motivating teachers to attempt innovation final presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Maria-Araxi Sachpazian [BA edu/RSA dip/TELF]
Motivating Teachers to attempt Innovation:
Schools helping teachers develop
• Why would a school help teachers develop?
The teachers are not the property of the school.
They might just go one day....
• How would the school help teachers develop?
Isn’t that frighfully expensive?
• What does she mean by ‘’motivating teachers to achieve innovation’’?
Can’t they do it for themselves?
Points for discussion
• Recession breeds fear and insecurity
• Fear and insecurity make businesses stop developing or downsize
• Competition takes the form of price dropping
• To make a profit at lowered prices lower pay for employees
The financial crisis and the Greek Foreign Language Schools
• Pay is one of the factors that motivates employees
• It is not replaced by any other form of compensation →Frustration
• Frustration makes teachers stop developing
• Soon schools stop developing or striving for quality
The financial crisis and the Greek Foreign Language Schools
• In this light CPD / TQM become a luxury not a necessity
• At the same time, our students think education is a luxury
The financial crisis and the Greek Foreign Language Schools
• Vision : School / Themeslves
• Higher expectations by managers
• ‘’For the kids’’
• Positive internalisation of the school culture and identity
• MBWA : Being led by example, not by empty talk
• Avoiding pedagogical solitude : Culture of sharing
• Sense of family / Sense of ‘’whole’’
• Autonomy, experimentation, support for failure
What inspires teachers to try harder?
• Personal meaning
What inspires teachers to try harder?
• Teachers’ CPD is the single most contributing factor to the longevity of the school
• Teaching should not be viewed as a solitary endeavour
but as a communal / shared experience
• Therefore, we should engage in goal setting for our school.
(What are the goals of your school ?)
• Can we set goals for the school without engaging in some personal goal setting?
Support Teacher Growth= Support School Growth
What is Continuous Professional Development?
• An endeavour to continue learning and growing professionally
• So, at some point, a teacher’s career can be broken into clearly marked sections.
• Each section is characterised by different aspirations, responsibilities and means of self-expression.
• CPD leads teachers in deeper engagement with pedagody and maximises their chances of offering the best possible learning to their students.
Problems with teacher education
a) Education reflects the society it represents. Society evolves
b) Education cannot cover all the bases & prepare teachers for all eventualities
c) There are no formal structures to ensure that teachers have the chance to relate theory to practice
Why CPD? I’ve been to University!
• Do we have a corporate vision for the school?
• How is it articulated & communicated?
• Have teachers been involved in articulating it?
• Is this vision reviewed regularly in relation to the reality of the school?
• Are the means of turning this vision into reality reviewed at regular intervals?
Making CPD part of the school culture
Making CPD part of the school culture
Change the way we rate the success of our school •The example we set for others •The teacher initiatives taken •The presence of our school on the Internet / in the ELT field •The original teaching ideas generated in our schools
Observe Teacher Talk at the school:
• Where does it happen?
• What is it about?
• Is there an atmosphere of sharing btw teachers?
• Do teachers goal set? Do they discuss their self-improvement?
• Are there any teacher driven projects at the school?
• How is the staff motivated?
Making CPD part of the school culture
Monitor & Appraise
• Observe / Give feedback (Who? How often?)
• Engage teachers in peer observation
• Carry out internal research
• Offer in-service training
Making CPD part of the school culture
Train
• Using online means / webinars
• Attend different sessions at a conference
• Read articles and present them
• Prepare a joint professional presentation at a conference
Making CPD part of the school culture
Run meaningful meetings
• Agree on meeting dates and times. State ending time too.
• Create an agenda
• Staff should be encouraged to add points
• Make a point of having a practical and a professional section
• Praising is public. Scolding is private
• Make teachers think as managers: problem-solving
Making CPD part of the school culture
Without able, empowered EMPLOYEES
No vision, No strategy, can be achieved
