What you do in class

Think back to a learner you have taught recently who you can picture well. Now take five minutes to imagine you are that student writing to a friend about her / his classes and about you as the teacher. Complete the postcard below with what you feel your student might write about you. Write in capitals or disguise your handwriting, so the other students won't be able to recognise it!

Dear Sam, Well, here I am, sitting in my English class. My teacher is but sometimes ... S/hes . great at.. and I really like it when s/he... But s/he doesnt seem too keen on.. And I'd like to do a bit more.... One of the best things s/he does is . and

Love from, Marco xx

Thinking about Your Learning

Consider how much you have learnt since you started teaching. You might find it helpful to consider the following categories:

Language Awareness

Methodology Learners & Learning Styles

How did you acquire this knowledge?

from conference or workshop attendance from reading journals, books and articles from formal and informal observation conversations with colleagues trial and error in the classroom

The Reflective Model Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

In this model: learning and work are integrated, not seen as separate activities. Development is not seen as being limited to formal teaching / training nor to the attainment of formal qualifications. Activities to include are not limited to those relating to work. Development of skills and knowledge are believed to enhance personal performance and career progression. Individuals are encouraged to actively seek opportunities for gaining improved performance. In other words, CPD is what probably happens to most people in the course of their working lives in the sense that most people would expect to learn and develop more skills as a result of activities they undertake at work. The idea of CPD fits well with the organisational culture of most language schools. There are 3 main reasons for this: Mobility The nature of the ELT industry is such that, during the course of their career, most teachers would expect to work for a number of different institutions, quite probably in several different countries. Performance Language schools usually have a system of performance measurement via a series of formal observations, for example with a Director of Studies. Post-observationndiscussion is a chance to discuss, set and agree on development targets for thenshort term, and could be an opportunity to get some support and advice for future professional development. Training Post-observation discussion often leads to training targets being set as a result of the observation e.g. Would this teacher benefit from a series of peer observations? Would it be appropriate for them to be allocated materials development time in preparation for a new course the school is going to offer? Development plans could also be discussed with Directors of Studies. Indeed, discussions with a Director of Studies would seem to be ideal in forming the basis on which to set development targets for individual teachers. The benefits are to both the teacher and the school. A sense of progression results.

Professional Development Assignment

Part A: Reflection and Action

Part B: Experimental Practice

Stage 1 Diagnostic observation Stage 2 Reflection and Action 1 (1000 words)

(2 skills / systems assignments) Stage 3 Reflection and Action 2 (750 words)

Exploration into a specific lesson approach / procedure / technique which is unfamiliar background essay lesson (unobserved) post-lesson evaluation

(all internal assignments completed) Stage 4 Reflection and Action 3 (750 words)

Stage 2 - Reflection and Action 1 Brief description of your teaching background (50 words) Reflect and comment on your beliefs and practices as a teacher (200 words) Identify and give reasons for your strengths and weaknesses (250 words) Draw up your action plan with details of data collection methods (500 words)

Identifying key strengths and weaknesses

You can use: previous (i.e. Pre-Delta) feedback from: institution learners colleagues your own awareness of previous strenths and weaknesses previous teacher training courses and in-service training your Delta observed lessons: tutor feedback your own evaluation of the lessons the learners' performance and responses in lesson

Identifying possible reasons for these key strengths and weaknesses

You can refer to the following: your preferred teaching styles, techniques and procedures your beliefs about learning and teaching a pervading view of teaching present in your context that may (or may not) be best suited to all learners within that context the needs and teaching preferences of institutions you have worked for over-application of 'favourite' techniques and procedures coursebook methodologies (not) suited to specific contexts (in)ability to adapt your methods, techniques and procedures to specific contexts lack of knowledge in particular linguistic or methodological areas lack of confidence in carrying out particular methods, techniques and procedures any initial teacher training and developmental training you have experienced in your teaching career.

Action Plan setting goals and deciding how to achieve them

As a result of... I have decided to... ask a colleague to observe me teach, and fill in an observation sheet focussing on my use of language (see attached sheet) I will know if I have made progress... by asking the colleague to come back a month later and repeat the observation sheet, to see if there is any change. This will give me more objective feedback.

noticing that my instructions are not always clear

a lack of pronunciation work in my lessons

feedback suggesting I speak too quickly

always running out of time in lessons

feedback saying I should get ss doing more of the work at the grammar clarification stage

Techniques for data collection

make field notes after every lesson a personal record look at the students' notebooks at the end of the lesson talk to learners about the lesson: solicited: questionnaires, surveys, mid-course feedback keep it simple and anonymous unsolicited: informal comments during / after the lesson observe another teacher teaching or a videoed lesson tape your lesson video your lesson write a development log a more formal approach to 'field notes' get an observer to watch your lesson. Set the agenda and ask the observer to focus on something specific / objective by designing a worksheet that will give us useful, measurable data. check your learners' homework talk to a colleague read a book / article

Action Plan to set goals and decide how to achieve them

As a result of... I have decided to... ask a colleague to observe me teach, and fill in an observation sheet focussing on my use of language (see attached sheet) read more about drilling in Kelly's 'How to Teach Pronunciation' I will know if I have made progress... by asking the colleague to come back a month later and repeat the observation sheet, to see if there is any change. This will give me more objective feedback.

noticing that my instructions are not always clear

a lack of pronunciation work in my lessons

by asking my learners what they think about my new approach to pronunciation via a quick questionnaire chat to colleagues to find out (see attached) This will tell how they go about drilling me if they see the benefits. watch a video of an elementary class to get ideas for techniques

tape the first 15 minutes of feedback suggesting I speak my next lesson and listen to too quickly it to check in my next lesson, only plan always running out of time in 40 minutes work of work to lessons see what happens

by taping another lesson a month later and seeing if there is any difference in the speed of my teacher talk by looking at my field notes that I will write myself after every lesson to see if there was a better pace. This is something that might take time to change get a colleague to observe a grammar lesson and time TTT and STT stages (see attached observation sheet) This will be more objective feedback.

feedback saying I should get ss doing more of the work at the grammar clarification stage

read Thornbury's How to Teach Grammar, concentrating on inductive approaches and trying some of these out in class e.g. guided discovery get feedback from my learners on which sort of approach they prefer for grammar clarification (see attached observation sheet)

Guidelines for Writing Stage 2 of the Reflection and Action Assignment

A - Background to Stage 1 and 2 Briefly describe your teaching prior to the Delta course, and the observed but unassessed lessons you have taught so far on the course. Where were they? How long? What was the class profile? What were the intended learning outcomes of the lesson? What was the form of the feedback and how long after the lesson did it take place? Keep this section short and factual - you do not need to comment on the effectiveness of the lesson at this point. (A = 50 words) B - Reflect and comment on your beliefs and practices as a teacher Based on your reading of section 2 above, think about four defining beliefs you have about teaching. These should be a range selected from methodological beliefs (I believe acquisition occurs best when), strategic practices (I like to do x, y and z over a period of lessons to help learners because I feel), and managerial options (I believe in the importance of because). Say why you feel these four beliefs to be the case. What have you observed in your classroom? How has your experience informed these beliefs? (Criterion 2e) (B = 200 words) C Identify and comment on your strengths and weaknesses Based on the feedback from the observed but unassessed lessons you have taught on the Delta Course and on your previous teaching, what do you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses? You can consider planning and execution here. Try and give reasons for these (see handout from session) There is no stipulated number you should mention, but you should aim to mention at least two strengths and four / five weak areas you would like to focus on. (Criteria 2a; 2e) (C = 250 words) D Draw up your Action Plan and Description of Data Collection Methods Look back at the three weaknesses you identified in (C), above. How do you intend to improve? Remember that you need to provide concrete suggestions of approaches, methods, techniques or materials that you could use in your teaching to help you develop and, if relevant, refer to your reading and any suggestions made by colleagues and supervisors. Describe how you plan to find out the effectiveness of the approaches, methods, techniques or materials you selected in. What are you going to do to gather data? If you decide to design an observation sheet for an observer, include an example as an appendix. Say why you have chosen these particular aspects.The frame As a result of , I have decided to , I will know if I have made progress... is very useful (see handout from session). (Criteria 1d;1e;1f; 2b; 2c, 2d) (E = 500 words)