Initial teacher training package

[DeSummit]

Here's a question for everyone.

A prominent private English school has a range of students, some coming from Europe, Africa, South America, Asia etc. The students are not motivated as the teachers are not. Their Business English program has lost popularity among these students due to the teachers.

Your job is to devise an intial teachers training program or put together a package for potential teachers in the school. U must also include in that program how to go about choosing the teachers for this job. What factors would you consider for this program and why?

Hope anyone and everyone can help me on this question.

Kara

[corey]

Why don't you ask for the meaning of life!!!

Just kidding.

That's a lot of work. All I can say is read some of the other posts here.

[DeSummit]

Corey:

Yeh, that is a "meaning of Life" question but believe it or not, it was a recent question asked on the Trinity College London Internnational Examination Board. I am working towards obtaining my Licentiate Diploma in TESOL. That question is so broad and I'm not sure I answered it correctly to receive all the marks

I'm doing this course via Distance Learning and there is little support here where I am.

If you can give me some insight I'd appreciate it.

[sita]

Hi!

You have a 4 day assessment training.

100 candidates are all in a remote hotel.

The potential candidates are videotaped.
They have to teach all kinds of business topics.
They have to deal with difficult students.
They have to be native speakers.
They have to be able to explain grammar.
They have to teach a few sessions WITHOUT any material...



There are so many teachers out there
Only the fittest will survive and be chosen!

Best wishes
Siân

assessment center survivor

[Al]

Nice one, Sian. Now all we have to do is get the students to vote out the weakest at the close of each day using a premium rate SMS service and voila - great source of revenue!

Al

[sita]

Hi Al!

It was written tongue in cheek.


Siân

PS The students would certainly not vote
They would have to do a seperate test
before and after being taught.

[Lorikeet]

I'm just curious--if you have students listen to different teachers teach lessons as part of a job application, don't you allow the students to give some feedback?

[sita]

Hi

Of course I do
But their evaluations are not really relevant,
as the customers are adults and should learn Business English
they can't judge properly
they do not have to like a person they just have to learn
That is what companies pay for

A test will show their progress

best wishes
Siân
(tired)

[corey]

they do not have to like a person they just have to learn

It helps the learning a whole lot if the students like the teacher/instructor. There is a whole body of evidence linking better learning and happy/relaxed students.

Back to the original question...

The first step IMO is to find out exactly why the teachers are not motivated. If it's a systemic thing then it will be harder as you will not only have to change the teachers but other management as well.

If everything seems well on the system level you need to conduct a thorough yet discreet analysis of the teachers themselves. I have found that a couple rotten apples can indeed spoil the proverbial barrel. This is tricky for me because I always want to give people a chance. However if the chance is misused it can ruin months of hard work. It's a fine line when you take out the rotters.

Sometimes it is the general environment - for example most of the teachers are the "teach and travel" type only in it for a couple months to make some beer money. They are generally hired at the last moment because over-enrollment requires another group. This is related to systemic change but there is something you as a CD or DoS or AD could do in this situation.

Initial teacher training programs will not work well with teachers who are already at the school. They will need a different type of "re-motivation" program.

For the newbies, it starts before they even get to the school. I wrote a post about selection teachers that is pretty good IMO (http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/v ... .php?t=523).

If you're in a foreign country it is nice if the potential teachers speaks the language or has lived there before. This eleminates home sickness, buyer's remorse, housing problems, etc.....

For me a good initial training program always starts with an orientation of the physical plant/campus/building. Let the person become familiar with the surroundings - it's less scary that way.

From here it depends on the qualifications of the teachers you have hired. If they are all CELTA or MA or something nice like that then starting with basic grammar is obviously a waste of time.

If they are of "dubious" quality you need to come up with a program covering grammar, syntax, methodology, etc.....

Don't forget to give out the booklet of school policy and procedure the first day and go over it. (the important stuff should have been relayed and agreed to before the teacher was even hired)


Hope this helps,

Corey[/url]

[sita]

Hi Corey!

Of course it is easier to teach if the course likes you.
Believe it or not I am quite popular.

I saw this task as purely academic not realistic thus I came up with my suggestions.

In Germany we have such a high rate of unemployment that "beer money" people would not even be selected for an interview. Their CV s would not even be read....to the end


Best wishes
Siân

[corey]

Wow - you must be good if you can get a course to like you!!

You are probably right about the situation in Germany but in many other countries (any in Latin America for example) qualified teachers are harder to find - more if it is required that they be native speakers. The money just isn't good enough to consider an ESL career down here.

Take care,

Corey

[sita]

Hi Corey!

Thanks for your nice reply.
I try to improve and visit teacher training courses regularly.

I also respect my pupils and learn a lot from them.
I try hard to be a good and fair teacher.
Best wishes
Siân

[corey]