How to Teach With No Resources
Because great teaching doesn’t need great tech.
If you can teach with nothing, you can teach anywhere.
Imagine walking into class to find there’s no textbook, no projector, no printer, and not even a whiteboard marker that works. Most teachers would panic. But the truth is, you don’t need any of it. Great lessons don’t depend on stuff — they depend on you, your students, and a few flexible ideas you can pull from your back pocket.
Teaching with no resources isn’t a punishment. It’s a return to what teaching really is: communication, creativity, and connection. Let’s look at how to do it confidently and without stress.
What “no resources” really means
“No resources” doesn’t mean “no plan.” It means no photocopier, no Wi-Fi, no props. But you still have the best teaching tools in the world: your voice, your students, and the space around you.
When you focus on those, something shifts. Students start listening to each other instead of waiting for the next worksheet. Lessons feel more human. You spend less time prepping and more time teaching. And you realise that what you’ve been looking for in the coursebook was right there in the room all along.
Why teaching with no resources works
Here’s why the magic happens when you strip everything back:
It builds connection. Students interact with you and each other, not a page.
It develops independence. They learn to listen, speak, and think instead of fill in blanks.
It grows your confidence. Once you can run a lesson anywhere, you’re unstoppable.
It deepens learning. Active recall and personalisation beat passive reading every time.
Why No Resources Feels Hard
Most of us were trained with lesson plans full of materials, coursebooks, and smartboards. When those disappear, it’s natural to feel lost. Add pressure from managers or students who expect “something to hold,” and you start doubting yourself.
But you’re not underprepared - you’re under-equipped. And that’s a very different thing. Once you know a few reliable structures and tricks, you’ll realise you were capable all along.
How to teach with no resources (step by step)
1. Use your students as the resource
You already have everything you need: people. Use their ideas, experiences, and language.
Think–Pair–Share - Ask a question like:
“Describe a time you felt proud,” or “Give advice to someone who can’t sleep.”
Students think alone, then talk in pairs, then share with the class.
Focus: fluency, opinion language, structure.1–2–4–All - Think alone, then in pairs, then in groups of four, then whole class.
Works beautifully for “pros and cons,” “steps in a process,” or “rank the best ideas.”Expert Interviews - Three “experts” sit at the front. The class interviews them.
Rotate experts every few minutes.
Use for: study tips, travel, jobs, hobbies, advice — anything.Fishbowl - A few students discuss in the middle while others listen for good phrases.
Then swap roles. It’s fantastic for speaking and noticing language.
The best part? Every one of these can be adapted to any topic in your syllabus.
2. Use space and movement
Movement re-energises students and stops side talk. It also turns your room into a teaching tool.
Line-Ups - “Line up from most to least confident about cooking.”
Or: “Line up from earliest riser to latest sleeper.”
Students explain their position to a partner.
Focus: comparatives, superlatives, reasons with “because” and “so.”Corners - Label four corners: strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree.
Give statements like:“Homework should be optional.”
“The customer is always right.”
“Talent matters more than practice.”
Students move, explain, debate. Great for opinions and modal verbs.
Human Timelines — Students line up to show stages in a process or story.
Use for: life events, daily routines, history, “how to” steps.
You’ve just created a living worksheet.
3. Build communication with no-prep speaking games
Keep them short, energetic, and flexible.
Twenty Questions (Themed) - Topics: food, jobs, places, inventions.
Focus: yes/no questions, description, vocabulary.What’s Missing? - Partner describes their morning routine. Partner repeats, then the first changes one detail. Can the other spot it?
Focus: present simple, adverbs of frequency, listening.Would You Rather… - Would you rather live by the sea or in the mountains?
Focus: conditionals, reasoning, linking words.Alibi - A few students invent an alibi; the rest cross-examine them.
Focus: past simple, question forms, creativity.The Expert - Students teach a quick “how to” (tie a tie, make coffee, remember names).
Focus: imperatives, sequencing, modals for advice.One-Word Story - Build a class story one word (or sentence) at a time.
Focus: narrative tenses, connectors, teamwork.Taboo Without Cards - Describe the word without saying it.
Focus: paraphrasing, relative clauses, creativity.
These activities recycle vocabulary and grammar naturally — and they require zero prep.
4. Teach new language orally
You don’t need slides or paper to introduce new language. Remember to have a strong context!
Oral Substitution Drills —
Model: “I usually ___ on ___ because ___.”
Students replace one part each time.Back-Chaining - Build long sentences from the end to the start to improve rhythm.
Popcorn Drilling - Pass a sentence around the class, each student changing one word.
It’s fast, focused, and surprisingly fun.
5. Recycle and retrieve
Without paper, memory becomes your biggest tool. Use it.
Memory Chains - Each student repeats and adds one new item.
Quickfire Quizzes - Students make three questions in their head and quiz new partners.
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow - What did we learn yesterday? What are we using today? Where will we use it tomorrow?
Little and often works better than “big review days.”
6. End strong
Wrap up with reflection or praise. It costs nothing and adds meaning.
One-Breath Summary - “In one breath, tell me what you learned.”
Ticket to Leave - “Say one new word, one phrase, one question.”
Praise Circle - Each student thanks someone who helped them.
The class leaves on a positive note — and you finish knowing you actually taught something.
Universal topics
Here’s a cheat-sheet of topics that fit almost any grammar point:
Daily routines and habits
Preferences and opinions
Places and travel
People and relationships
Plans and goals
Problems and solutions
Comparisons
Advice and rules
Stories and experiences
Hypotheticals and “what ifs”
Predictions
Values and beliefs
Add a few sentence starters like:
“For me, the hardest part is…”
“Compared with X, Y is more…”
“If I had to choose, I’d pick…”
“The main reason is…”
Now you can build a full speaking or writing activity from a single line.
Top tips
Keep tasks short, then switch partners.
Recast mistakes positively - never interrupt flow.
Use energy breaks (stand, stretch, move).
Jot down what worked so you can reuse it.
Teaching like this is mentally tiring at first, but it gets easier fast. And the rewards are huge.
Final thoughts
Teaching with no resources isn’t the absence of something - it’s the presence of skill.
When you strip away the extras, what’s left is the essence of teaching: voices, ideas, laughter, and learning. Once you can do that, a working printer feels like a luxury, not a lifeline.
So next time you walk into class and realise there’s nothing ready, smile. You’re about to prove that the best teachers can make something from nothing.
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A fantastic post with so many helpful, practical tips. Much-needed in a time in education where the default seems to be the smartboard and devices. Thank you for sharing!
Excellent! And not just for EAL.