As a new instructor, I've learned, so far, that being "extra" prepared for class is crucial. Having a back up plan in case you are losing the attention of your students has been helpful. Once back up plan I have used is a class activity involving the vocabulary and small groups. I break the class up into teams of 3-4 people. give each team a pharse or topic to look up in the book. Then the team must explain their topic using picture drawings only. Its a fun activity that gets the students involved and has some nostalgia attached to it. The student love this and it makes the class fun!
