Things to Do for Teacher Development

Written by Dr. David E. Shaffer

For more than a quarter of a century, Jack Richards has been a marquee name in the field of English language teaching (ELT) methodology, professional development, reflective practice, and teacher training. In his “retirement,” he has recently come out with a very useful little book: Jack C. Richards’ 50 Tips for Teacher Development. These are practical tips that the crisp neophyte as well as the weathered veteran can benefit from. It is not suggested that any one teacher execute all of the tips (though that would be quite beneficial). They will be presented here, for teachers to choose the ones they would like to try, to remind teachers of teacher development methods they have allowed to recede into the foggy corners of their memory, and to introduce activities that teachers may not have yet been aware of.

1. Plan goals for your professional development: Without having a goal or goals to strive towards, self-improvement is difficult.
2. Review your professional development: Review helps to decide what changes in your goals or routine would be most beneficial.
3. Review changes in your teaching: Reflecting on changes helps to determine how and why you changed and what changes you may wish to make in the future.
4. Use lesson reports to monitor your teaching: Documenting your lessons allows for reflection, evaluation, and revision, which lead to better lessons.
 5. Watch or listen to yourself teaching: Audio-recording or video-recording your lessons can make you aware of classroom habits that you would like to change.
6. Observe each other teaching: Teachers can learn from watching others teach and gain great feedback from them.
7. Keep a portfolio: Showcase your achievements for pride, for reflection, or for new job opportunities.
8. Keep a journal: Journal-writing is a great method of reflection on one’s teaching.
9. Review designs for lesson plans: Reflection before implementation can lead to revisions, which lead to a better lesson!
10. Identify the features of an effective lesson: Is it enjoyable, relevant, well-organized, challenging, fast-moving, and full of variety?
11. Develop a lesson observation form: These points can be used when you observe other teachers or have them observe you.
12. Identify your students’ learning needs: Focus on identifying the strategies the students are using for reading, writing, speaking, and listening improvement.
13. Explore understandings of teaching and learning: What are your roles as a teacher? What are your students’ preferred ways of learning?
14. Study samples of students’ work: Explore how your students approach learning.
15. Learn from critical incidents: Reflection on unanticipated classroom events can prove quite meaningful.
16. Observe how you use questions: Are they closed or open-ended; display or referential questions?
17. Observe how you give feedback: It is motivational? Only grammar-focused? Direct or indirect?
18. Use lesson transcripts to explore classroom language: Become aware of the teacher–student language actually used in lesson segments.
19. Learn how to engage in critical reflection: Examine a teaching situation, ask questions about it, then rethink beliefs and understandings.
20. Take part in group problem-solving: Discussion with colleagues brings more perspectives to the task.
21. Use clips from movies or extracts from fiction to explore teaching: Literature can be a good source of teaching materials.
22. Try doing something differently: Break up a stale routine. Reflect on long-held assumptions.
23. Form a reading group: Read the latest ELT articles and books and discuss the contents.
24. Learn from an expert: Interview an expert in your locale on a specific aspect of ELT.
25. Join a language teachers’ association: Korea TESOL welcomes all second language teachers.
26.Attend a conference: The Korea TESOL International Conference is on October 13–14 in Seoul. Stephen Krashen and Scott Thornbury will be speaking.
27. Learn how to review a textbook: All textbooks are not created equal. Learn how to critically evaluate them.
28. Carry out action research: Learn more about your classes, students, and teaching through teacher-conducted research.
29. Try a replication study: Repeat someone else’s research; see if you get the same results.
30. Take part in a lesson-study: Plan a lesson as a group; one teacher teaches, the others observe; everyone reflects and revises.
31. Experience classroom activities: Do them yourself to understand how your students may feel about them.
32. Watch videos of teaching: This is another way to learn new techniques and to do class observation.
33. Use wikis for collaborative teacher development: Share your teaching insights and do problem-solving with other teachers.
34. Take part in micro-teaching: Practice the individual components of a teaching skill with a group of other teachers.
35. Be creative: Employ creative strategies in activity design – intrigue, choice, risk-taking, novelty, and fantasy.
36. Use narrative frames to explore teaching: Create a teaching story template (e.g., “A Recent Ah-ha Moment”) of sentence starters, and complete the story yourself. Share stories in a group.
37. Use narrative writing: Put your teaching experiences in writing for yourself and for other teachers.
38. Monitor your teacher talking time: Are you talking too much in class and not allowing enough speaking practice time for your students?
39. Monitor your action zone: Do you interact with all students equally regardless of where they sit?
40. Use a case study to explore teaching and learning: Collect information on a specific topic over time to understand the issue more fully.
41. Create a culture of teacher development: Support professional development within your institution.
42. Make the most of meetings: Use teacher meetings to network, solve problems, share experiences, and develop a culture of cooperation.
43. Plan a workshop: Lead a workshop at your school or at a Korea TESOL meeting.
44. Start a suggestion box: Share teaching ideas with other teachers, or get suggestions from your students.
45. Join an online discussion forum: Share ideas and problems online with other teachers.
46. Make a presentation: Submit a proposal to the Korea TESOL International Conference or ask about presenting at the Gwangju KOTESOL meetings.
47. Write for a magazine or online publication: Writing about ELT is another way of learning about ELT.
48. Become a mentor: Take a newbie teacher under your wing; teaching is learning.
49. Team-teach with a colleague: Share a class with another teacher and learn from each other.
50. Learn through peer coaching: Ask colleagues to teach you a specific technique that they are expert at.

The Author
David E. Shaffer is vice-president of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Chapter of Korea TESOL (KOTESOL). On behalf of the chapter, he invites you to participate in their teacher development workshops at their monthly meetings. Dr. Shaffer credits KOTESOL for much of his professional development.