Coaching and Mentoring in ELT

This was the title of the sixth in a series of monthly CPD webinars hosted by the British Council.  You can read more about the programme here.

This webinar was presented by Loraine Kennedy and what follows is a summary of what she had to say.

Loraine began by giving us some definitions:

Coaching

'Coaching is a developmental process by which an individual gets support while learning to achieve a specific personal or professional result or goal.'

Mentoring

'Mentoring is a means of providing support, challenge and extension of the learning of one person through the guidance of another, who is more skilled, knowledgeable and experienced, particularly in relation to the context in which the learning is taking place.'
                                                          Andrew Pollard, Reflective Teaching

Distinction between coaching and mentoring

• Coaches use questioning and listening techniques to bring out the full potential of the individual, whereas mentors act as advisors, suggesting new paths for the individual to take.
• To mentor effectively, you must possess an in-depth appreciation and knowledge of the subject on which you are advising.
• Often the relational positions of mentor and individual being mentored are equivalent to that of teacher and student.
• In a coaching event, the positional relationship is on a par as the coach's role is to create an environment for the individual to learn for themselves.
• A mentor is often an expert working with a novice.
• A coach is more for experienced people - they explore ideas together, but the individual comes to a realisation themselves.

Spectrum of coaching styles

A mentor is more likely to be at the directive end of the coaching spectrum, but non-directive styles are much more powerful and the learning gained is much more likely to stick.

Questions to ask

• Does your organisational culture support coaching?
• Are you part of a learning organisation?
• To what extent does your organisation support the growth of individuals?
• Does your organisation believe in collaboration?
• Does your organisation allow enough time for coaching to take place?
• What needs to change to allow the process of coaching and mentoring to thrive?

If you have the right environment, then coaching and mentoring can happen.

Coaching and mentoring situations in ELT

• Professional development plans
• Giving feedback on an observation
• Resolving work problems - fostering team spirit and maintaining individual morale
• Managing change
• Enhancing team effectiveness
• Counselling students on their progress and learning objectives

Qualities of an effective coach

• Patience
• Enthusiasm
• Honesty and integrity, including confidentiality and trust
• Friendliness
• Genuine concern for others
• Self confidence
• Fairness
• Consistency
• Flexibility
• Resourcefulness

Skills and abilities

• Communicating, especially listening
• Questioning
• Analysing
• Summarising
• Setting goals and objectives
• Establishing appropriate priorities
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Relating to people at all levels
• Planning and organising

Underlying principles of being a coach

1. Ensure you fully understand what coaching is - What is coaching as opposed to mentoring?  What is coaching as opposed to managing?  Be clear about when and why you're coaching.
2. Check your perspective on people - you always have to see the potential in people.  If you're dwelling on their past mistakes, or thinking that they're 'no-hopers', then you're not in the right frame of mind to be that person's coach.  You have to always be thinking about the coachee's strengths and how best to move him or her forward.
3. Learn and practise an effective coaching model - start out with a coaching model, but don't feel restricted by it.
4. Engage your boss - everyone in the organisation has to have bought in to the coaching idea.
5. Understand and value personality differences - we know that everyone's different and has different motivations.  We know that everyone is at a different stage of their career development.  We must value this and take each coachee from their own starting point.
6. Prioritise your time and stay focussed - time allocated for a coaching situation needs to be used for coaching!
7. Stop putting out fires - don't do things for your coachee!  Create a consciousness about being responsible for yourself.  A coach helps, but doesn't do!
8. Seek regular feedback - feedback should be given and received!
9. Listen, listen, listen!
10. Keep growing and developing - when you are a coach, you need a coach!! You'll be a better coach when you are being coached.  Things are constantly changing.  You never reach the finish line.
11. Be fully prepared - you always need to know where you got to in the last coaching session and how you're going to move forward.
12. Focus on progression, not punishment - what about the ones who don't want to progress?  What about the ones who've lost motivation?  If handled well, coaching can appeal to everyone.  It's about moving forward, not looking back.
13. Use the right questions
14. Remember that the coachee knows the answer already - if you keep quiet or explore the options with the coachee, it's amazing how many times they will come up with the answers themselves.
15. Break down big goals into little steps
16. There is no right and wrong - there are many rights!  My right may be different to yours, but both are equally valid.
17. Maintain forward momentum - keep focussed on solving problems.
18. Be a good coachee!

Ground rules for being a coach within a coaching relationship

• Clarify the purpose of the coaching relationship from the start.
• Set and agree the objectives for each 'coaching conversation'.
• Be honest.
• Build your understanding of the coachee's world - what stage of their career are they at?  How is their home situation?
• Build your understanding of the coachee's relationships - how do they fit into the team?  Do they get support from their family/their friends/their colleagues?
• Insist on action.
• Insist on accountability.

Peer coaching

• Identify a partner you trust and who trusts you.
• Ensure that both of you want to learn.
• Set a schedule for conversations.
• Each identify their learning objectives.
• Divide the time between coaching and being coached equally.
• Strive for objectivity, not empathy - empathy is important, but you need to be frank and honest.
• Avoid moaning and grumbling.
• Focus on positive action.
• Agree to hold each other accountable.

Tools and models

1. ADKAR change management model

It is important that the steps are carried out in the order shown.

 

2. GROW model of coaching

 

This is a good model to start with.

 

3.  Achieve coaching model

 

4. Reflective practice

5. High level listening skills

• Intend to understand
• Pay close attention
• Defer judgement
• Explore for deeper meaning and understanding
• Concentrate
• Don't interrupt inappropriately
• Get inside the other person's frame of reference
• Listen with your eyes and mind, not just your ears
• Listen for meaning and feelings
• Beware of your body language signals

Avoid being patronising

• Find out what the other person knows and feels, don't presume.
• Understand the person's character and style of working and respond appropriately.
• Be careful with words and expressions that can be interpreted negatively and watch the tone of your voice.
• Don't insult someone's intelligence even if they don't know something you know - don't make them feel small.
• Avoid using suggestion questions - e.g. don't you think you should answer the phone?
• Withhold unsolicited advice - wait to be asked or ask if you can make a suggestion.

Courses

• Coaching Academy
• Centre for Coaching
• Coaching.com

Books

• 'Coaching Questions: a Coach's Guide to Powerful Asking Skills' by Tony Stoltzfus available here.
• '101 Coaching Strategies and Techniques' edited by Gladeana McMahon and Anne Archer (Routledge)
• 'The Manager's Coaching Toolkit' by David Allamby (Pearson Business)
• 'Coaching for Performance: Growing Human Potential and Purpose' by John Whitmore (Nicholas Brealey Publishing)
• 'Reflective Teaching' by Andrew Pollard

Websites

• National framework for mentoring and coaching 
• Excel group development

Integrating new teachers into an experienced staffroom

This was the title of the fifth in a series of monthly CPD webinars hosted by the British Council.  You can read more about the programme here.

This webinar was presented by Fiona Dunlop and what follows is a summary of what she had to say.

What are the reasons for hiring inexperienced teachers?

• they are generally enthusiastic and dynamic
• to bring new blood to a stale staffroom
• they often have new ideas
• to develop/invest in them
• they have no bad habits
• more experienced teachers may not be available
• they will often accept short-term contracts
• it's cost effective
• they are local
• for emergency cover

Challenges and drawbacks

• inexperienced teachers often have unrealistic time and preparation management
• they can be overwhelmed by a full timetable
• they may be unable to manage admin demands
• they could have a lack of language awareness
• you may be limited as to which courses they can teach
• the pace of their lessons is often too slow - they are thorough, but tend to pitch to the lower end of the group
• they may have a lack of cultural awareness
• they may not be comfortable with firm classroom management and have problems dealing with difficult students
• there may be a desire to be the students' friend
• they may be compared to previous teachers
• they may not gain the students' respect
• they don't have a bank of ideas at their fingertips which allows them to think on their feet
• they may not be accepted in the staffroom by more experienced teachers
• they may get stressed and be unwilling to say they are struggling

Things which are important to remember

• New teachers are clients of the school and first impressions count - from the first contact, the experience should be as positive and stress-free as possible.
• You should compare the new teacher's experience to the student's journey.
• Remember your own first day in a new school - remind yourself how it feels to be 'the new kid on the block'.
• Treat new teachers as 'internal customers'.  If you treat them well, then they will look after the school's 'external customers' - the students.
• The staffroom will be energised by the input of a new ideas.  This is the time for more experienced teachers to shine.
• Your students will benefit from having new staff and the school's reputation will be enhanced.
• Treating new teachers well also enhances the reputation of the industry.  ELT gets a lot of bad press - it is often seen as a 'stop-gap' before people move in to a 'proper' profession.

Induction for new teachers

A good induction process is vital.  It should be ongoing and it should be revisited.  Here are some of the induction ideas used by Fiona in her role as DoS of the Wimbledon School of English:

Before the contract starts:

• Arrange a meeting time with the new teacher.
• Prepare or e-mail induction documents and other necessary policies.  Include a copy of the student handbook and/or school brochure.
• Check all materials and class handover notes are ready.
• Arrange a mentor for the new teacher.
• Organise a desk and/or locker for him or her.

First day/week

• Have a copy of the induction checklist for you to talk through.
• Talk through each point on the checklist, allowing time for questions as you go.
• Take the new teacher on a tour of the school, including the classrooms where they will be teaching.  Remember to point out fire exits.
• Show them around the teachers' room and explain where to find everything.
• Introduce them to all staff members by name and job.
• Provide preparation time.
• Be available to help where needed.

First week or two of teaching

• Check lesson plans regularly - even experienced teachers take a while to settle into a new house style.
• Arrange an informal observation of the new teacher.
• Arrange for the new teacher to observe their peers.
• Give observation feedback and do post-induction - this might include a quiz about your institution.
• Go through the induction checklist again to check for any problems.
• Arrange the first formal observation to be done by the end of the third teaching week.

Ongoing

• Record stages on induction spreadsheet.
• Do formal observation and follow-up.
• Check plans of work and admin.
• Check with the new teacher's mentor.

Developmental opportunities for new teachers

• Don't overwhelm new teachers - give them small, practical pieces of information.
• Development should happen naturally when checking lesson plans and just by being around the office.
• Give short practical workshops and try to grade the training and development according to the teacher's level.
• Do observations and give constructive feedback.
• Use the British Council CPD handbook.

Developmental observation types

These need to be timetabled in to a new teacher's schedule.

• Unobserved/blind - plan a detailed lesson (time the planning to avoid over-planning), run through it with the manager, teach the lesson, have a follow-up meeting with the manager to encourage reflective practice.
• Filmed/recorded - these should be structured.  It's useful to record the students, not the teacher.  It gives a great insight into how a lesson is being received.  Recording is also the best way to make new teachers aware of their TTT.
• Peer
• 10 minute - these should be incorporated into the induction programme.
• Mentor feedback
• Short burst/repeated theme

You can find more detailed descriptions of observation types here.

Quality assurance observations

These are necessary to the successful running of any school/department and there should be clear, practical policies and procedures set out, including the name of the person who is going to carry them out.

It's important not to over-observe!!

What to look for when doing a QA observation:

• Preparation
• Presentation
• Pitch
• Pace
• Staging
• Achievement of aims
• Subject matter
• Error correction
• Variety
• Rapport
• Pronunciation work
• Use of aids
• Classroom management
• Flexibility
• Learner training

British Council CPD Framework

Use the website - englishagenda.britishcouncil.org

It has:

• a handbook for managers
• a handbook for teachers
• a framework for CPD
• a portal with advice, suggestions and video clips

Give a copy of the CPD handbook to new teachers during induction.  It can be used by mentors and teachers together.

Hints for the manager

• Make sure the induction process is ongoing.
• Induction should be for everyone regardless of why or for how long they are in the school.
• Use an induction checklist to make sure nothing gets forgotten.
• Provide clear guidelines for mentors.
• Compile FAQs and example scenarios to talk through at induction.
• Give hints on lesson preparation and provide sample plans - provide time limit guidelines and give teachers the opportunity to prepare together.
• Provide a bank of last minute lessons and ideas in the teachers' room.
• Run regular ideas swapshops - immediate and practical.
• Introduce everyone to each other!  Provide a board with teachers' profiles and photos and a 'come to me for.....' section.
• Don't assume anything!
• Provide a survival checklist of admin jobs for the first day/week/month.
• Arrange 10 minute meetings every Friday with the DoS if possible.

Conclusion

• Clear systems will set the foundations.
• Notice the positives new teachers can bring.
• Remember your first experiences.
• Retention of staff is good for your school!

What can teachers learn from good managers?

A good manager?

This is a summary of the #eltchat which took place at 12 noon on 19th June.  As a seasoned summary writer (I'm going for the gold medal with this one!!), I'm used to the process.  However, this is the first time I've written the summary not having attended the chat.  As a manager myself, I intended to be there, but, as is often the way, work interfered and I didn't get home in time.  So, what follows is my attempt to give order to the valuable contributions from my fellow #eltchatters.  I hope I have done them justice!  The chat was moderated superbly as always by @Marisa_C and @ShaunWilden.

The idea for the chat came from a talk by Henry Stewart, CEO of the wonderfully named company, Happy Ltd, entitled 'Choose your Boss'.  It was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 as part of their Four Thought series.  You can listen to it here. 

The talk began with the assertion that a majority of workers are not happy with their manager and that people often leave a job because of their manager.  @KatySDavies agreed saying that, for her, having a good manager is probably the most important thing in a job now - more important than school, location, facilities, etc.  @cioccas told us that she had, indeed, moved jobs because of bad managers.

Henry Stewart's solution to this problem is that people should be allowed to choose their own manager from those already in a management position.  He suggests that companies should choose who manage people based on how well they manage people!  Too often, people are promoted because they are good at their job, not because they are good at mentoring and managing people.  #Eltchatters argued that perhaps Henry Stewart's ideas were not so applicable in an ELT setting and that, in our industry, good teachers can and do make good managers.  In fact, most participants agreed that having a manager who had never been a teacher was really not a good thing.

So, what are the qualities of a good manager?

Henry Stewart quoted these eight behaviours identified by Internet giant Google Inc.:

1. Is a good coach
2. Empowers the team and does not micromanage
3. Expresses interest / concern for team members’ success and personal wellbeing
4. Is productive and results-orientated
5. Is a good communicator – listens and shares information
6. Helps with career development
7. Has a clear vision / strategy for the team
8. Has important technical skills that help him / her advice the team

In addition to the eight behaviours they identified for a good manager, they also narrowed down on the top 3 causes why managers struggle in their role:

1. Has a tough transition (e.g. suddenly promoted, hired from outside with little training)
2. Lacks a consistent philosophy / approach to performance management and career development
3. Spends too little time on managing and communicating.

Henry Stewart concluded that people work best when they feel good about themselves and so the main role of management should be on motivating people, valuing them and improving their self-esteem.

So, what did #eltchatters make of this list?

A good manager

@Shaunwilden pointed out that these eight things would equally apply to teachers and their classes, which is probably why the transition from good worker (teacher) to good manager is smoother and more effective in our industry than in others.  @michaelegriffin questioned the correlation between teaching skill and management, but others begged to differ.  After all, teachers are managing groups of people (students) every day of their working lives.  As @JoshSRound said, 'there are some transferable skills: teachers have to manage students, tutor them, coach them, encourage them, direct them.'

@KatySDavies identified one of her bad managers as being someone who flicked between micro management and then gave no support at all when it was really needed.  That person took no ownership of the work given to staff.  On the other hand, a good manager, in Katy's experience, was one who was supportive without being overbearing and who was genuinely interested in her as a person.  She described the great feeling she gets when she senses she's making a real contribution.

@bhrbahar said that a good manager is fair, honest and has organisational skill.  @jo_sayers added that it is someone who cares and encourages.  The majority of contributors agreed that good managers need to be good communicators with a focus on listening and sharing.  Properly listening and responding to the content of what has been said is vital.

The role of 'coach' was seen as essential, with good managers taking every opportunity to coach their teachers - in meetings, via one-to-ones, through e-mail, at social events, in observations and appraisals, etc.  When there aren't enough occasions like this, managers can seem very disconnected from their teachers.  @cioccas pointed out that teachers need to know that their manager is capable of coaching them, even if they don't need them to.  They can show this in what they say and do, the questions they ask, the interest they show, etc.  Managers could also demonstrate their ability through running workshops themselves, or by finding the right people in their team to do it for them, for example.  It's important that managers make time for coaching.  @JoshSRound told us that he's started to schedule one-to-one meetings with all of his team, a fact which @KatySDavies imagined would make them feel really valued. In the same way as teachers do for students, managers have to negotiate achievable goals for their teachers.  It needs to be a two-way process and teachers must have a realistic chance of hitting them.

Another similarity between the role of teacher and manager is that both have to know their 'team members' (students or staff) really well.  @MrChrisJWilson told us that one of the best things about his current boss is that he has endorsed his passions and helped him explore them in teaching.  In the same way, if we find our students' passions, we can use that knowledge to enhance their learning.  Good managers should take into account the different learning styles of their teachers as good teachers do for their students.

A good manager briefs well - a useful skill for teachers, too, when it comes to giving clear and unambiguous instructions.

Good managers and good teachers:

• Listen well
• Manage discourse well
• Stay quiet at times
• Are open-minded
• Make people feel valued
• Give clear instructions
• Allocate tasks well
• Show concern for and interest in their charges
• Are organised
• Negotiate achievable goals
• Recognise potential and nurture it
• Treat people as individuals
• Adapt to the changing needs of their charges
• Don't hold grudges
• Solve problems
• Assess well
• Value the importance of having a balance between hard work and fun in order to build rapport
• Encourage
• Build a sense of team spirit
• Promote collaboration and sharing
• Are fair and impartial
• Step up and take the initiative
• Explain the rationale behind their decisions
• Urge people to push themselves
• Are willing to try new ideas
• Seek to constantly improve themselves and their methods
• Are never satisfied with just 'OK'

Some chat contributors felt that we couldn't always make the same assumptions about managing students and managing teachers, though.  @michaelegriffin suggested that it is much harder with headstrong teachers than with generally manageable students and @pjgallantry summed it up with, 'Managing TEFL teachers is like trying to herd cats!!'  If that's the case, Paul, then I've really got my work cut out!! :-)



Links

Does the DOS do it for you? by @JoshSRound
Differentiating Professional Development - the Principal's Role via @cioccas

Observation and your teaching staff

This was the title of the fourth in a series of monthly CPD webinars hosted by the British Council.  You can read more about the programme here.

This webinar was presented by Gillian Davidson and what follows is a summary of what she had to say.




Observations - the traditional view

Observations are often seen mainly as a quality assurance/quality control tool used for performance management, sometimes in response to student complaints.  They are usually done twice a year and teachers dread them!  They are seen as a negative, or simply a 'tick-box' exercise.

Teacher objections

• Teachers might wonder, 'What right do you have to observe me?'
• Observations are seen as judgemental.
• They are seen as an intrusion into the teacher's space.

We need to break this vision.  The classroom is the domain of the students, not the teacher.  Everything we do should be to enhance the learning for the students.  It should not be primarily for the benefit of the teacher or the observer.

As observers, we should be reacting to and commenting on the effect of the activity on the learning of the students, not on the activity itself.

Tools and Rules

Observation types

• Management - used to check performance and maintain quality.  These can be done formally at a pre-determined time or as drop-in observations for 10 - 30 minutes at a time.  In a good school, QA/management observations can be developmental as well.  They just need to be kept separate from performance management observations which are done in response to a complaint or identified problem.  In these cases, teachers need to be told that it is a performance management issue.
• Peer - a really effective tool.  Teachers learn most from observing, and being observed by, their colleagues.
• Self - this should happen after every lesson in the form of reflective practice.
• Blind - observations done with a mentor's support.

Advantages and disadvantages of each type

 Observation sheets

Using observation sheets gives focus to the observation and makes it objective.  Before choosing an observation sheet, ask yourself what kind of teacher you're observing and why you're doing it.

Here is an example of a section of an observation sheet:

Using such sheets gives a detailed overview of your teachers and keeps feedback objective and non-judgemental.  It's a good place to start with a development plan and is particularly good for new teachers.

More experienced teachers who already have a development plan can choose a specific area that they would like feedback on.  Look at this example of part of an observation sheet for commenting on teaching lexis:

With more experienced teachers, then, we may need to focus on the detail of a lesson (lexis, a particular grammar point, the use of an IWB, etc.) and will therefore need different observation sheets for different purposes.

Rules

Here are some rules for making observations developmental:

• Make time - it's so easy to put off doing observations and reduce the time you give to teachers.  You must make time.  Put observations, feedback sessions and follow-up sessions in your diary.  Every time you do an observation, you're saying 'teaching is important'.
• Give warning
• Be objective - if more than one person is responsible for doing observations, it's important that you are all observing on the same criteria.
• Behave appropriately during observations -

1. stay quiet.
2. don't pull faces.
3. take notes, but pay attention to the lesson.
4. don't interfere.
5. don't take part in the lesson.
6. use an observation sheet to help you focus.
7. focus on the learning - what you like and don't like is irrelevant.  All that matters is whether the students like it and whether they are learning.  You are not watching the teacher as a person, but as how the teacher is affecting the learner.

• Feedback promptly - choose your language carefully during feedback.  Be as objective as possible.  Don't use 'I liked.....', 'I felt that.....', etc.  Instead, use 'I saw....', 'You did....', etc..
• Follow-up - the feedback should always include ideas and suggestions, things to do, an action plan.  So, the follow-up is very important - it is what makes an observation developmental.  The teacher needs to write something about what they did and how it worked out and then he needs to sit down and discuss it with the observer.
• Value the process!! - Don't let observations be a 'tick-box' exercise.

Giving feedback

• Make it useful - it's no good to say, 'yes, it's fine'. 
• Make it balanced - teachers can only take so much criticism at any one time.
• Make it reflective - reflection is one of the most difficult things to do and teachers need to be trained not to look at the lesson as a whole, but to break it down.
• In written feedback, use 'you', rather than 'the teacher' or 'Susan'!!
• Agree a development plan.
• Keep records.
• Follow-up.

The Observation Process

 

 

 

Promoting CPD in your schools

This was the title of the third in a series of monthly CPD webinars hosted by the British Council.  You can read more about the programme here.

This webinar was presented by Gillian Davidson and what follows is a summary of what she had to say.


 



Why do CPD?

Penny Ur said of CPD, 'It's the difference between five years' experience and a year's experience repeated five times.'

Some teachers never develop - they just keep repeating what they've always done. As educators we need to lead by example and keep on learning.

Benefits for teachers

• Increased job satisfaction; motivating and interesting.
• Broader knowledge, skills base and ability to self-analyse.
• Ability to take control of development and career planning.
• Develop transferable skills.

Benefits for the school

• Establish career paths, which make us more attractive employers.
• Enables us to respond to customer needs effectively and promptly.  This means that we can guide teachers in areas where students want changes.
• Improved student feedback and staff retention.
• Enhanced reputation leading to better staff recruitment.

What constitutes CPD?

• workshops
• seminars
• training
• conferences
• observations

We need to differentiate between training and development.  

 

Training is required when teachers need to learn a new technique or skill - when interactive whiteboards are introduced to a school, for example.  Training is what you need to be able to do your job.

Development, on the other hand, is what you need to continue to improve in your job.  If you have a school with lots of experienced teachers, training is not such an important part of CPD.

 

What prevents effective CPD?

1. Time - everyone is too busy!  We need to make time for CPD.
2. Money - conferences can be very expensive.  Some teachers are reluctant to do CPD if they consider it to be unpaid work.
3. Difficulty - genuine and effective self-reflection is very difficult!

CPD activities

• Teacher conferences (e.g. IATEFL)
• Local CPD groups
• In-house CPD sessions - attending and running them
• DOS observations - teachers working together with their DOS to identify areas for improvement
• Peer observations - one of the most effective ways to learn
• Pop-in observations - short observations to see a variety of lesson types
• Self-observation
• Reflection - via a lesson journal, for example
• Online support - blogs, portals, publisher sites
• Idea sharing groups - in school and online
• Mentor/buddy system
• Trial one day a week - find something new to try out in class one day a week and reflect on whether it worked or not
• Shared board in the teachers' room for lesson ideas - the one-page lesson synopses from the British Council, for example
• Reading
• New projects - courses, teaching a new level, etc.
• Action research
• Writing articles - if you write about something, you think about it more

Remember, a lot of the CPD is FREE!!!!

 

What do we need to make CPD happen?

 

Teachers need to feel excited about development.  We need to create an external culture of CPD in our institutions and, by doing so, we hope to create an internal culture within each of our teachers.  We can't force an internal culture, but we can create an environment which encourages it.

 

Creating the culture

 

We can do this by:

• Incentivising
• Creating a clear link between a teacher's performance plan and appraisal.  (CPD must be seen to be expected, not optional.)
• Showing the value of CPD
• Rewarding achievement (this reward doesn't have to be financial)
• Leading by example - the manager should be seen to be taking control of his or her own CPD
• Analysing the beliefs and behaviours of our teachers to help us to help them to make their plans
• Acknowledging and encouraging

Individual CPD needs

 

The desire for CPD needs to come from within.  Otherwise, it becomes a 'tick-box' exercise.

• Performance plans - teachers need to set their own goals.
• Self-directed - guided by the DOS, but the basis should come from what the teacher wants.
• Stage of career - a teacher will need more training early on in their career and more development later.
• Career goals and plans
• Stage of personal life - there are times when CPD needs to go on the back burner for a while.
• Feedback - needs to be structured and must acknowledge and recognise effort.

Classifying beliefs, behaviours and performance

If teachers lack confidence, they don't put the effort in because they fear failure. At the other end of the scale, teachers who are over-confident feel they know everything already so don't need to make an effort.  In both cases, performance is poor.  Effort is key to improving performance.  The harder you try, the more you move towards success.

 

We need to consider where our teachers lie on this bell curve and adjust our approach accordingly.  If teachers have no self-confidence, we need to boost it before setting them free with their CPD plan.  Equally, if a teacher is over-confident, we need to control that before allowing them to plan their own CPD.

 

Validity of CPD exercises and activities

 

Any CPD exercises and activities need to be seen to be contributing towards a teacher's CPD.  We can't expect a teacher with 20 years' experience to turn up to a workshop intended for post-CELTA recruits.  They won't see any value in it and they will be turned off when it comes to other CPD sessions.

 

We need to make sure that CPD plans are individual.  It's very unlikely that we'll run a workshop that every teacher in our school or department is expected to attend.  That would be like running an English class for elementary to advanced students.  We need to consider putting our teachers into 'levels' for their CPD, perhaps by using the British Council framework.

We also need to remember that our recognition as managers of a teacher's effort adds validity to any CPD activity.

 

Acknowledge and encourage

• Keep it simple - some teachers are happy to spend time writing self-reflection notes, but others aren't!  CPD should never be something a teacher resents.
• Give prompt feedback
• Recognise effort as well as results - not everything you try works! However, something that doesn't work can be just as valuable an aid to development as something that works really well.
• Reward - by asking a teacher to deliver seminars to the rest of the staff or to mentor a new teacher, for example.  Make sure, though, that this is considered to be a reward and not simply even more unpaid work!
• Check in regularly - write annual CPD plans, but meet with a teacher every three or four months to assess progress

Tips for implementing a CPD programme

• There should be something for everyone - one size does not fit all!
• There should be a system for aiding reflection.
• It should be teacher driven - the manager can feed in ideas, but the teacher must agree.
• Performance issues should be kept separate to CPD.  Once CPD is linked to performance, it becomes unattractive to the teacher.
• It needs to be linked to an appraisal system.
• There should be regular meetings between the teacher and line manager when they sit down together at an agreed time.