How to be a teacher trainer

Course Summary

The course focuses on ways of helping and training teachers. The content will be practically orientated. You will examine the major differences between language teaching and teacher training, investigate different ways of planning and presenting sessions and enhance your "people skills." By the end of the course you will have covered those key areas necessary to feel more confident either to take up a training position or to develop further in your current role. Materials will be partly customised for the group by the main trainer, supplemented by published materials. The trainer will hold a "needs and wants" session on the first day to ensure the group has a central part to play in negotiating course content.

At the beginning of your course you will also be given a free copy of "The Teacher Trainer," a Pilgrims resource magazine for teacher trainers.

Programme of the training activities

» Plan training sessions that value different learning styles
» Heighten your observation skills and provide valuable feedback on teaching
» Acknowledge and respond to feedback given to you by others
» Listen to people respectfully and communicate sensitively and effectively
» Deal with "difficult people"
» Relate to and manage teachers on an individual and team basis
» Develop "teacher autonomy," which encourages continuous, self-determined professional development
» Maintain and expand your own development as a trainer
» Incorporate core elements from "feeder fields," such as NLP, into your training.

Expected results
As a result of attending this course, the participants will develop the expertise and the skills to design and run their own Teacher Training/Teacher Development sessions.

Is this the right course for me?

• Yes, if you want to become a teacher trainer or a mentor
• Yes, if you have recently become a teacher trainer, Senior Teacher or a Director of Studies and wish to develop your skills further and become more confident in your role

Participants receive a complimentary 1 year free subscription to our journal The Teacher Trainer.
If this is not the right course for you, please consider the following:

• NLP for Teachers or if you are interested in exploring NLP and learning styles in more depth for a more language focused course.
• Creative Methodology for the Classroom if your needs and interests relate more generally to methodology in the classroom

Programme of the training activities day by day:
Please note this is an example of a daily programme. Course content may often be usefully adapted to incorporate the needs of each specific group.

Week 1

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM 9.30-10.30 Introductions and group bonding. Ice breakers and group formation activities From language teacher to teacher trainer. Similarities and differences Planning effective training sessions.The key ingredients What comprises effective feedback. Different approaches to spoken feedback Teaching beliefs and values and their potential impact on training styles 11.00-12.30 Needs analysis and goal setting Identifying current teaching strengths that will help when training teachers Workshop. Micro teaching in groups. Giving and receiving feedback Observation skills. Commentary and evaluation. Written feedback. (From a videoed lesson) Lecturer, facilitator and animator roles PM 14.00-15.30 The qualities of a good teacher trainer identified and discussed Strategies for building and maintaining healthy group dynamics (Homework: Planning for micro teaching) Reflection on responses to feedback on micro teaching. Affective responses Comparing written feedback from morning session. Analysis of language used Review of week one, including feedback and goal setting for week two

Week 2

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM 9.30-10.30 Planning training sessions. Loop input NLP in teacher training. Some practical applications Mentoring approaches and techniques When it all goes wrong. Giving difficult feedback Co counselling as a strategy for self management 11.00-12.30 Learning styles. An overview Different training contexts. Pre service and in service teacher training Maintaining trainee and trainer motivation Reconstructing a "disastrous lesson" Strategies for post course development. Ways into training through peer observation and teacher discussion groups PM 14.00-15.30 How to cater for various learning styles Active listening skills to help build rapport Effective tutorials and goal setting Dealing with "difficult people" Course review, including feedback and farewells

Recommended Reading: Please note it is not necessary to buy these books or bring them to the course with you

• "Tasks for Language Teachers" M. Parrott (CUP) 1993
• "Tasks for Teacher Education" R. Tanner & C. Green (Longman) 1998
• "Models and Metaphors in Language Teaching" T. Woodward (CUP) 1991

Type of the certification awarded in the language of the training:
Attendance certificate detailing topics covered and course con