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Sinaman
Joined: 23 May 2009
Posts: 85
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 Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 10:30 am Post subject: Training ESL Teachers |
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I've been asked to train 8 relatively new ESL teachers (roughly teaching for 6 months or so). I will be holding 2 hour training sessions once a week with them. We all teach kids
I am a good teacher, obviously as I would not have been asked to train these teachers if I weren't, but I have never trained teachers before.
Any tips anyone can share? |
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spiral78
Joined: 05 Apr 2004
Posts: 11534
Location: On a Short Leash
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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Have you ever taken a teacher training course? That would provide some basis to begin...
I don't mean to sound dismissive by any means - clearly you're doing what you can in the circumstances and kudos to you for gathering whatever tips you can! Further, though I've trained teachers for years, we don't work with kids and so I'd be very hesitant to actually offer advice as it likely wouldn't fit well.
It's just a difficult situation to put a teacher in - seems quite thoughtless on the part of the school.
On perhaps a more helpful note, I think that there are online courses for teaching young learners - maybe the school would be willing to pay for one course for you, and you could then apply what you learn to your class for the teachers. I don't advocate online teacher training, but it would be an idea if resources of time and money are really tight. And you could then make the online course materials walk and talk in the real classroom while you are training your group of teachers... |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Too bad you can't just have them observe you in action. |
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WLamar
Joined: 19 Oct 2013
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:49 pm Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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| Sinaman wrote: |
I've been asked to train 8 relatively new ESL teachers (roughly teaching for 6 months or so). I will be holding 2 hour training sessions once a week with them. We all teach kids
I am a good teacher, obviously as I would not have been asked to train these teachers if I weren't, but I have never trained teachers before.
Any tips anyone can share? |
Keep the halo in check, because it's absolutely normal for employers to tell their foreigners how they are cream of the crop and the best thing since sliced bread and will ask you to do this or that telling you how good a teacher you are.
I know I'm a good teacher, but that's hardly the point. As most teachers here we're not trained as teachers and don't have the theory that goes along with it.
You're being tasked for more work with little or no extra pay (excepting the flattery of the situation). You've received less negative comments on your work than the other teachers and so you've been ID'd as someone to whip the others into shape.
You're not a teacher trainer and you know it, which is good. So, best bet is to have the boss tell the other teachers to attend and observe your class; since I guarantee you that you're going to be resented by the other foreigners as supposedly being better than they are. This is a big issue in China. Lowly foreigners come here because they can't a job elsewhere, been fired multiple times, can't handle confrontation or supervision, and can't follow the western standard of being an employee - so they come here and take the independence and lack of supervision. I've been put into a position of administrative authority and within hours the bald Irishman, or obese fake document gal, or others gang up and run to the real boss and complain that they won't work for a foreigners because 'we didn't come to China to have an American system."
Take this "honor" with more than just a grain of salt. |
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Mr. Leafy
Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 246
Location: North of the Wall
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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Do a needs analysis, the same way you would for a new and unknown group of students. Observe them and have them do peer observations and find out the weak spots. No point teaching the parts they are already good at.
Ask the school why these people are being trained after working for six months. What do they want the new teachers to get from this?
On the cynical side, maybe they were just promised 'ongoing professional development' and now this is it. |
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roadwalker
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 1750
Location: Ch
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| If they are new, they probably do want some pointers. Ask them in class or have them write out the areas in which they think that they could improve. If they don't think they need this, hopefully you will find out straight away without a bunch of passive aggressive behavior. |
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Sinaman
Joined: 23 May 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:41 pm Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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| WLamar wrote: |
Keep the halo in check, because it's absolutely normal for employers to tell their foreigners how they are cream of the crop and the best thing since sliced bread and will ask you to do this or that telling you how good a teacher you are. |
I have been around since 2001. I have been teaching all this time pretty much. I can teach kids with my eyes closed. Open classes where parents come and watch, whether they're new kids trying a lesson or kids who have been with me for a while, hold no fear for me and in fact, I look forward to them. I have opened and sold a couple of successful training centres.
| WLamar wrote: |
| I know I'm a good teacher, but that's hardly the point. As most teachers here we're not trained as teachers and don't have the theory that goes along with it. |
I hold the view that teaching ESL is not the same as teaching primary/middle/high school back home, and a trained teacher from back home will not necessarily be a good ESL teacher. In fact, in all the years I have been here I have seen many actual trained teachers who have taught ESL and a lot have struggled (same with people who did a TESOL/TEFL certificate). In my opinion, nothing beats experience when it comes to teaching ESL, experience and a willingness to learn.
| WLamar wrote: |
| You're being tasked for more work with little or no extra pay (excepting the flattery of the situation). You've received less negative comments on your work than the other teachers and so you've been ID'd as someone to whip the others into shape. |
The owners of the school are old friends of mine (they actually gave me my first job in China) and they know that I do not work for less than RMB250 an hour. They offered RMB300 an hour and I agreed to do it, more as a favour than anything else. I have trained foreign teachers before but more on an ad hoc basis and tbh I do not like to take money under false pretenses and would feel guilty if I took this money without knowing that I did a good job.
| WLamar wrote: |
| You're not a teacher trainer and you know it, which is good. So, best bet is to have the boss tell the other teachers to attend and observe your class; since I guarantee you that you're going to be resented by the other foreigners as supposedly being better than they are. This is a big issue in China. Lowly foreigners come here because they can't a job elsewhere, been fired multiple times, can't handle confrontation or supervision, and can't follow the western standard of being an employee - so they come here and take the independence and lack of supervision. I've been put into a position of administrative authority and within hours the bald Irishman, or obese fake document gal, or others gang up and run to the real boss and complain that they won't work for a foreigners because 'we didn't come to China to have an American system." |
Most of these teachers are young kids (between 18-22 years of age, I think) and like I wrote they've only been teaching for around 6 months or so. The school has a certain way they want the teachers to teach. I know it would be ideal if they watched a class of mine to get most of the points I will try to get across to them but I do not think that is possible, due to me not working at their school, although if they happen to have a group of kids around at the time I have a training session, I can just gather all the teachers up to watch me do a class with a random class of kids I've never taught before (which would probably have a good impact with the trainee teachers, that what I am teaching them is possible to do).
Anyway, I know what you're saying and I have seen all of the above in my time here as well. Like I wrote above, the owners of the school are personal friends of mine and nothing these teachers say to them would have any effect, apart from getting them fired. I'm confident it won't get to that, though. |
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Sinaman
Joined: 23 May 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 2:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr. Leafy wrote: |
Do a needs analysis, the same way you would for a new and unknown group of students. Observe them and have them do peer observations and find out the weak spots. No point teaching the parts they are already good at.
Ask the school why these people are being trained after working for six months. What do they want the new teachers to get from this?
On the cynical side, maybe they were just promised 'ongoing professional development' and now this is it. |
| roadwalker wrote: |
| If they are new, they probably do want some pointers. Ask them in class or have them write out the areas in which they think that they could improve. If they don't think they need this, hopefully you will find out straight away without a bunch of passive aggressive behavior. |
Good suggestions. I'm guessing, and I haven't gone into too much detail with the Chinese Principal in charge of these teachers, they need training because for one reason or another they aren't following the school's teaching methodology, and/or some parents may have complained that their kids are not learning or are bored. |
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santi84
Joined: 14 Mar 2008
Posts: 1317
Location: under da sea
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| Posted: Sat Nov 30, 2013 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| I would get a copy of Teaching Children English: A Training Course for Teachers of English to Children by David Vale. It comes with trainer's notes as well but you will want to adapt it to those who teach in China (it's general ESL, so some of the issues will not apply). |
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choudoufu
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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| Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 1:24 am Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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| Sinaman wrote: |
....I have trained foreign teachers before........
......Most of these teachers are young kids (between 18-22 years of age, I think) and like I wrote they've only been teaching for around 6 months or so..... |
1. have you been asked to train foreigners or chinese teachers?
2. any education above high school?
哎呀 ！ |
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Sinaman
Joined: 23 May 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:15 am Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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| choudoufu wrote: |
| Sinaman wrote: |
....I have trained foreign teachers before........
......Most of these teachers are young kids (between 18-22 years of age, I think) and like I wrote they've only been teaching for around 6 months or so..... |
1. have you been asked to train foreigners or chinese teachers?
2. any education above high school?
哎呀 ！ |
1. Foreigners. What I meant when I said I trained foreigners before was that it was done on a session by session basis (train a group once, tell them what's expected, then move on, kind of thing). This is to be done in a more systematic way.
2. These kids? Not sure, maybe some. |
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choudoufu
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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| Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:29 am Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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ah.....gap year backpackers. no edumacation, no legal
working visa, no legitimate contracts, unable to meet
the minimum requirements to teach in china.
i don't believe this will turn out well. |
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Sinaman
Joined: 23 May 2009
Posts: 85
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| Posted: Sun Dec 01, 2013 2:47 am Post subject: Re: Training ESL Teachers |
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| choudoufu wrote: |
ah.....gap year backpackers. no edumacation, no legal
working visa, no legitimate contracts, unable to meet
the minimum requirements to teach in china.
i don't believe this will turn out well. |
Yeah maybe, but they have been doing this for many years, they do have the right connections (thru family members).
And lets be real here, I would estimate that most teachers in China are working here illegally, one way or another (correct me if I'm wrong). I would also guess that most do not get caught either.
This school brings these kids here (the school is actually authorised to hire foreigners and those who are qualified are given working visas, those that aren't make do on their own) and then they get them TESOL/TEFL certified and then has them teach in their schools. |
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