TP8 was a particularly memorable milestone for me—not just because it was my final CELTA teaching practice, but because it represented a moment where many of the skills I’d been consciously developing across earlier lessons finally came together smoothly, confidently, and with a sense of ease. The lesson focused on teaching negative adjectives (impossible, improbable, incredible, irrelevant, unsuccessful) within the context of amazing or unlikely coincidences, and it turned out to be one of the most energizing sessions I’ve taught so far.

Designing the Lesson

This lesson was built around a high-interest context: unbelievable coincidences and urban-legend-style stories (including the “Titanic prediction” and the “Jim Twins” coincidence). From the start, I wanted the lesson to feel engaging, fast-moving, and communicative—something that would spark curiosity and lead naturally into using the target language.

My main aims were:

• To introduce and clarify a set of negative adjectives related to likelihood and relevance.
• To support students in using these adjectives fluently while discussing surprising or bizarre coincidences.

I also carried forward personal action points from previous TPs, especially:

• Improving the quality and tightness of controlled practice.
• Ensuring enough time for feedback after freer practice, before DEC.
• Managing breakout rooms more flexibly using timers I control independently rather than fixed BOR limits.

These aims helped me maintain focus throughout planning and delivery.

How the Lesson Went

1. Lead-in: Setting the Tone

The Titanic visual and the Morgan Robertson story worked exactly as I had hoped—students were hooked immediately. Several shared prior knowledge, and the short CCQ check around coincidence ensured we were all aligned before moving on.

2. Language Clarification: Strong, Fast, and Focused

Students were quick to grasp meanings from context and confidently match the adjectives to definitions. The CCQs landed well, and pronunciation drilling felt natural—especially with trickier words like improbable and irrelevant.

The sequence of:
context → meaning → CCQs → pronunciation → form (prefixes)
kept things tight and effective.

3. Controlled Practice: A Real Win

This stage was a personal success. I had been working hard to make controlled practice truly productive, and this exercise required learners to supply the correct negative adjective in meaningful sentences. When checking in BORs, they were already using the target language spontaneously—a great sign that the task wasn’t merely mechanical.

4. Freer Practice: Lively, Personal, and On-Target

Students had strong conversations about the text and then about their own surprising coincidences. They integrated negative adjectives with very little prompting, which made this stage feel both authentic and fluent.

The time-management strategy—setting a hidden timer on my desktop rather than embedding one in the BOR—worked perfectly. It allowed me to extend or shorten discussions without disruption.

5. DEC: Purposeful and Responsive

Because I monitored carefully during freer practice and captured language on a slide, the DEC stage was focused and useful. Students corrected errors collaboratively and appreciated the extra pronunciation notes.

What I Would Change Next Time

Even though the lesson was successful, I identified a few refinements:

• Use one reading rather than two, and recycle it later in the lesson.
• Include more speaking if I had a longer timeframe (the classic CELTA dream!).
• Possibly bring in a physical book or props in a face-to-face setting, or introduce the topic with a film clip to build atmosphere.

These are enhancements rather than repairs, which reflects how solid the core lesson felt.

Strengths I’m Proud Of

• Clear, confident MFP clarification with strong CCQs.
• A genuinely useful controlled practice stage.
• Smooth timing and management of BORs.
• Highly engaged students who spontaneously produced the target language—even at transitions.
• A strong rapport and a relaxed, attentive teaching presence.

It was especially encouraging to see the adjectives pop up naturally in discussion without prompting.

Looking Ahead

As TP8 was my final assessed lesson, it felt like a meaningful reflection point. This lesson demonstrated that I can:

✔ plan backwards effectively
✔ manage timing with confidence
✔ deliver focused language clarification
✔ support fluent, natural speaking
✔ build a positive, energised classroom environment

Going forward, I want to continue developing lessons where:

• texts are recycled more strategically
• speaking stages are expanded
• materials allow for more depth and creativity

And I’m excited to carry that momentum into post-CELTA teaching.