Intro to EF MATESOL

Teacher Professionalism in TESOL

 The question 1
Are you a TESOL professional or do you just have a job?
 ACTIONS
Achieving
outcomes
Adherence
to core
Becoming a values as
TESOL principles
professional
TEACHER OUTCOMES
K
developing
teachers’ content
knowledge & their
understanding of
students’ problem
solving

S
A
Helping
Teachers'
teachers to
commitment to
learn ways to
change
assess it

(Timperley, 2007)
Focus on ATTITUDE
Attaining professional development paths

• Curiosity
Ways of • Engagement
Habits
approaching Attitudes • Willingness to take
learning of mind risks
• Perspective

(Lorimer & Schulte, 2012)

• Engagement or openness as a habit of mind that allows
individuals to “examine their own perspectives to find
connections with the perspectives of others; ... [and] listen
to and reflect on the ideas and responses of others” …
peers, professors, and other professionals in the field.

(Lorimer & Schulte, 2012)

A great compromise
A concern that our previous
experiences did not
adequately prepare us to
be effective English
teachers.

Confidence to expose
ourselves to new
experiences in the field

(Lorimer & Schulte, 2012)

Reflection
Building standards of professional conduct among teachers

Principles
of PL

Standards
of
professional
conduct
EF core
values

(Timperley, 2007)
PRINCIPLES OF PROPESSIONAL LEARNING

Connects
communities. Aspires
Create new
individual and
knowledge collective
and skills
success.

Integrates Stimulates
theory and reflection and
practice. collegiality.

Promotes PICCASO
student Organizes
learning Professional support.
outcomes. Learning

(Timperley, 2008)
 The question 2
What can educational leaders do?
The nature of teacher education
ADVANCED EDUCATION AND TRAINING

TESOL Teacher preparation programs

(Crandall, 1996; Richards & Farrell, 2005)

ACADEMIC PREPARATION ACTIVITIES
PRACTICE-ORIENTED
(1) Having a paying full-time teaching job
(2) Obtaining a Master’s degree in TESOL (or related area)

RESEARCH-ORIENTED
(3) Reading journals
(4) Materials development,
(5) Program administration,
(6) Active membership in a professional organization,
(7) Conducting language research,
(8) Presenting papers at conferences and seminars,
(9) Writing for professional publications,
(10) Advancing academically by pursuing postgraduate degrees
(11) Becoming lifelong learners (Lorimer & Schulte, 2012)
 16

ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

(Richard, 2005)
AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
• Subject-matter knowledge. Increasing knowledge of the disciplinary basis of TESOL—
that is, English grammar, discourse analysis, phonology, testing, second language
acquisition research, methodology, curriculum development, and the other areas that
define the professional knowledge base of language teaching
• Pedagogical expertise. Mastery of new areas of teaching, adding to one’s repertoire of
teaching specializations, improving ability to teach different skill areas to learners of
different ages and backgrounds
• Self-awareness. Knowledge of oneself as a teacher, of one’s principles and values,
strengths and weaknesses
• Understanding of learners. Deepening understanding of learners, learning styles,
learners’ problems and difficulties, ways of making content more accessible to learners
• Understanding of curriculum and materials. Deepening one’s understanding of
curriculum and curriculum alternatives, use and development of instructional materials
• Career advancement. Acquisition of the knowledge and expertise necessary for personal
advancement and promotion, including supervisory and mentoring skills

(Richards & Farrell, 2005)

Activities constructed to promote the
professional learning (1)

(Timperley, 2007)
Activities constructed to promote the
professional learning (2)

(Timperley, 2007)
Achieving your short and
long-term goals
CAREER ORIENTATION
Structured and constant reflection, in the form of a PDP, as a way to
track professional development opportunities and action steps that
help reach their short- and long-term goals.

Becoming Building a Starting the Taking action

Setting a long-
TESOL Professional professional Making a PDP steps to reach
term goal
professionals Identity journeys those goals

(Lorimer & Schulte, 2012)

PDP - Action steps to become TESOL
professionals
PDP: Action steps (AS) to become TESOL
professionals

…
AS3
AS2
AS1
Short-term goals Long-term goals
Julia’s story
References
• Crandall, J. (1996) Teacher Professionalism in TESOL. MEXTESOL Journal.
• Freeman, D (1989): “Teacher Training, Development, and Decision Making: A
Model of Teaching and Related Strategies for Language Teacher Education” in
TESOL Quarterly 23/1: 27 - 45.
• Lorimer, C. (2012) Reimagining TESOL Professionalism The Graduate
Student Perspective. The CATESOL Journal.
• Timperley, H. (2007) Teacher Professional Learning and Development: Best
Evidence Synthesis Iteration. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education
• Farrel & Richards (2005) Professional Development for Language Teachers -
Strategies for Teacher Learning. CUP.
• Vescio, V.; Ross, D. & Adams, A. (2008) A review of research on the impact of
professional learning communities on teaching practice and student learning.
Teaching and Teacher Education.
Enjoy!