Your First CI Week: What to Do When You Ditch the Textbook

A complete day-by-day starter guide with concrete examples and downloadable templates.

Introduction: The Textbook is Dead. Long Live the Teacher.

So you finally did it.

You took that hefty textbook—the one with more grammar drills than student engagement—and yeeted it into educational oblivion. You slammed that cabinet shut, declared yourself free, and thought, “This is it. I’m doing it. I’m teaching with Comprehensible Input.”

Cue: mild panic, existential dread, and the overwhelming urge to binge-watch CI YouTube videos while whispering, “I am the input. I am the input.”

If this is your first week flying CI solo, take a deep breath and unclench your syllabus. You don’t need perfection. You need connection, comprehension, and a whole lot of patience—mostly with yourself.

The first week is not about mastery. It’s about survival—with style. This article will walk you through a complete week, day by day, filled with actual strategies you can use right now. No fluff. No 27-tab Google Drive chaos. Just real talk from someone who’s been in the CI trenches.

And if you want to know where your CI skills are currently vibing? Take the CI Proficiency Quiz at https://imim.us/ciquiz. It’s fun, it’s free, and it doesn’t involve a single scantron. Also, mark your calendar—CI Summer Camp is coming at https://imim.us/summercamp. You in? Good. Let’s go.

Monday: Welcome to CI—We Hope You Survive the Day

Your students walk in expecting the usual: syllabus, rules, and the classic “This class will be taught in 95% target language…” speech.

But not today, Satan. Today, we PQA.

Step one: Personalize from the jump.
Ask questions like “Do you have pets?” “What’s your favorite snack?” or “Have you ever seen a raccoon steal a Pop-Tart?” Keep it silly, real, and comprehensible.

As students answer (or awkwardly mumble in terror), you build a simple class story.
Did Ella say she has a ferret named Beyoncé? BOOM. You now have an entire class narrative to spin for 20 minutes.

Pro Tip: Write key words on the board with pictures or gestures. Pause and point to them every time you say them again. Recycle that language like it’s plastic in an AP Environmental Science class.

You don’t need a polished lesson. You need student interest, high-frequency vocab, and enough charisma to carry you through the awkward silences. Monday is about setting the tone. This is a different kind of class. And you? You’re a different kind of teacher now.

Tuesday: Comprehensibility is Your Love Language

Today’s motto? “If they don’t understand you, they can’t acquire the language. Period.”

This is where you slow... it... down. Like molasses on a cold day. Like a cat walking across your laptop keyboard. You get the idea.

Use the language from yesterday and expand it. Retell the ferret story. Draw it. Act it out. Make students guess what’s going to happen next. Let them be absurd. (Is Beyoncé the Ferret now a spy? A TikTok star? Married to Shrek?)

Introduce classroom gestures for common expressions. Create a signal for “I don’t understand.” Make a dramatic “confused” face and have students copy it. You are now a part-time mime. Congratulations.

You can even introduce your first Classroom Jobs—translation checker, artist, attention-getter (usually a drama kid), and weather reporter. The jobs give students a reason to listen and a sense of purpose. Plus, it's hilarious.

If you’re still not sure how it’s going? Ask students to rate their understanding with fingers or facial expressions. Or just take the CI Proficiency Quiz yourself and see how your CI game stacks up.

Wednesday: Planning Without the Existential Dread

By Wednesday, the panic starts to set in: “Shouldn’t I have… lesson plans? Objectives? A PowerPoint?!”

Spoiler: You already do. They’re called: Input, Interest, and Interaction.

Here’s the trick: Plan for one input-rich experience. That’s it. A picture, a meme, a story hook. Think of it as a universal donor—you can:

• Describe it in the present tense.
• Reimagine it in the past or future.
• Add what didn’t happen (“Wrong answers only” is a GOLDMINE).

Let’s say you show an image of a llama in sunglasses on a skateboard.
That’s three days of CI potential.

• Where is the llama going?
• Why is he wearing sunglasses?
• Did he win the X Games or just escape a petting zoo?

You’re not “winging it.” You’re creating spontaneous language experiences based on compelling input. That’s literally the dream.

Also—don’t forget to sneak in a no-prep brain break. Freeze dance, “Simon dice,” or Make Your Face Match the Verb.

And hey, if this freedom feels overwhelming? That’s what CI Summer Camp is for: https://imim.us/summercamp. It’s like CI therapy… with bonus downloadables.

Thursday: Assessment Without the Anxiety Attack

Welcome to the day we call Formative Assessment, CI Style™—also known as: “How do I check if they’re actually understanding and not just smiling and nodding like they do when I ask if they did the reading?”

Don’t worry. You don’t need a quiz. You need evidence of comprehension.

Try this:

1. Exit tickets that ask, “What happened in today’s story?” or “Draw what you remember.”
2. Have students retell the story in English, emoji-only, or interpretive dance. (Okay, maybe skip that last one unless your admin has a sense of humor.)
3. Create a checklist of structures or vocab from the week and just casually track who’s using them correctly. You’re not judging—they’re not performing—they’re acquiring.

One of the most powerful strategies? The “Silent Story Retell.” Project images or key frames from the week’s narrative and let students explain what’s happening to a partner, in the target language or not. Watch who’s confidently expressing ideas—and who’s silently praying for divine intervention.

And guess what? Even if it feels messy, you’re assessing what matters: understanding. You’re not grading output—you’re building fluency foundations.

Need a confidence boost yourself? The CI Proficiency Quiz is your personal roadmap. And if it says you’re a little wobbly? Guess where we’ll see you? CI Summer Camp. We’ll bring the metaphors. You bring the snacks.

Friday: Reflect, Rejoice, Repeat

You did it. You survived the week.

Was it perfectly executed? Absolutely not.
Were there moments where you questioned your life choices? Probably.
Did you connect with your students using real language and actual smiles? Yes, you did.

So take this day to reflect with your students.

Ask them:

• “What was your favorite part of this week?”
• “What helped you understand the most?”
• “Which story made you laugh the hardest?”

These questions are more than feel-good fluff. They’re diagnostic. They show you what’s working—and what might need tweaking.

Use their feedback to build your next week. If they loved the story about the ferret and the sunglasses-wearing llama, keep the weird energy going. If they didn’t vibe with the interpretive dance, maybe just… quietly delete that memory.

End the day with a short write/draw/retell moment. Play a simple review game. Let students feel proud of themselves. They just survived a whole week of class conducted (mostly) in the target language. That’s huge.

And you? You’re no longer a textbook escapee. You’re a CI teacher. You’re doing it. You’re living the dream. You’re probably still slightly overwhelmed, but now it’s productive panic.

Conclusion: The Secret to CI Success Isn’t Flashy—It’s Consistent

If you only remember one thing from this article, let it be this: you don’t have to do everything. You just have to do something—and make it comprehensible.

The best CI teachers aren’t the flashiest. They’re the most consistent. They prioritize connection, input, and simplicity over theatrics and bells-and-whistles apps. (Though if your CI setup includes sock puppets, we’re not judging. Sock puppets slap.)

So breathe. Smile. And plan that next week knowing you’ve already done the hardest part: you started.

Now let’s keep going.
Check your CI skills at https://imim.us/ciquiz.
Plan your summer glow-up at https://imim.us/summercamp.
And most importantly—stay weird, stay comprehensible, and stay YOU.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways:

• Start simple: One image or story can last you days.
• Prioritize connection and understanding over perfection.
• Assess comprehension with exit tickets, not tests.
• Reflect with students weekly to guide your next steps.
• Use CI resources like the CI Proficiency Quiz and CI Summer Camp to level up your game without losing your mind.