MIEF. online
MIEF. Shakespeare
With the support of the Foxford online school
Eugene Lichkin
session moderator
Session participants
Matthew Ashton
Head of School, Heritage International School, Sokolniki Campus (Moscow, Russia)
Olga Bulatitskaya
English teacher, advanced and Olympiad preparation courses, Foxford (Moscow, Russia)
Elena Domaratskaya
Head of Student and Academic Support, Chiswick College (London, the UK)
Antoine Marcq
Co-founder of Resource Education and English Connection (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Julia Svetikova
Co-founder, Fresh Start Language Center; Producer, Trendy English (Moscow, Russia)
English teachers self-development
A teacher's development is rooted in a constant need to go beyond one's initial professional skills, develop a deeper understanding of what one does, and mature one's competencies. Yet how often do we, teachers, have the time to reflect on our needs and choose our personal development trajectory?
The main aim of this session is to discuss the dimensions and signs of quality for English teachers, and how to identify your own best path towards it.
The main aim of this session is to discuss the dimensions and signs of quality for English teachers, and how to identify your own best path towards it.
Part 1. What is at the heart of english teachers' professional development?
In the first part of the discussion, we will discuss the main fundamental things in the professional development of English teachers. How do we learn? How to find the strength and motivation for continuous learning? How to make your training the most effective?
And what makes a professional teacher?
And what makes a professional teacher?
Starting a conversation about the professional growth of English teachers, head of Student and Academic Support, Chiswick College Elena Domaratskaya talks about how difficult it is for a non-native speaker to start teaching a foreign language and tells her teaching history.
To be professional teacher you need to be well educated and to meet certain kind of expectations. And people notice it!
Elena Domaratskaya
head of Student and Academic Support, Chiswick College
Continuing the conversation about what exactly makes a teacher a professional, head of School, Heritage International School, Sokolniki Campus Matthew Ashton says that the concept of teacher professionalism is very different depending on whose opinion we want to know. Students will have one perception, parents will have a completely different one, the professional community will have a third or even a fourth. Matthew also believes that the image of a good teacher has changed a lot lately. Head of School, Heritage International School, Sokolniki Campus talks about the importance of supporting creativity in schools and working properly with children:
If you are a good language learner - you will be a good language teacher, and if you have a teacher's personality then you will be able to teach anything.
Matthew Ashton
head of School, Heritage International School, Sokolniki Campus
English teacher, advanced and Olympiad preparation courses, Foxford Olga Bulatitskaya also notes being a good learner as an important quality of a professional teacher. If the teacher really loves the language he teaches, he gets more pleasure from work. Such a teacher is less susceptible to professional burnout and is able to move forward and develop throughout his professional life.
Where can an English teacher look for inspiration for permanent self-education?
We are talking about the fact that an English teacher should constantly develop and learn. Where can I find the strength and inspiration to study?
Head of School, Heritage International School, Sokolniki Campus Matthew Ashton talks about the tips he can give a teacher on the way to self-education.
Abbandon any pride is a key to development
A teacher needs to doubt himself in order to grow and become better
1
Criticize yourself
It tends to be that those teacher who criticize themself the most harshly and judge their practice the most cruelly - they usually are the best teachers
2
English teacher, advanced and Olympiad preparation courses, Foxford Olga Bulatitskaya also notes that it is important to be able to look for inspiration and new knowledge in the experience of their colleagues:
It is a part of our mentality that it is a shame to admit that i need to go and learn from someone else.
Olga Bulatitskaya
English teacher, advanced and Olympiad preparation courses
We come to the conclusion that the main thing in professional growth is dialogue with colleagues, building communication, mutual learning. We need to share our experience with each other, and only then will we begin to grow and develop professionally.
The three dimensions of professional development - how to find your way?
In this block of the session, practicing educators will discuss the way of development of a teacher
Antoine Marcq. Finding new experience
In his speech, Antoine Marcq talks about CPD and what the professional development of a teacher really is.
Antoine Marcq
Co-founder of Resource Education and English Connection (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Its important to know what we do not know. The CPD is about that. We find out the experience we dont have enough and try to have it.
Three dimensions of CPD
Language skills
First of all, a language teacher should know the language. As you know, the language is constantly changing, updating, transforming. The teacher needs to constantly update his knowledge
1
Pedagogical skills
It is also important for the teacher to train his teaching skills. To study new ways of presenting information, new tasks, questions, methods.
2
Soft skills
The teacher needs to have skills that are commonly called soft skills. This is flexibility, the ability to communicate and establish contact, negotiate, encourage, inspire.
3
Intelligence is not that you know what you know, but then you know what you do not know.
Antoine Marcq
Co-founder of Resource Education and English Connection (St. Petersburg, Russia)
In this video, Antoine Marcq talks about resources to improve their language skills for teachers:
Julia Svetikova. Certificates are not necessary.
Co-founder, Fresh Start Language Center; Producer, Trendy English talks about her perspective to CPD.
Julia Svetikova
Co-founder, Fresh Start Language Center; Producer, Trendy English (Moscow, Russia)
When you hear about CPD in Russia you think about bunch of certificates, but the CPD is not about that.
Effective CPD
Julia Svetikova offers her list advices to get you CPD more effective
1
CPD should not be emotional
A teacher should plan their CPD, look for opportunities to improve their skills, and not to obtain certificates.
2
Think about "who is me as the teacher"
It is important to think about your role as a teacher, why you are doing this and what you want to bring. This allows you to dive deeper into educational processes and find new teaching methods.
3
Dont forget about self-reflection
We often ask students to self-reflect on their knowledge, skills, evaluate how the training went and what results were achieved, but often we do not do it ourselves.
4
Transfer your knowledge to a classroom
Many CPDs end at the stage of obtaining a certificate. Knowledge and teaching methods do not reach the practice and the real lesson. Try to try everything you have learned.
5
Horizontal learning is much better than the vertical one
It is not necessary to pursue academic degrees and vertical learning. There are many colleagues around the teacher who are ready to share their experience. Adopt it!
At this session, we discussed all aspects of CPD for English language teachers. We found out what problems a teacher may face, how to motivate himself to improve his skills, what to rely on and what resources to use.
We have deduced the principles of high-quality CPD and gave advice that will be useful to teachers who are trying to improve their level of education and professionalism.
MIEF. Shakespeare.
We have deduced the principles of high-quality CPD and gave advice that will be useful to teachers who are trying to improve their level of education and professionalism.
MIEF. Shakespeare.
