TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ELT -

PATHS AND PERSPECTIVES

OR

‘KNOWING BETTER IS DOING BETTER’‘

Andrew Starling

“When you KNOW better you DO better.”

- Maya Angelou

(American poet, memoirist, actress and important figure in the American Civil Rights

Movement)

TO START US OFF

Work in small groups. Ask each other:

1. How long have you been teaching English?

2. What made you start teaching English?

2 words to describe how you feel about

teaching now?

CLOSE YOUR EYES!

Where will you

be in 5 years?

• 10 years?

• 15 years?

HOW WILL YOU GET TO WHERE YOU WANT TO

BE?

YOUR PROFESSIONAL FUTURE?

YOUR PROFESSIONAL FUTURE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHICH WAY?

A BRIGHT FUTURE?

THINK ABOUT THIS

Look at the questions and mentally check the

one that you ask yourself on a regular basis.

Stop at the questions you never ask.

DO YOU ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS?

Can I make it until the end of the week?

Can I really do this work day after day?

“I know what I am supposed to do, but it just doesn’t

work with my students.”

HOW ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS?

How can I help a student who doesn’t seem to be

learning?

“How can I change my lessons to meet needs of low

ability/high achieving students?”

AND WHAT ABOUT THESE?

What are some new materials, techniques, approaches,

ideas, etc., that I can try in my classroom?

What is the teacher in my specialization doing in the next

building?

Are there new ideas that have emerged since the last time

I was in class?

AND THESE?

How will schools change society?

What is my role to assist in change?

What are my philosophical perspectives?

SURVIVAL

Can I make it until the end of the week?

Can I really do this work day after day?

“I know what I am supposed to do, but it just doesn’t work with my

students.”

CONSOLIDATION

How can I help a student who doesn’t seem to be learning?

“How can I change my lessons to meet needs of low ability/high

achieving students?”

RENEWAL

What are some new materials, techniques, approaches,

ideas, etc., that I can try in my classroom?

What is the teacher in my specialization doing in the next building?

Are there new ideas that have emerged since the last time I was in

class?

MATURITY

How will schools change society?

What is my role to assist in change?

What are my philosophical perspectives?

SURVIVAL STAGE

Survivors are so focused on themselves and their ownneeds (trying to survive) that they usually fail to see thedirect relationship between what the teacher does (ordoesn’t do) and what the students do.

These teachers tend to react to situations rather thananticipate and prevent potential problems by usingpreventive management strategies. These teachers tendto be rather self-centred and do not notice learners’individual needs. Survivors need suggestions for thespecific situation and resources to help them developand present their lessons.

CONSOLIDATION STAGE

Teachers at this stage have been able toimplement rules and routines for the groups andhave lessons that meet the needs of the averagelearner in their class.

Though the individual needs of students arebeginning to be recognized, the teacher is stillstruggling to find ways to meet special needs.These teachers need opportunities to share theirfeelings and ideas with teachers in similar stagesof development.

RENEWAL STAGE

Renewal teachers are often interested inprofessional development opportunities that areavailable through local state, or nationalorganizations.

They may want to attend conferences or becomemembers of their professional associations. Theyare interested in visiting other classes and havingvisitors to their classrooms so as to get new ideasfrom peers. These teachers are very self-motivated.

MATURITY STAGE

These teachers may want to participate in

conferences and seminars and to accept

leadership positions in their school, community,

or professional organization.

They may become excellent mentors because

they have experienced the needs of teachers

moving through these stages.

IN THE BEGINNING

How did you start teaching?

HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FINISH YOUR

PRE-SERVICE COURSE……

HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU START TEACHING…..

BUT AFTER A WHILE……

TEACHER EDUCATION

For many teachers, their education starts and

ends with their pre-service course.

When did you take your pre-service course?

How relevant and applicable is what you

learned THEN to your situation NOW?

THE SOLUTION?

Training and development!!

BUT…..

Training and/or development implies risk.

Stepping outside our comfort zone.

Questioning established, comfortable ‘truths’.

Affects the ‘ego’.

Requires resources….

ME?! TRAIN AND DEVELOP?!

Why bother?

“Why develop? It is easier not to?”

Barduhen, S. 2002

Isn’t it easier to keep doing what has worked

for you over the years?

But the danger is…..

Which leads to…..

TEACHER EDUCATION

Boredom

Tiredness

‘Burn out’

Dissatisfaction

Disillusionment

Bitterness

TEACHER EDUCATION

‘Another factor to consider in analysing the needfor continuing professional and personaldevelopment is that change is permanent andaccelerating. The half life of any knowledge isprobably 2 to 3 years. This means that there is aconstant need to review what we know and beopen to new ideas. Only in this way can we keepup to date with our knowledge and take intoaccount fresh ideas and perspectives.’From: CPD; an impossible quest or an attainable challenge? L.Sanchez with S.Brewster

To be knowledgeable and principled without theappropriate skills necessary to apply thisknowlegde is limiting. Skill too in the absenceof knowledge is of limited value.

The knowledgeable teacher who is also skillfulis a powerful educator.

Pettis, 2002:394

WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE?

Talk to the peope next to you and make a list of

what you think consitutes knowledge.

For example, grammar rules, ‘PPP’

WHAT ARE SKILLS?

Talk to the peope next to you and make a list of

what you think consitutes skills.

For example, classroom managements, giving

instructions, correcting mistakes according to

needs, adpating your lesson plan, etc, etc

A DILEMMA….

THE QUESTION

To train or not to train?

Is THAT the question?

To develop or not to develop?

Is THAT the question?

To train or to develop?

That is the question!

TEACHER EDUCATION

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Compulsory Voluntary

Competency based Holistic

Short term Long term

TEACHER EDUCATION

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Compulsory Voluntary

Competency based Holistic

Short term Long term

TEACHER EDUCATION

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

One-off Ongoing

Temporary Continual

External agenda Internal agenda

TEACHER EDUCATION

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Skill/Technique/ Awareness based

knowledge

Compulsory for

entry to profession Non-compulsory

Top down Bottom up

TEACHER EDUCATION

TRAINING DEVELOPMENT

Product weighted Process weighted

You get a job You stay interested in your job

Done with experts Done with peers

TRAINING

Courses – qualifications and certification

Eg. TTC, BA, Celta, ICELT, TDC, Delta, MA, etc.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Workshops

Conferences

Self-monitoring

Support group

Teaching journal

Peer observation

Teaching Portfolio

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

‘My effectiveness as a teacher depends largely

on my pedagogic skills…..

…..but it is the ‘me’ who operates them that

mainly influences their effectiveness.’

Adrian Underhill

SO………

Training EDUCATES…..

Development CHANGES and IMPROVES….

Development DEPLOYS training

NOW WHAT?

Don’t get left behind!

MAKE A PLAN!

Your plan should include training AND development

SMART – Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Reliable, Timed

Stage your plan.

Find a T & D ‘buddy’ or group!

THE MORE YOU DO…..

THANK YOU!