer individually, shares it and together finds a consensus.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins inHigher-order
10–30 min
Full steps after registration
Placemat
- Write alone first, then decide together
- Every voice stays visible on the sheet
- In-depth discussion of a topic
- Consensus without losing anyone's idea
Four Corners
Participants choose a corner that matches their answer to a statement. They move, exchange thoughts — and can change corners if persuaded.
Materials in the basic kitEveryone joins in
10–20 min
Full steps after registration
Four Corners
- Choosing a corner and explaining why
- Switching corners is the whole point
- Recalling prior knowledge or closing
- You see at once how the class thinks
Knowledge Quiz
A question on the screen; every team confers and writes its answer on the whiteboard sheet. All boards up at once, then the answer — and a point for every team that had it. The scoreboard on the screen keeps count.
Materials in the basic kit
1–2 min
Full steps after registration
Knowledge Quiz
- Recalling knowledge against the clock
- Teams answer in turn
- Revision or a check before a test
- Competition that keeps the content real
Five Whys: root cause analysis
Root cause analysis: find the underlying cause of a problem by asking 'why?' five times in pairs. A Toyota technique.
Everyone joins inHigher-orderLean
10–15 min
Full steps after registration
Five Whys: root cause analysis
- Separating cause from effect
- Five whys deep — past the symptom
- Reflection on something that went wrong
- The group drops its quick conclusions
Daily Scrum
A short daily stand-up: each person answers three questions in turn (done / next / blockers). Quick and timed. From Agile / Scrum.
Everyone joins inAgile / Scrum
5–15 min
Full steps after registration
Daily Scrum
- Brief updates: done, next, blocker
- Coordination, not problem-solving
- Project week or a standing check-in
- Progress visible in a few minutes
Snowball (1-2-4-All)
Start individually, combine in pairs, merge in groups of four — and build shared insight step by step.
Everyone joins inHigher-orderChanging groups
20–35 min5.0
Snowball (1-2-4-All)
- From your own idea to shared insight
- Alone, then two, then four
- An open question for the whole group
- Everyone has thought before sharing
Nine Whys: shared purpose
In pairs, discover the deeper shared purpose behind your collective effort. A Liberating Structure.
Everyone joins inLiberating Structures
10–15 min
Full steps after registration
Nine Whys: shared purpose
- Asking through to what really drives
- The asker listens and does not steer
- Start of a project or collaboration
- A shared purpose surfaces
Conversation Café
A calm, reflective conversation in a small fixed group (4–8) with a talking object — for a complex or sensitive topic. A Liberating Structure by Vicki Robin.
Everyone joins inLiberating Structures
30–45 min
Full steps after registration
Conversation Café
- Listening before responding
- The talking stone gives everyone a voice
- A sensitive topic with no single answer
- Calm where talk usually heats up
World Café
A large conversation across many tables: after each round you move on and cross-pollinate ideas, then harvest common patterns together. Related to Liberating Structures. Developed by Juanita Brown & David Isaacs.
Higher-orderChanging groups
40–90 min
Full steps after registration
World Café
- Building on other people's ideas
- The host stays — the ideas travel
- A big group, one question for all
- The harvest shows the common threads
The worst plan
Flip it around: imagine how you'd ruin your goal, look in the mirror, and stop one thing. A playful reverse brainstorm. Making Space with TRIZ — a Liberating Structure.
Higher-orderLiberating Structures
Alone · Pair · Group · 15–30 min
Full steps after registration
The worst plan
- Thinking in reverse about your goal
- The mirror: do we already do this?
- A stuck group or resistance to change
- Stop one thing instead of adding more
Trio advice
Peer advice in groups of 3–5: one brings a real situation, the others think out loud as consultants. A Liberating Structure (Troika Consulting).
Everyone joins inHigher-orderLiberating Structures
15–20 min
Full steps after registration
Trio advice
- Daring to ask a real question
- The asker turns away and listens
- A concrete question from your practice
- Two perspectives in one round
Incident Method
An 8-step intervision technique where one participant brings a work situation and the group searches for insights together.
Higher-order
40–50 min
Full steps after registration
Incident Method
- Asking questions instead of advising
- Eight steps keep the talk on track
- A work situation that got stuck
- New angles without judgement
Gossip Method
A 5-step intervision technique where the group openly discusses the case presenter while they listen.
Higher-order
35–45 min5.05.0
Full steps after registration
Gossip Method
- Listening without defending yourself
- The case-giver turns their chair away
- A fresh look at a stuck situation
- Honest feedback that still feels safe
Socratic conversation
A 7-step intervision technique based on cardinal virtues: the presenter describes a situation up to the hot point, and the group explores the essence together.
Everyone joins inHigher-order
30–90 min
Full steps after registration
Socratic conversation
- Asking through to the core of a judgement
- One concrete decision as the subject
- Intervision or a recurring tension
- Deeper insight instead of advice
Dominant Ideas
A 7-step intervision technique: the group together looks for dominant ideas in the presenter's situation and formulates alternatives.
Higher-order
40–50 min
Full steps after registration
Dominant Ideas
- Spotting assumptions in your own thinking
- Naming what you see — no advice
- Being stuck in your own convictions
- Alternatives instead of judgements
A pause in class
Three 2-minute rest moments for the board — box breathing, 4-7-8 or a waterfall. The animation does the work, you don't have to say a thing.
No account needed
whole class · 2 min
Your own structure
The one structure whose steps you write yourself. You line up your own items, choose how long each is worked on and talked about, and the screen keeps the class on the same point. In every other structure you set the content, the times and the words — in this one you also set the order.
You write the steps
10–30 min
Full steps after registration
Your own structure
- Your own steps on the screen
- You write it, we time and show it
- A structure that is not here yet
- Set it up and run it again later

Collections

Five-minute structures Short structures (up to 10 minutes)Structures for speaking skills Structures for listening skills Structures for reading skills Structures with writing Learning in motion: structures with movement Retrieval practice structures Ice-breakers for class and team Energisers for class and team

Teaching Activities

Stand Up & Sit Down

Taking Turns

On time

Interview in Three Rounds

Movement Quiz

Numbered Minds

Think, Write & Share

Copy Me

Pair Coach

Written Thoughts

Inner & Outer Circle

Pomodoro: get to work

One by one

Shuffle & Pick

Flashcards

Read and Ask

1 goes, 3 stay

Jigsaw

Gallery Walk

Placemat

Four Corners

Knowledge Quiz

Five Whys: root cause analysis

Daily Scrum

Snowball (1-2-4-All)

Nine Whys: shared purpose

Conversation Café

World Café

The worst plan

Trio advice

Incident Method

Gossip Method

Socratic conversation

Dominant Ideas

A pause in class

Your own structure