Best Practice in ELT: 10 Characteristics of Highly Effective EF/SL Teachers

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Best Practice in ELT10 Characteristics of
Highly Effective EF/SL Teachers

• Christine Coombe
• Dubai Mens College
• Lisa Barlow
• UAE University

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Presentation Agenda

• Our assumptions
• What do you think?
• Reasons for being a TESOL/TEFL teacher
• How our teaching context differs from others
• Various definitions of teacher effectiveness
• Our top 10

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Our Assumptions

• You are interested in this topic and in PD
  because youre all here
• Teaching EF/SL is distinct from other subject
  areas
• Effectiveness is measured differently in our
  context than in others

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What do you think?

• Think of a teacher that you characterize as
  highly effective.
• List three of his/her qualities or traits.
• Why did you decide to enter the TESOL/TEFL
  profession?

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Reasons for Entering the TESOL/TEFL Profession

• Desire to make a difference
• To see the world
• Long summer vacations
• The impact of a favorite teacher
• Desire to be on stage
• Life of the mind
• Family tradition
• High salary

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The Arabian Gulf Context

• ELT practitioners face a number of pressures in
  the Arabian Gulf context
• increased workload for little or no remuneration
• institutional accountability in the form of
  accreditation
• nearly continual change in curricula and
  assessment
• Being forced to teach through a medium that you
  may or may not be comfortable with (i.e., IT)

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What is a good teacher?

• What do various groups within education mean when
  they talk about effective teaching practices?
• A variety of different perspectives
• Administrators
• Educational researchers
• Teachers
• Students

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The Administrators Perspective

• Seymour Ericksen (1984) carried out a survey
  amongst education administrators.
• An outstanding teacher should be an inspired
  instructor who is concerned about students, an
  active scholar who is respected by discipline
  peers, and an efficient organized professional
  who is accessible to both students and teachers.
  (Ericksen, 1984 3 in Williams Burden, 1997)

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The Educational Researchers Perspective

• Educational researchers listed the ideal
  characteristics of a good teacher.
• Clarity of presentation
• Variety of activities during lesson
• Achievement-oriented behavior in classrooms
• Opportunity to learn criterion materials
• Acknowledgement and stimulation of student ideas
• Lack of criticism
• Use of structuring comments at the beginning and
  during lessons
• Guiding of student answers
• (Rosenshine Furst, 1973 in Williams Burden,
  1997)

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The Teachers Perspective

• Treats student as an individual 94
• Is enthusiastic and inspiring 77
• Has caring qualities 55
• Creates a rich learning environment 22
• Is funny 22
• Is spontaneous and flexible 22
• (Bress, 2000)

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The Students Perspective

• What Makes a Good Teacher? (1996) UNESCO
  publication
• Over 500 children from some 50 countries
• A great teacher
• Interacts with the child
• gives affection to Ss, makes Ss understand
  emotion.
• smiles even when Ss make mistakes.
• teaches not only textbook materials but also the
  truth that's happening outside.
• is dedicated to the job.

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1. A Calling to the Profession

• Effective EF/SL Ts are driven passionate about
  the profession
• Feel a call to teach as well as have a passion
  to help students learn and grow
• Without a mission or a calling, teaching is just
  another joband a tough one at that
• This is essential to help teachers survive and
  avoid burnout

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2. Professional Knowledge

• Lots of disturbing research about the
  deficiencies that teachers have
• Old adage those who can do those who cant
  teach
• We believe that the right credentials and sound
  professional knowledge are of paramount
  importance to teaching effectiveness
• Credentials
• Recognize the importance of PD
• IT/Technology skills a must

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Types of Knowledge Ts Must Have

• Shulman (1987) identified seven different kinds
  of knowledge that highly effective teachers must
  have
• Knowledge about
• Content
• Broad principles and strategies of classroom
  management and organization
• Curriculum materials and programs
• Teaching of particular content topics
• Students
• Educational contexts
• Educational aims and values (pp. 1-22)

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3. Personal Qualities

• Two quotes have influenced our thinking
• 1. Ts who were identified by students as changing
  their lives were rarely praised for their
  knowledge of the subject matter, teaching methods
  or materials. Those were all givens in the
  students minds. What really mattered to
  students were the teachers human qualities
  (Coppedge Shreck, 1988).

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Personal Qualities

• 2. Effective teachers dont necessarily need a
  flamboyant, entertaining style to be memorable
  and influential. Sometimes they just have to be
  sympathetic and encouraging. (McEwan, 2002)
• Research on high-facilitative teachers vs.
  low-facilitative teachers found
• Ss make greater gains on academic achievement
  measures created fewer disciplinary problems
• The result was a book entitled Kids dont learn
  from people they dont like (Aspy Roebuck,
  1977)

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Most Important Personal/Personality Qualities for
EF/SL Teachers

• Caring
• Empathetic
• Fair
• Respectful
• Fun
• Sense of humor
• Personal/unique style

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4. With-it-ness (McEwan, 2002)

• The state of being on top of things, tuned in to
  the teaching/learning environment and in control
  of the different facets of classroom life and our
  jobs
• Management and classroom organization
• Student Engagement
• Momentum
• Time management
• Ability to multitask
• Can adapt to the changing needs and demands of
  our job and our profession

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5. Instructional Effectiveness

• Being a good teacher is a given (Currie
  Gilroy, forthcoming)
• Teaching matters
• Study after study confirms that Ss who have high
  quality Ts make significant and lasting learning
  gains
• Ss with less effective Ts play a constant
  academic game of catch up
• Having high quality Ts consistently tops parents
  list of critical elements of an effective school

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6. Good Communicator

• Highly effective teachers must be good
  communicators
• Able to articulate ideas, issues, beliefs and
  values about the art of teaching
• Skilled at conflict resolution
• Active emailer
• Public speaking/presentation skills

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7. Street Smarts

• Has knowledge of the students, the school and the
  community cultural environment
• uses that knowledge to solve problems
• Is politically-savvy
• Is familiar with their institutional culture
• Knows which materials topics to avoid
• Knows which battles to fight

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8. Willingness to Go the Extra Mile

• Belief in your own ability to make a difference
  in Ss lives
• Have high expectation of your Ss
• Willingness to inspire and motivate Ss through
  example

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9. Lifelong Learner

• Effective teachers are concerned with their self
  and professional development.
• Have a strategic plan
• For many, assuming a leadership position is the
  logical next step.
• As McEwan (2002 38) points out if you can lead
  in the classroom, you can lead anywhere.

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Five Ways to Lead in the Classroom

1. Through example
2. Through listening
3. Through empowerment
4. Through inspiration
5. Through learning

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10. Life Outside the Profession

• Plenty of sources cite the importance of not
  being too consumed by your job
• Research shows that people with hobbies and
  friends outside of their profession suffer less
  stress.
• Find something else that defines you outside of
  the workplace.

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Our Top Ten

• A Calling for the Profession
• Professional Knowledge
• Personal Qualities
• With-it-ness (McEwan, 2002)
• Instructional Effectiveness
• Good Communicator
• Street Smarts
• Willingness to Go the Extra Mile
• Lifelong Learner
• Life Outside the Classroom

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Closing Thoughts

• Obviously Ts cant be all things to all people.
• No teacher is uniformly strong in all areas.
• Which of these traits is most important?
• Are there any that you identified that we have
  not included?

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Contact Details

• Christine Coombe
• christine.coombe_at_hct.ac.ae