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Ten ways to innovate and change learning in the classroom.
 
1. Regard any comments from the students with interest.
 
2. Authorise students to do certain things on their own initiative.
 
3. Ask students to find positive points in each other's work.
 
4. Be positive freely and let your students know they capable.
 
5. See doubts as an integral step of the learning process.
 
6. Delegate control and count on limited occasions.
 
7. Make decisions, such as methodology changes, examination dates or
 assessment openly with others. Keep them informed.
 
8. Repeat everything - even if they had been listening they may not
have  understood it the first time.
 
9. Try delegating, even for giving out hand-outs.
 
10. Believe that teachers are ongoing learners. That's why they are
interested in teaching.
Tom Maguire

This  list is actually the result of a collaborative writing process which was in itself inspiring. I am a subscriber to a mailing list on NLP and education (in case any of you is interested, the name of the list is nlp-education and its address is: http://www.eGroups.com) One of the subscribers to the list, John Turner, sent a list with the 10 commandments for stifling change and innovation in any organisation. I transformed John's list into the '10 Commandments to stifle change and learning in the classroom', and then Tom did the definite update and transformed the list into positive commandments to foster learning and change in any classroom. I hope you find the result of our join effort uplifting.

SPEAKING CIRCLE 
Level: beginner +
Time: 5 minutes
Purpose: to foster good group dynamics and learning to listen and to relate to each other with respect
Materials : none
Preparation: none

At the beginning of the lesson, ask your students to form a circle (they can do that quickly by standing up and circling the tables). The first time you do a  'speaking circle' you would need to explain them the rules, from them on it would be enough to say 'circle time'. 
The rules are:
The teacher will say one sentence, for instance, I like this group because there is lots of energy in it. Then it is the turn of the student on the teacher's right to produce his/her own sentence using the same beginning (I like this group because...). Each student can choose to pass, or, if they want to speak they can choose whether to speak in English or in their mother tongue. If the student passes or speaks in English then it is the next student turn, if the student speaks in mother tongue the teacher translates into English. There is no need for the student to repeat the sentence in English but because it is their own words they pay high quality attention. In fact, it is the sort of exercise which keeps the group really listening. Also, because there is no fear of failure, many more speak in English that I would have thought.
Although it is a good language exercise the main purpose of the activity is not language learning but practising relational skills, so Speaking Circles work when used on regular basis and not only once in a while. 

Circle time is an activity created by Murray White. I have adapted the rules slightly to make them fit EFL lessons.