PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS
BESS recognizes that:
• Enhancing the learning process so that every child reaches his or her full potential is the main aim of any school.
• Certain aspects of teaching have great impact on the learning process and can lead to improved learning experiences for children.
Thus, when we help teachers develop their awareness, knowledge and skills through systematic, continuous professional development, student learning improves. No initial training can provide teachers with the knowledge and skills for a lifetime of teaching. Teachers must work throughout their professional lives to develop.
SeltAcademy is committed to observing and assessing specific domains of teaching. These are:
1. Planning and Preparation: Knowledge of content and pedagogy, knowledge of each student as an individual learner, setting of teaching aims for different student profiles, demonstrating knowledge of resources available for meeting those aims, designing coherent activity cycles, assessing learning formatively.
2. Classroom Management: Creating a learning environment of respect and rapport, creating a culture of learning, motivating students to try hard, managing student behavior, managing classroom procedures and organizing the physical space in the classroom.
3. Teaching Methods: Communicating learning aims and instructions effectively to students, using quality questioning and discussion techniques, engaging all the students in the class, maximizing student time-on-task, allowing students to guide the learning process, monitoring and giving effective feedback to students about their learning and adjusting the lesson according to the needs of the students in real time.
4. Language Use: Appropriacy, accuracy and fluency of teacher’s English in the classroom and the English used in materials or tests.
5. Professional Responsibilities: Being organized, being proactive, showing a positive attitude, reflecting on own teaching, supporting and communicating with partner teachers, communicating with families, taking responsibility for own professional development.
6. Complementary Skills: Computer literacy, digital literacy, IWB skills, drama, storytelling, etc. The need for complimentary skills develops out of an awareness.
While observing and assessing these components of effective teaching, our fundamental aim of maximizing student learning will always be at the forefront.
After initial assessment of the learning environment and teaching skills of English teachers, specific recommendations will be made. Locally organized professional development activities such as workshops, peer coaching, classroom observations (peer, self and trainer led) will be offered. Other recommendations may include formal, externally administered courses such as the ESOL CELTA or DELTA. Evaluation will be transparent and data-driven. Teachers will be asked to maintain a simple teacher portfolio that documents their professional development over time. They will be asked to set goals and evaluate their own progress.
We look forward to working with teachers to create a vibrant community of ‘teachers-as-learners’.
For more information about our tranions please contact us. Our international team of renowned experts are at your service.