Creating effective lessons when you have no materials: a teacher's guide

Stephanie Lam
Feb 25
2 min read

Picture this: you arrive at your classroom and discover there are no textbooks, no photocopier, and the promised resources haven't materialised. Or perhaps your organisation simply can't afford materials. This scenario is far from unusual in ERM teaching.

The good news? You can still deliver excellent lessons.

Use what's around you

Your classroom itself is a teaching resource. Point to objects and elicit or teach vocabulary. Use the whiteboard for drawing simple pictures and diagrams. Even the view from the window can spark conversation.

Students' belongings work brilliantly too. Phones, bags, keys and clothes all provide authentic vocabulary practice.

Harness the power of conversation

Language emerges from genuine communication. Ask students about their day, their families, their interests. Write useful phrases on the board as they arise naturally. It's meaningful language practice that addresses real communicative needs.

Create your own visuals

You don't need fancy graphics. Simple stick figures can demonstrate actions and emotions. Quick sketches illustrate scenarios. Even rough maps of the local area become valuable teaching tools when students need to learn directions.

Exploit student knowledge

Your students bring a wealth of experience into the classroom. Get them teaching each other vocabulary from their languages, sharing cultural practices, or explaining how things work in their home countries. This builds community whilst generating authentic language use.

Build a personal resource bank

Collect free materials systematically. Download and save images, create word cards from scrap paper, gather old magazines. Print resources when you can access a printer and reuse them.

The most important resource in any classroom isn't a textbook – it's you, the teacher, and your students' willingness to engage with language learning.

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