© EAQUALS 2009 1

Beginner teacher to teacher trainer– a development pathway

Dana Hánková

AKCENT International House Prague

AKCENT College s.r.o.

© EAQUALS 2009 2

AKCENT International House

• Since 1988

• DTEFLA in 1997/98

• First conference in 1999

• CELTA since 2000

• Teacher Training Department since 2000 (IHCYL, IHBET 1, TKT)

• Member of IH (2000), AJŠČR (2003), EAQUALS (2007)

• ISO 9001:2000 certification (2005)

• Start Right Programme for YLs

• Closed centre for the Cambridge exams (2008)

• AKCENT College s.r.o. (2008)

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Teachers and students

• 3,500 students

• 70% adults (30% in-company)

• 30% YLs

x0 / 30 / 43 / 3x19 / 27Non-nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

0 / 10 / 11 / 01 / 02 / 335 / 3Nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

RussianSpanishFrenchGermanCzechEnglish

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English teachers– teaching experience

5 / 31 / 11 / 96 / 56 / 9Non-nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

x3 / 13 / 013 / 016 / 2Nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

20+

years

11 – 20years

6 – 10years

2 – 5years

First

year

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English teachers– qualifications

7 / 810 / 196 / 34 / 29 / 5Non-nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

10 / 26 / 09 / 19 / 028 / 2Nativespeakers

(FT / PT)

otherMADELTAIHCYLCELTA

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Teacher Development- overview

1. Observations standarddevelopmentalpeerbuzz(by teacher trainees)

2. Workshops3. Training courses LAC

IHCYLIHBET 1DELTA

4. Library5. Free language courses

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Observations (1)

Standard

Developmental

Peer

Buzz

Team of observers

Standardisation (video, paperwork)

Assessment criteria

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Observations (2)

Assessment criteria1. The lesson starts and ends on time.2. The learners have learned or practised something during the lesson.3. The working atmosphere in the classroom is friendly, respectful and

supportive. The learners are actively involved in their learning. Theteacher knows and uses the students’ names.

4. The teacher manages the class efficiently, taking into considerationthe students’ needs and using varied interaction patterns andcorrection techniques as appropriate. The timing and pace aresuitable and the instructions clear. English is the main language ofthe classroom.

5. The lesson is clearly staged, with a logical progression of theactivities towards the lesson aim(s).

6. The tasks and materials are challenging, interesting and relevant tothe learners’ level and the teacher uses them competently.

7. The teacher shows an appropriate level of languagesystems/language skills awareness (knowledge of the area they areteaching).

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Observations (3)

Standard observations2 – 3 per yearUsually by ‚group leader‘

Documentation and procedure:• Meeting / time and focus agreed• Lesson plan / discussion and supervised planning• Observation record / observation• Self Evaluation form / observer‘s written notes (questions)• Oral feedback• Record kept

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Observations (4)

If a follow-up observation is recommended

• The group leader or a senior teacher work with the teacheron the area of weakness for a period of time

• Observed by Head of the English department

Typical problems include:

• Classroom management (seating, board work, clarity ofinstructions)

• Ways of giving feedback

• Presenting language

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Observations (5)

Developmental observation1 per yearUsually by senior teacher / teacher trainer

Documentation and procedure:• Meeting / time and focus agreed• Lesson plan / discussion and supervised planning• Observation record / observation• Self Evaluation form• Oral feedback• Record not kept

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Observations (6)

Typical areas

teachers want to work on in their ‚developmental lessons‘:

• Adapting coursebook material

• Deciding on lesson aims for assigned material

• Supplementing coursebook

• Omitting parts of coursebook

• Classroom management

• Effective instructions

• Motivating students

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Observations (7)

Peer observations6 a year, 3 each term

Usually senior staff

Written evaluation submitted

Observation tasks:

• Lesson planning

• Correction

• Giving instructions

• Timing and pace

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Observations (8)

Buzz observationsA week at the beginning of a term

15 – 20 minutes

Student satisfaction in focus

A system of ‚early warning‘

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Workshops (1)

• 3 each month (Friday early afternoon)• Teachers attend a minimum of 3 each term• Part-time teachers don‘t have to attend• Open to teachers of other languages• Lead by teacher trainers, ED managers, senior

teachers, people interested in specific areas, guestspeakers

• Some are compulsory for certain groups of teachers(YLs, FCE, CAE, specific companies)

• Some areas covered in induction week• Range of topics

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Workshops (2)

• Exam changes FCE/CAE• YL ‘carrots and sticks – discipline/ classroom management in YL classes’• BEC suite for teachers new to BE exam classes• YL Start Right and Preschool – swapshop• Main Cambridge suite for teachers new to GE exam classes• Advanced features of word processors• Conversation classes in-school and in-company• YL – teaching teens• Using mimio with younger learners• Memory and language acquisition• Adapting your coursebook• How to create webquests• 10+ YL swapshop• Exam skills for writing• Ideas for listening lessons• Let's Tango! Debating in the EFL Classroom• Funkifying Excel• Seating arrangements & boardwork• Multiple intelligences• 121 in-company

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Training courses (1)

• IH LAC

• IHCYL

• IHBET 1

• IH One-to-one course

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Training courses (2)

DELTA / Delta Modules• M1: Understanding Language, Methodology and Resources for

Teaching• M2: Developing Professional Practice• M3: Extending Practice and ELT Specialism

Participants:• Experienced long-term AKCENT IH teachers• Teachers who come to get the qualification and then leave• Teachers who come to do the course and then stay

The next step:• Senior teacher position: an area of responsibility and observations, TKT seminars• English department management: group leader, observations• Very experienced teachers move straight into teacher training (CELTA, IHCYL)• Or further to MA, PhD and move on to AKCENT College

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Does this suit everybody?

A lot of effort, time and money

Teachers are encouraged to take responsibility for theirprofessional development

Varied models of teacher development are applied (Foord 2009):

• Reflective teaching

• Teacher learning as personal construction

• Using role models

• Teachers develop their skills, knowledge, awareness andattitudes

Teacher feedback each year

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Conclusions (1)

Section 2Teacher Support and Teacher Development Programme

Answers:1 = I‘m happy with this2 = This is OK3 = I‘m not happy with this

1.7924Observations (all types) and Feedback(useful/relevant)

1.7218Swap shops

1.4122Other Teacher Development (e.g. Trainingcourses, LAC)

1.5625Workshops

AverageNo of answersArea

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Conclusions (2)

Section 2 – Teacher support and Teacher Development Programme• There were 7 comments about workshops, ranging from “workshops aren’t

always relevant” to “more workshops on practical ideas, for YL and teachingbeginners”.

• One of you said that swap shops shouldn’t be compulsory and one of youdidn’t know what swap shops were. One of you also said that there used tobe a wider variety of workshops and people giving them.

• There were 5 comments about observations, 4 of you liked them, one of youwould like the feedback to be better organised and one of you thinks thatpeer observations are useless and should be stopped.

• There were 6 comments about Training courses, 4 of them were positive,one concerned the timetable and IHCYL and one mentioned that it is not fairto have to pay for a training course.

• There were 5 miscellaneous comments. You mentioned that YL teachers gota lot of help, that the TD programme is interesting but you don’t haveenergy to attend and that TD should be better advertised.

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To sum it up

The impact of the development programme:AKCENT IH Prague• Attracts motivated teachers• Offers further professional development to

dedicated teachers• Provides opportunities to creative and innovative

teachers• Is recognized as a quality language school by the

public• Has made AKCENT College, the first private English

teacher training college in the Czech Republic,possible

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Bibliography

FOORD, D.: The Developing Teacher. Delta Publishing, 2009WAJNRYB, R.: Classroom Observation Tasks. CUP, 1992WALLACE, M.J.: Action Research for Language Teachers. CUP,

1998WALLACE, M.J.: Training Foreign Language Teachers. CUP, 1991WHITE, R. et al: Management in English Language Teaching.

CUP, 1991

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Thank you.

Dana Hánková

dana.hankova@akcent.cz

AKCENT International House Prague

www.akcent.cz

AKCENT College s.r.o.

www.akcentcollege.cz