ELT Professional Competencies for Student Teachers
5 tips to be better
in your teaching practicum and practice
As a student teacher lacking the experience of being in
front of a class and working with students, the need to develop one’s
professional competence is a must. The teaching practicum is a way to start
building one’s professional competencies and confront one’s teaching beliefs
with one’s own teaching particulars and environment. To help oneself create
some sort of competence awareness, student teachers are here provided with five
tips to help themselves grow professionally.
u Self-/Peer Assessment » Ask yourself –at the
end of the class-, what went right and/or what went wrong? This sort of
question can help you reflect and self-criticize yourself as an educator. All teachers
need to review their teaching beliefs to be able to make changes or adjustments
in their teaching. By “evaluating your tactics” [BBC’s TeachingEnglish 2003],
this practice may lead you to “teaching perfection”
and to a “highly constructive” teaching reflective stage. And if possible, ask
a student teaching partner (or another teacher in school) to lend you his/her
ears and eyes to help you spot areas that need extra polishing. Their help can
be of great use in one’s teaching competence development.
v Classroom Atmosphere » In an in-service
training session at CCCN with Dr. Neil J. Anderson (2004), author of Active Reading Skills for Reading, over here in San José (Costa Rica), he insisted on the importance of “creating a
classroom culture.” This culture or atmosphere allows us to ensure discipline
in class and respect among class members. As the head member, the teacher can
control pair and group work efficiently and time class activities to maximize
student learning. This comfortable atmosphere will make teachers and students
avoid confrontations that will disrupt the balance of the class culture.
w Students’ Attitudes
towards English Learning » If
a “class culture” is successfully created, shifting students’ attitudes towards
the target language seems to be a feasible task. Keep in mind that not all the
students in class are really interested in learning English; English could just
be another subject to pass. Nevertheless, making pupils aware of the importance
of English in the working world can be a great way to motivate them to go the
extra mile needed to succeed in their “future, potential” professional lives.
x Professionalism » Projecting oneself
as an education professional is also a must as part of one’s teaching career.
Several things need to be taken care of so one does no lose face in front of
students (and their parents), school officials, an one’s teaching colleagues. Among
those things, always be punctual for class. As the TeachingEnglish editor
(2003) states it, “Be prompt and punctual because promptness and punctuality
lead to systematic work.” Students need to learn the value of “promptness” and “punctuality,”
so please set the example for them by being on time for class and giving back
graded assignments, quizzes, tests, and the like.
Show your professionalism by always using rubrics to
grade students and their performance or work. This will save you “extra”
headaches when students complain or school officials ask you to justify a given
grade. And show your professional style by following the school dress code all
of the time. Do get to explore how else you can improve your professional
image.
y Language Practice » “Involve your
students in authentic communication actions, which encourage a continuous flow
of speech” (TE Editor 2003). Creating and having students take part of
meaningful and memorable exercises guarantees learning. Be creative and
replicate the real world in class so students understand why English learning
is necessary. Scaffolding student performance can yield even better results in
terms of class production and the accomplishment of language learning outcomes.
All these elements also contribute to a greater language practice in class within
a comfortable atmosphere and class culture.
To sum up, developing ELT Professional Competencies is a real need for amateur
and for consolidated teaching professionals. Discovering one’s beliefs and how
to adapt them to new teaching environments and particulars is part of the
development of those competencies to become a better-shaped professional. But
bear in mind that teaching goes beyond the class, so try to create your PLN
[Professional Learning Network] to always be updated and to become a desirable
teacher to be hired anywhere you apply for a teaching position.
ETo
fully develop and comprehend this teaching issue, it’s advisable to research and
expand these areas:
1
|
Professional
competences
|
2
|
Self-Assessment
in teaching
|
3
|
Peer assessment
for teaching improvement
|
4
|
The class
culture
|
5
|
My professional
image as an ELT teacher
|
Professor
Jonathan Acuña-Solano
ELT
Instructor & Trainer based in Costa Rica
Freelance ELT Consultant for OUP in Central America
For
further comments or suggestions, reach me at:
@jonacuso – Twitter
Other blogs I often write for my students at the
university are:
a.
Anderson, Neil J. (2004) In-Service Training at CCCN. San Pedro: CCCN, Costa Rica
b. Professional Competence 1 (2003) by TE Editor, [http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/]
28 March 2003 Published on http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/professional-competence-1
ELT Professional Competencies for Student Teachers
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Saturday, December 08, 2012
Great Post, Jonathan. I especially agree that the classroom environment is not to be underrated--- affective filters à la Krashen!
After looking through a few blog articles on your website.
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