How to become a better IATEFL teacher trainer?
•
0 likes•90 views
The document discusses challenges with traditional prescriptive teacher training approaches and proposes alternatives. It notes trainees often feel overwhelmed by techniques and feedback. It recommends focusing training on key teaching concepts, emphasizing similarities between approaches, and providing constructive feedback to help trainees improve ("feed forward"). Trainees would observe lessons early, plan using checklists, and receive feedback distinguished as either comments on past lessons or suggestions to apply to future lessons. The goal is giving trainees solid foundations while developing adaptability and creativity.
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (19)
Similar to How to become a better IATEFL teacher trainer?
Similar to How to become a better IATEFL teacher trainer? (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
How to become a better IATEFL teacher trainer?
- 1. Chris Strawson The London School of English Our expertise. Your experience. Clear outcomes. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES: RETHINKING PRESCRIPTIVE TEACHER TRAINING
- 2. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com SOME TRAINEE FEEDBACK • “I’ve never worked so hard in my life!” • “I’m really looking forward to getting some sleep!” • “I’ve learnt more in the past 4 weeks than I did in 4 years at university!”
- 3. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF AN INITIAL TRAINING COURSE? • To get trainees through • Prove they’ve learnt something • Gain a qualification • To give new teachers the skills and confidence to teach a range of different types of lessons, and adapt their approach to student needs
- 4. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com SOME OBSERVATIONS ON RELAXED TEACHERS: • They have more rapport • They listen to students more • They waffle less • Their students seem happier • They give more self-aware reflections on their teaching
- 5. • Experienced Teachers • Include lots of student-student interaction throughout the lesson. • Respond to their students. • Don’t use techniques like finger correction and drilling unless they are helpful. • Focus on outcomes when planning lessons, and build towards them. DIFFERENT STYLES • (Some) Trainee Teachers • Have high TTT. • Don’t go “off script”. • Use techniques during specific, planned stages, whether or not they are needed. • Plan lessons based around the presentation stages, and think of practice as an afterthought.
- 6. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF: • How can I give them solid knowledge of methodology… • …which gives them confidence.. • …and lets them be adaptive and creative… • …without overwhelming them?
- 7. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com MY FIRST ATTEMPTS… • Get them planning ASAP • Introduce PPP initially • Focus on it until they’re comfortable • Introduce other approaches later
- 8. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com ADVANTAGES OF THIS APPROACH • Solid approach • Flexible • It’s a clear contrast to “deep end” approaches
- 9. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com DISADVANTAGES OF THIS APPROACH • The ‘Present’ stage is the scariest part • Trainees tend to run out of time • Less production • Less correction • Other approaches are disregarded • Trainees are ‘broken’ by the end of the course
- 10. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com SOME TRAINEE FEEDBACK • “It took a while, but now I finally understand how to teach grammar.” • “I have learned that the best method is the P-P-P method.”
- 11. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com KEY PROBLEMS • Trainees try to respond to all feedback immediately • They take all feedback as ‘rules’ for future lessons • They feel advice is contradictory • They focus on technique, not effect • They can be critical of professional lessons they observe
- 12. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com TEACHING METHODOLOGY Focus on KEY CONCEPTS: • Context. • Unifying theme. • Authentic models. • Clear instructions. • Controlled and Free practice. • Error correction. • Concept Checking • Student Talking Time, or Language Output Opportunities Early and Often
- 13. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com OBSERVATION TASKS Trainees can…. • Focus on TTT/STT ratio, and interaction patterns. • Identify how planned activities link to the main lesson aim. • Keep a record of student questions and teacher responses. • Talk to the professional teachers before and/or after the lesson.
- 14. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com LESSON PLANNING • Give trainees basic lesson outlines first • Encourage trainees to plan ‘backwards’ • Give them goals for STT/TTT balance • Consider plenty of time for feedback • Plan optional extensions • Have a planning checklist
- 15. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES • Analyse sample plans together • Discuss theory after the example • Emphasize similarities between approaches (focus on key concepts) • Discuss advantages and disadvantages
- 16. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com TEACHING PRACTICE FEEDBACK Distinguish between feedBACK and feedFORWARD.
- 17. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com FEEDBACK OR FEEDFORWARD? FEEDBACK • “Some of your CCQs were too subjective – e.g. “Is it a good thing or a bad thing?” • “You presented the past perfect but the practice tasks only needed them to use present perfect.” • “The reading text was too difficult. They would have answered the questions more effectively if it had come after presenting the target language.” FEEDFORWARD • “CCQs are only effective if there is a clear “correct” way to answer.” • “If you present it, practise it. Try re-wording your aims if necessary.” • “Reading can be a good way to introduce new language, but only if there are other context clues to help them figure out the meaning of it.”
- 18. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com TEACHING PRACTICE FEEDBACK • Distinguish between feedBACK and feedFORWARD. • Give feedback in terms of Key Concepts. • Use terminology consistently. • Have a tutor handbook. • Give TP tutors the course timetable. • Ask questions to the trainees during feedback.
- 19. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com A QUICK RECAP: • Focus on Key Concepts, early and often. • Observe as much as possible, as early as possible. • Have a planning checklist. • Introduce approaches with examples. • Emphasize similarities between approaches. • FeedFORWARD. • Keep terminology consistent.
- 20. Chris Strawson The London School of English Our expertise. Your experience. Clear outcomes. Bringing language to life for 100 years www.londonschool.com THANK YOU.