Ten Characteristics of a Successful LPA ~ L. Mercado FINAL

Ten Characteristics of a Successful LPALeonardo A. Mercado, M.Ed., M.B.A.

14th Macmillan Coordinators' Convention - Leonardo A. Mercado, MEd, MBA

Overview

• Where do LPA’s come from?

• The importance of our work

• Making the right choice

• 10 Challenges

• Macrostrategies for L2 Teacher Observation & Feedback

• Self-Assessment

• Conclusion


Goals

By the end of the session, you will….

• be able to enumerate the major challenges LPA’s often face.

• have a broader repertoire of strategies and solution alternatives for these challenges

• be able to ascertain to what extent you possess 10 positive traits of a successful LPA


Typical Situation: LPA Promotions

Case Study: A professor in the language department is in charge of supervising teaching assistants in the U.S. But then….

Bailey, 2006, p.2


New LPA’s: Promotion Practices

Where do LPA’s come from?

– Experienced (and not-so-experienced) teachers

– General public Problems:- Unclear criteria for

systematic selection- Little or no pre-service

training for the position

Ideally:- Choice reflects

institutional profile- Chosen from mentor or

stand-in pool- Provided with clear job

descriptions and manuals


The Important Roles We Play

Quality Assurance PD & Training “Buy-In” “One-Man Band”

• Choosing the right teachers

• Evaluating and verifying efficacy of academic study program

• Evaluating and verifying quality of language instruction and learning process

• Showing others how they can learn from themselves

• Teaching teachers how to build up their repertoire of strategies, techniques and procedures

• Building up teacher strengths, identifying and working on areas for improvement

• Communicating initiatives and decisions effectively

• Empowering teachers in the decision-making process

• Motivating teachers and staff

• Talking to parents

• Talking to students

• Doing substitutions and placement

• Checking on classroom issues

• Etc.


However,

Alfonso, Firth, and Neville (as cited by Bailey, 2006, p.3)


Choosing the Wrong Person

• Poor program quality• High student

turnover• High teacher

turnover• Limited capacity to

attract new students• High investment / low

return / $ wasted


Challenges How the Successful LPA can Overcome Them


1. From Teacher to Supervisor

• Becoming “one of them”

• Leaving comfort zone, reaching into the unknown

• Meeting resistance, questioning

Characteristic:

INTEGRITY


1. From Teacher to Supervisor

• Lay the groundwork before

• Talk to teachers

• Remind yourself of duty and responsibilities

• Formative to summative over time

• Be professional, prepare yourself


2. Lacking Knowledge & Skill Set

• No previous training in supervision– Communication skills and strategies– Conducting class observations– Providing feedback to teachers– Handling student / parent complaints

• Lack of formal, declarative knowledge in…– SLA Theory– Methodology– Language Praxis

Characteristic:

KNOWLEDGE SEEKER


2. Lacking Knowledge & Skill Set

• Engage in permanent professional reading about the TESOL field

• Find literature related to language program administration / supervision

• Identify common teaching situations and link to professional reading

• Engage in professional development for supervisors– Provided by the institution– Seek out opportunities on your own

• Create a journal / your own manual


3. Lack of a Sense of Direction & Time

• Disconnect from vision & mission

• No clear goals or objectives / No follow-up

• Difficulties managing tasks and time each day

• Get a lot of pressure from colleagues for «not doing my part»

Characteristic: PLANNER / TASK MANAGER


3. Lack of a Sense of Direction & Time

• Ask yourself, “What do we need to achieve at the class level and program level”

• Set clear, relevant goals or objectives – Teacher input– Make sure they’re achievable – Check for outcomes

• Strategic Planning is not necessarily Strategic Action

• Make a checklist of what you have to get done – Each day and week– Prioritize– What is actually doable? Can we

get help?

• What is your real raison d’etre?


4. Objectivity & Fairness

• Viewed as “tough”, “unfair”, and even “biased”

• Hard to substantiate feedback and appraisals.

• Treats teachers differently, especially «friends»

• Has own criteria for observation / evaluation

Characteristic::

OBJECTIVE


4. Objectivity & Fairness

• Use quantifiable data

• Be consistent

• Rely on standardized, tried-and-proven instruments

• Dispel predispositions

• Use observation – inference – opinion taxonomy

• Record yourself

• Compare criteria with others

• “Strict, firm but fair”


5. Connection to reality

• She/he “talks without knowing what really goes on in the classroom”

• Can lack an understanding of the dynamic nature of a class

• People think you don’t “walk the talk”

• Seems to lack teaching experience, at least “the kind of experience I have”


5. Contact with Reality

• Teach, teach and teach (periodically)!

• Rely on your successful experiences, recall them whenever you can

• Video record your classes and share them or use them in teacher training sessions.

• Ask teachers about how helpful your feedback and training sessions are.

• Characteristic:

INSIGHTFUL


6. Having an “Open Mind”

• Doesn’t listen

• Has her / his “own ways”

• Negative predisposition; “extraneous variables”

• “Stuck to the book”

• Unapproachable, does not take suggestions well. Never consults. Authoritarian

• Your views versus “theirs”; “my way or the highway”

Characteristic: FLEXIBLE


6. Having an “Open Mind”

• Clean slate

• Principle: “Every class has something good about it” (Salas & Mercado, 2010)

• Let the teacher talk AND listen carefully

• Principle: “The book is not the curriculum, just a powerful tool that contributes to its implementation”.

• Support – do not suppress – teacher creativity and experimentation.


7. “Public Relations”

• Hidden in a “shell”

• Unsociable, does not talk to teachers

• Has a hard time communicating at meetings

• “We never see her / him.”

Characteristic:COMMUNICATO

R


7. “Public Relations”

• Reach out to teachers, go to the Teacher’s Lounge

• Prepare your presentations and overall interactions well

• Lose the “high and mighty” mentality

• Promote teacher empowerment


8. Working with General Management

• Little or no cooperation / understanding from general management and other departments

• No support for academic initiatives

• Tough meetings

Characteristic:

NEGOTIATOR


8. Working with General Management

• A lot of communication

• Use solid arguments in your proposals and presentations

• Focus on benefits for “everyone” and opportunities for “shared glory”

• Highlight negative consequences for program or institution if things are not done


9. Quality Assurance

• Lack of quality assurance systems leads to poor teaching and eventually low enrollment.

• Books are often chosen haphazardly, not as a result of rigorous study.

• Student expectations are not taken into account.

• Professional development and training are seen as an expense, not investment.

• “Learning and competitiveness don’t mix”

Characteristic:METICULOUS EVALUATOR


9. Quality Assurance

• Rely on both qualitative and quantitative data systematically and permanently.

• Check data at the individual, group and institutional level (e.g. teachers, branches, whole institution) AND follow up on it.

• Quality must be well defined from stakeholders’ perspective

• Promote professional development and teacher training. Don’t just offer, FOLLOW UP!

• Measure student achievement against international standards (ACTFL, CEFR, TOEFL ITP, TOEFL Junior). Apply “curricular vetting” (Mercado, 2012)


10. Teamwork

• Makes all of the decisions on her / his own

• Doesn’t listen to suggestions

• Doesn’t delegate, all “glory” for her/himself

• “I’m the boss here”

Characteristic: TEAM PLAYER


10. Teamwork

• Empower teachers

• Delegate to team members

• Get as much input as possible before making a decision

• They win, you win


Other ConsiderationsGeneral lessons about being an LPA and what you can do


Macrostrategies for L2 Teacher Observation & Feedback

Macrostrategy Description1. Examining subjectivities Becoming aware of one’s own assumptions and biases and how

they may affect our work with teachers. 1. Articulating institutional

valuesArticulating and discussing openly views on teaching and learning so that everyone speaks “one language” and can provide more helpful feedback and guidance to teachers.

1. Understanding teachers as individuals

Recognizing that not all the teachers are the same, it refers to the need to understand and promote each person’s strengths in a more personalized manner.

1. Looking at the Big Picture Recognizing larger patterns across observations as teacher and supervisor engage in collaborative efforts toward the achievement of current and long-term goals.

1. Talking Across the Data Supporting dialogic interaction with objective data.1. Providing Alternatives

and ResourcesDemonstrating knowledge and having credibility in our role as supervisors so that we may guide teachers effectively towards effective professional development alternatives.

Salas & Mercado 2010


Managerial Skills & Professional Development

• Take courses in administration– Local– International

• Adopt a two-tier approach to language program administration

• Do professional reading– SLA & TESOL– Language program

administration– Business administration


Language Program Quality: Curricular Vetting

Knowledge Comprehension Analysis Application Evaluation Synthesis0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35Curricular Vetting: Bloom

Levels of Cognition

# o

f A

ctiv

itie

s / T

asks


Language Program Quality: Curricular Vetting


Classroom Observation

• Short list

• Reconstruct accurately

• Talk to teacher before

• Formative and summative

• Quantitative and qualitative feedback

• GOOD and areas for improvement, if any

• Check for impact, significance

• Action plan


Assessment, Evaluation & Training

• Presentation– Concepts– Principles

• Demo

• Discussion

• Practice

• Assessment of comprehension

• Follow-up

• Verification of application

• Maintenance


Yet to Be Famous Quotes

• We cannot expect teachers to do something unless we have taught them how first.

• We may not agree with a decision of a superior. But once it has been made, we need to support it.

• We need to make a distinction between being friendly and being a friend.

• Our first and utmost duty is to serve and preserve. All else is secondary.


Self - AssessmentHow Close Am I?


SELF-ASSESSMENT

1. I must put my professional responsibilities over friendship. I would not hesitate to give a teacher friend a memo if necessary.

2. For me, learning is a never-ending process. I go to conferences and engage in professional reading all the time.

3. I complete most if not all of my daily tasks, especially the high priority ones.

4. I rely mostly on standardized procedures and criteria.

5. An LPA must teach, at least on occasion.


SELF- ASSESSMENT

6. Other people can very well have better ideas than mine.

7. I like to talk to people. I have no problem making time for teachers whenever they need me.

8. I know how to negotiate when need be and get the other party to agree with me.

9. Students are like customers. We have to work hard to win them over all of the time.

10. I think people need to work together to accomplish great things.


RESULTS

• 9 – 10 YES’s = Solid LPA

• 7 – 8 YES’s = Almost there!

• 5 – 6 YES’s = Working on it

• 3 – 4 YES´s = Rookie

• 0 – 2 YES’s = Think about it!


ConclusionWhat do we want to be?


Credibility

“The quality or power of inspiring belief “

Merriam-Webster Dictionary


Respect

People may not like you, but they may still

respect you.


Conclusion

• Being an LPA is not easy.

• It takes determination and commitment

• Our most important work consists of: – promoting the professional development of teachers – quality assurance for the academic study program.

• Our work has an exponential effect on a study program.

• It is our duty to serve, deliver, and grow.

• This is not a popularity contest. Professionalism is Priority 1.

• Finally, we must always prepare for new expectations and needs.


Suggested Readings

http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=qtr41a2dblAC&printsec=frontcover&hl=es&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0

http://books.google.com.pe/books?id=TjBoXNhhOssC&printsec=frontcover&hl=es&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0


References

Mercado, L. (2012) ‘Chapter 7: Guarantor of quality assurance’ in Christison, M.A. and F. Stoller

(eds.) A handbook for language program administrators (2nd Ed.). Miami, FL: ALTA Book

Center

Salas, S. and L. Mercado (2010) Looking for the big picture: Macrostrategies for L2 teacher

observation and feedback. English Teaching Forum, Number 4, pp. 18 – 23

Ten Characteristics of a Successful LPA ~ L. Mercado FINAL

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