ACADEMIC STAFF BRIEFING

This meeting will cover

General teaching advice

How the course is run here

SOURCES OF SUPPORT

Your colleagues

The Academic Manager

Other managers

Dave Russell

www.elaceducation.com

MATERIALS

By the end of the day:

• Make sure you know where things are

• Make sure you know what’s there

• Look at the Elac lessons for the first two days

of the course, on excursions, social activities,

the workbook and centres – the planning has

been done for you!

TEENAGERS, DON’T YOU JUST LOVE ’EM?

The adolescent learner is experiencing changes and challenges in several domains simultaneously:

• Physical: maturing at varying rates, often restless or lethargic.

• Emotional: sensitive to criticism, self-conscious, lacking self-esteem.

• Social: testing limits, insensitive to those outside peer group, often confused by large impersonal environments (like a school).

IN YOUR CLASSROOM, THIS MEANS:

Capitalizing on teenage learners’ characteristics

Using the 20-minute

Rule:after 20

minutes, students say what they have learned, then you

start a new activity

Getting student

input in

determining classroom rules and

procedures

Making the classroom

a safe place

in which to take risks

and participate

Getting students to move

and engage in situations kinaesthetic

-ally

Using a variety of groupingsthat suit the purpose for

learning

HOW DO YOU INCREASE MOTIVATION?1. Make your classroom an interesting and comfortable place

to be.

2. Produce professional-looking, clear materials.

3. Make your handwriting clear on the board.

4. Compliment people; don’t put them down. Teenagers have fragile self-esteem.

5. Encourage positive attitudes to the culture and its people.

6. If you want to say something negative about Elac, its facilities or its staff then take your comments to us.

7. Don’t dress down in an effort to be informal and friendly.

YOU DO NOT GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION

What do you expect from a

teacher?

What first impression will your students

get?

How should you dress?

What personality will you project?

Think

WHAT STANDARDS DO WE EXPECT FROM OUR STUDENTS?

• Respect for each other and the teacher

• Commitment, cooperation, engagement

• Using English in class invariably (almost)

• Responsibility

• Abiding by the rules

STICKING TO THE STANDARDS

From day 1, lesson 1

Know the sanctions Use the systems Bad behaviour is not (usually) your fault!

Establish an English-only culture

Be clear what is and is not acceptable

• Make your policy clear from the very first lesson – in this classroom we speak only English.

• Put a notice up to remind all your learners – something like:

THIS IS AN ENGLISH-ONLY ZONE

GETTING PEOPLE TO SPEAK ONLY ENGLISH 1

• Don't overstretch the class in speaking activities and make sure they are well prepared.

• Think carefully about grouping and seating arrangements.

• Be alert to what’s happening around you and in all the groups when you are working on tasks.

• Take a break in the middle of long activities and relax the English-only rule for 5 minutes (only!).

GETTING PEOPLE TO SPEAK ONLY ENGLISH 2

CLASSROOM CONTRACTS

Make a Day-1 Contract with your classes to cover at least:

Use of L1

Attendance and

punctuality

Courtesy and

listening

SANCTIONS – IF ALL ELSE FAILSElac has standards to adhere to and sanctions to apply. We know about the standards, here are the sanctions.

Step 1 – the teacher talks to the student(s) and explains the problem

Step 2 – the Academic Manager talks to the student(s) with the Group Leader

Step 3 – the Centre Manager and the Group Leader talk to the student(s) and, if necessary, impose a punishment

Step 4 – the student(s) may be sent home – last resort!

OBSERVATIONS

What do I have to prepare for an

observer?

Do I have to do something

special when I’m observed?

What can I gain from

being observed?

What are my feelings about

being observed?

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!