In response to "what one piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?"

In response to "what one piece of advice would you give a teacher who wants to create their own classroom materials?"

I do not esteem that I have been creating materials long enough to give advice. However, one thing that has worked for me is getting inspiration from students themselves. I have made it a habit to take advantage of the first lesson to make students write lists of what they’re interested in, what their hobbies, their favourite songs, movies are etc. I keep those lists at hand for when I’m looking for inspiration. I also try to make the best out of the first two minutes of class to have more laid-back conversations about what they’re into at the moment. “What TV show are you watching? Who’s your favourite artist at the moment? What do you like about Rap music?” My teens won’t stop talking when I ask them these kinds of questions (which is always a plus, in my opinion, since they’re answering in English). So my advice is: get to know your students and what they like.