What to Do When You Don’t Have an ESL Curriculum (and Don’t Know Where to Start)
You open your laptop, ready to plan tomorrow’s ESL lesson… and your stomach drops.
No curriculum.
No pacing guide.
No roadmap.
Just you and a classroom full of students at completely different levels who are all depending on you.
If that’s where you are right now, take a deep breath. You’re not behind. You’re not unqualified. And you’re definitely not alone.
So many ESL teachers are asked to teach everything: reading, writing, grammar, speaking, and listening, often without clear materials, training, or time.
And yet, here you are, showing up anyway.
If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t even know where to start,” here’s a simple way to begin teaching ESL confidently even without a curriculum.
1. Start Small: One Skill at a Time
You don’t need to teach all four domains every day.
When you feel overwhelmed, pick one focus for the week — maybe reading, writing, or grammar.
For example, you could start with reading. Choose a short, accessible passage, highlight 5–8 key words, and use them for vocabulary practice and discussion. Then, connect that same passage to a small writing task later in the week.
Focusing on one skill at a time helps students feel more confident and it helps you stay consistent instead of scrambling.
2. Use One Text in Multiple Ways
If you’ve ever caught yourself spending hours hunting for new materials, here’s some good news: you can use one resource in multiple ways.
Try this flow:
Monday: Introduce vocabulary and visuals
Tuesday: Read and discuss the text
Wednesday: Grammar practice using sentences from the passage
Thursday: Writing response
Friday: Speaking or partner activity
This works well for middle school and high school ESL lesson plans because students need repetition with meaning. They see the same language patterns in new ways and you save time planning.
3. Build Predictable Routines
Students thrive when they know what to expect.
When your ESL class follows a simple rhythm, everyone relaxes, including you. Routines create safety, confidence, and flow.
Try using the same structure week after week, like:
Monday: Vocabulary
Tuesday: Reading
Wednesday: Grammar
Thursday: Writing
Friday: Speaking or project
That kind of predictability helps multilingual learners settle in and take risks with language. They don’t have to worry about what they’re doing each day. They can focus on how to do it better.
4. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel
Here’s a gentle reminder: you don’t have to build everything from scratch.
You already know what your students need — you just need resources that match their level and keep them engaged.
That’s why I created the ESL Teacher Membership: to give teachers like you ready-to-teach, differentiated lessons that follow this same simple framework.
It’s designed so you can open a resource, teach with confidence, and still have time left for your life outside the classroom.
Because you deserve that ease, too.
5. Take the First Step
Inside the membership, you’ll find:
Leveled reading passages that include vocabulary, grammar, and writing tasks
Grammar and speaking lessons connected to real content
Digital and printable versions for flexible teaching
Scaffolded lessons for newcomers through advanced students
You don’t need to start from scratch or figure it all out alone.
You just need one consistent plan — and a little support along the way.
Join the ESL Teacher Membership waitlist here.
You’re Doing Better Than You Think
Every teacher I know has had that “I’m making this up as I go” season or two.
You’re not failing.
With a few reliable tools in place, you can spend less time creating and more time connecting with your students.
