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whynotme · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 728 Location: istanbul

i saw this question while prepearing seminar and started to think about it a lot nowadays...
How important is you work environment in promoting ur professional growth?

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

In tefl for the most part you do your professional growth by yourself, in your own time and at your own expense. Tefl employers for the most part don`t give a toss.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

F**% me I agree with 31. Professional growth does come from within

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

Dmb you have made me so happy with your post.

So your co. are not contributing anything towards your MA and you had to pay for the dip yourself. Typical tefl.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

I have been too lazy and apathetic to learn how to quote but I am going to practice with it tomorrow and get it right.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

'apathetic'. 31, that's a big word. Have you been at the Oxford learners' dictionary again

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

I go around to the branches to give seminars, which are received with mixed reviews. We were da*ned when we didn't do prof devt and we still are when we do. We also have a yearly professional development day where the teachers can do their own workshops, which usually works out pretty well. I think the desire for it needs to come from within, but good teachers know that they are always learning, from their students and from their peers. I used to present at local and international conferences (TESOL) but haven't done that in quite a while, as I am busy doing other things.

31 · Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 1797

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Molly, just out of interest, do your teachers get paid for attending workshops. The reason I ask is because when I was at ET the teachers were paid for it. Guess what. They all turned up.

TeachEnglish · Joined: 09 Feb 2005 Posts: 239

Where did the idea of workshops and seminars come from in this business? It is a pathetic attempt at a workshop or seminar when you tell your employees to put on this show/masquerade.. No one wants to attend this type of crap.. especially when they are not paid for it..and especially when we are told it is part of our job.. to be there or do the seminar or workshop.. When the idiots that run and own these English Convenience stores do a better job of putting on a workshop, then people will be enthusiastic and interested. You know for the most part.. the only good things about most of these places; the English Times, Inlinguas, English Fasts, and Berltiz's, are the teachers and the students.. They all lie, cheat, and use us TEFL'rs up like we are disposible diapers.. and yes.. they crap on us too.. But after a while if you like the work.. you learn to ignore the devils that run these places.. now back to seminars.. it would be great to attend a good seminar.. one where some useful things are taught.. any ideas on how to find them..

molly farquharson · Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 839 Location: istanbul

sure teachenglish, come to one of mine. I try to give seminars about things teachers can use.

dmb, no, maalesef, teachers are not paid for coming to seminars and they do have to be there. however, i have been in this profession for many years at many kinds of schools, including universities in the US, and we were not paid for attending seminars either, though we were supported if we were presenting.

why aren't teachers more interested in developing themselves as professionals?

whynotme · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 728 Location: istanbul

students think think that teachers are the keys to educational change and improvment, they dont simply implement the curriculum....this role is given to the teacher and they are afraid of seminars or hate the workshops why? because they want to be paid for them ...i am talking about 1 hour workshops every week or 2 hour semiinars every month...some teachers stop developing at some stage in their career and forget that they are not individuals working themselves, they are a part of a group( school) and every teacher should be responsible for training a new one
sorry but i think some teachers deserve to be exploited by the school owners

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

I liked the kinds of workshops where they gave out lots of materials and activities-- anything to reduce planning time.

The theoretical workshops are pretty much a waste of time though. Those with MAs and DELTAs don't need it, and if the others want it, they'll find it on their own, or ask someone with an MA or DELTA....

At Interlang they paid us for workshops but not for travel time when they were at different branches. This made me pretty mad, so I can't imagine being happy about being forced to attend a workshop that I wasn't being paid for. Doesn't that make it a little hard on the presenter to work with a group of people who are mad about having to be there?

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Like Molly, I always try to make workshops practical. when I was at the English Centre(when there were 50+teachers) teachers(not all of them) used to bit.ch about having to go to them. Workshops were counted as a teaching hour so they were paid. Guess what? the following week when I was doing observations they would be using something from the workshop. I always gave teachers the chance to tell me what they wanted and the most popular answer was games and warmers. Surely there is more to EFL than games. 31?