Teachers as Successful Learners
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Transcript of Teachers as Successful Learners
Teachers as Successful Learners
(or how to eliminate pedagogical phenakism)David Fay
Director, RELO Andes(Regional English Language Office)
[email protected]://lima.usembassy.gov/relo.html
http://reloandes.comRELO Andes on
Qualities of successful language teachers (Allen, cited in Brown, 2001:429)
• Competent preparation leading to a degree in TESL• A love of the English language• Critical thinking skills• The persistent urge to upgrade oneself• Readiness to go the extra mile• Cultural adaptability: locavore and netizen• Professional citizenship• A feeling of excitement about one’s work
From Christine Coombe’s TESOL 2012 Plenary
10 Characteristics of highly effective EF/SL teachers (Coombe & Barlow, 2007)
1. A ‘Calling’ for the Profession2. Professional Knowledge3. Personal Qualities4. With-it-ness (McEwan, 2002)5. Instructional Effectiveness6. Good Communicator7. Street Smarts 8. Willingness to Go the Extra Mile9. Lifelong Learner10.Life Outside the Classroom
From Christine Coombe’s TESOL 2012 Plenary
New words from previous slide
What have you done with this new word? Did you write it down? Did you guess its meaning? Here in the plenary, you did not have time to ask. Will you look it up later? Will you commit yourself to trying to use it somehow?
4 steps: from pronk to quintastic
1. Be open to new ideas
2. Expose yourself to new ideas
3. Adapt and try the new ideas
4. Take time to consider how the new ideas worked in your context
Describe what you see!
Stella Ting-Toomey’s 3 step process
1. Describe
2. Interpret
3. Evaluate
What do you see?
What do you see?
Step 2: Accessing new ideas
• Classroom Observations
• Team Teaching
• Mini-conference in institution:- cost effective
- localized context
- build confidence
- build sprit de corps
(See Brad Tipka’s Forum article for more info)
• Form collaborative study groups
Accessing new ideas (continued)
• Subscribe to and read academic journals• Keep dialogue journals with a peer or mentor
(Forum article by Diaz-Maggioli)• Write up and share short activities through
newsletter; write review of new resource book• Practice English through book clubs, debate
clubs, drama clubs, and tea parties• Conduct action research: see Tsui’s (1996)
article on how teachers collectively researched students’ reticence to participate in class
Areas where we need to be better learners:
• IT (Ryan & Cooper, 2001)• TEYL• Links between language and culture: literature• Writing• Speaking• Critical and creative thinking• Critical media literacy• Awareness of Global English: new ways in which non-
natives are communicating, impact on English, varieties• Awareness of English in Colombia (Guerrero, in HOW,
2009• Language policy in Colombia and in other countries:
successes and failures• A new language
Step 3: Adapt and try new ideas(Beware of disconnect between theory and practice…)
Step 4: Take time to consider how the new ideas worked in
your context
… like a callipygean in front of the mirror
Reflective Practice
1. Were the goals of the session met? Why or why not?
2. What worked well? What didn’t?
3. Did learners act as expected? Why or why not?
4. How can the activity/lesson be improved to provide to provide opportunities for better learning?
Finish the following statements:
• I believe that a good teacher…
• The most important thing I try to accomplish in class every day is to…
Teachers as Successful Learners
David FayDirector, RELO Andes
(Regional English Language Office)[email protected]
http://lima.usembassy.gov/relo.htmlhttp://reloandes.com
RELO Andes on
Language example
• For example (model lesson in Turkish). Are you rehearsing it silently? Did you write it down? Did you guess the meaning of the exchange? Do you have specific questions you want to ask the teacher? How will you practice it tonight? Will you role play with yourself? Try it in front the mirror? Record it and listen to yourself? Ask another firned from the class for feedback? To practice? Will you try altering the text slightly so that it can fit in a new context?
What do you see?