This document outlines professional development opportunities and plans for staff at Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre. It discusses the importance of professional development for both personal growth and meeting organizational objectives. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their strengths, weaknesses, goals and past development activities. The document then outlines the centre's past and planned workshops, online training resources, potential conferences and seminars to support continued learning and development. Staff are invited to provide feedback and input on future professional development plans.

1. Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre
Patrick Creed
Staff Training and
Development – Begin from
within

2. What is professional
development?
Penny Ur
‘ 20 years’ experience or one year’s experience
repeated 20 times’
(A course in Language Teaching 1996 CUP)
Jeremy Harmer
‘ holding up mirrors to our practice’
(The Practice of English Language Teaching-, 2007, Pearson Longman)

3. Why do we need professional
development?
• Helps development of organisation
• Helps personal development
• Staff feel valued
• Staff feel organisation is invested in their
development
• Meets external accreditation needs

4. Professional development
Where do you start?
Meet with staff
School Objectives – Professional training and
development Plan?
What are Individual Objectives?

5. Staff/School
What is our relationship?
• Who are we?
(You and Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre)
• How can we be better?

6. Why do I
need to
develop?
• I want to learn more
• I get bored – I need a challenge
• I want to work elsewhere
• I want to go overseas
• I want to do further study (e.g. H. Dip)
• I want a pay rise
• You want me to!

7. The Past
• What have you done to date?

8. Professional development to date

9. Professional
development
to date
contd.
Online training (Cambridge
Teacher/Oxford teacher)
Cambridge Speaking
examiner training
Cambridge exams
invigilator training
First aid training
Other (Self Directed
Research – yesterday)

10. How have I shared my
development?
Communicate
with
colleagues?
Presentations?

11. The Present
• Where am I now?

12. Wheel of life
Grade 1 to 10
(George Pickering - Management Training workshop - EAQUALS conference April 2016)

13. Personal SWOT

14. The Future
• What next?

15. YOUR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
• What I can offer?
• What I would like to achieve?

16. What next?
• What do I want to achieve?
• What does the school want?
• How can we meet those challenges?

17. Professional development to follow

18. Professional development to follow
contd.
• Online training (Cambridge Teacher/Oxford
teacher)
• Cambridge Speaking examiner training
• Cambridge exams invigilator training
• First aid training
• Other (Self Directed Research?)

19. Professional
development
REVIEW
What did we do as
an organisation?
Did we meet our
organisational goals?
Did we meet
personal goals?
What next?

20. Eaquals Recognition Scheme
• EAQUALS recognition of Continuing
Professional Development
Aim of the project
• ‘To enable Eaquals accredited institutions to
issue a formal report detailing an individual
employee’s CPD achievements and activities
over a given time period, and with official
Eaquals recognition for the local scheme.’ ©

21. 2017 Workshops
Staff Member Workshop Topic
January Alan Start of Year QnA & The Role of Workshops
February Martin Learner Centred Error Correction via IWB
March Brendan Increasing Learner Motivation
April John Using Multimedia & Smartboards in the Classroom
May Sean Adapting to Individual Learner Needs
June Sandra
Encouraging Learners to Reduce Use of Mother
Tongue in Monolingual Classrooms
July Julie Increasing Learner Autonomy
August Mairead Building Rapport in the Classroom
September Denise Warm-Ups to Get Learners Motivated
September II Stephen Helping Learners Develop Better Pronunciation
October David Dealing with Different Student Behaviours
November Marcus Checking instructions - What's the point?
December Alan End of Year QnA

22. 2018 Workshops
Staff Member Workshop Topic
January Alan Start of Year QnA & The Role of Workshops
February David TIE Exam
March ~ Introduction to First Aid
April ~ Fire Safety
May Julie Checking instructions
June Martin Error correction
July Matthew Integrating technology into the class
August Gerry Student engagement in Exam Classes
August II Gary Developing Learner Autonomy
September Stephen Activating Vocabulary in Advanced Learners
October Aimee Teaching in bigger classes
November Dawn Motivating longer stay students
December Alan End of Year QnA

23. Use online
resources
1. Google docs for
examination
writing classes
2. Jing
Share Ideas
Instantly with Jing
Whether for work,
home, or play, Jing
gives you the
ability to
create basic visual
elements and share
them with others.

24. EAQUALS SEMINARS (free
resource)
• Tracking progress
• Expanding from the
coursebook
• Lesson Planning
• Teaching vocabulary
• Making sense of the
phonemic chart
• Targeting fossilized
errors
• Managing feedback

25. EAQUALS webinars
• CEFR Seminar
• November 23, 2017 @ 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

26. Run your
own
conference?
Bridge Mills Galway Language
Centre ELE conference event
on 19 May 2018
Harbour Hotel Galway Ireland
Sponsored by
National Geographic Learning.
Time 09.30-16.30

27. Conference
speakers
John Hughes – ELT Author – National Geographic
Learning
Make critical thinking an everyday
part of your teacher toolkit
Thom Kiddle – Director Nile Training Norwich
U.K.
Professional Development Through
Student Progress
Jo Watson – Eaquals Inspector – Teacher Trainer
Providing feedback and Correction
techniques

28. Conference speakers contd.
TEDtalks 3 x 15
minute sessions –
Bridge Mills Galway
Language Centre
Staff
Ciara Ni Eochaidh Mairead O Connor Cathy Peck

29. Registration
open
Email: director@galwaylanguage.com
Web: www.galwaylanguage.com

30. Run your own CPD company?
• Actualize ELT
• Zoogle

31. What do you do?
What about your organisation?
Any questions?

32. Contact
• Patrick Creed – director@galwaylanguage.com