Thread: what courses have you done to improve your teaching

Originally Posted by gfisher

I have similar quals to IsaanAlex. I also go to any prof. development courses I can go to.

Well, I joined KOTESOL when I was in Korea and went to a function or two; but if I wanted to sleep in or party that took priority.

Originally Posted by gfisher

Pedagogical courses aren't as important as content knowledge, but to say that they're a waste of time is reckless

Pedagogical courses allow you to talk to other educators, figure out what type of teacher to call yourself, or how to define your own style...and to pass your interview.
[ If you can speak "ESL'ese with the panel...they also know you are "one of them" and are much more likely to give you the job. ]

In everyday life I don't use the "big words" I learned...but can pull them out of my ass if I have to.



And people have forgotten something else that I consider essential in making a good teacher; namely....a good working environment (i.e. Admin and co-teacher support, reasonable working hours and breaks, provided classroom/office, mobile, laptop, printer, overhead projector, supplies on demand, a reasonable number of students in every class, etc).

Nothing motivated me to be a good teacher more than finally having a good employer, payment package, and working environment.

Teachers who work for assholes, are not supported (or are in fact abused), are paid poorly, etc, will find it very difficult to be good teachers.

Sure, the diehards and idealists can pull it off (under such conditions) for a long time...but I think eventually their teaching suffers as well...

IA
ps. I know this thread is about courses taken that have made you a better teacher, but think no amount of courses can make up for shitty employers or shitty working conditions.

Originally Posted by Thinkingofachange

I'd like to add that living conditions also contribute; if you go to a country just to make money buy you hate the place and the people (as is common in Korea and the Middle East), your unhappiness will eventually show in inferior teaching in the classroom.

Well, it is often difficult to separate the "working conditions" from the "living conditions".

For example, imagine that the local population generally hate you, fear you, look down on you, question your your motives for being in their country ("only to fuck their women"), your health ("all foreigners have AIDS"), your morality ("all foreigners are drug addicts), and even your credentials ("all foreigners have fake degrees")...and now consider that you basically work for those same people.

[And I have found that alot of people enjoy living in the Middle East...if they work for the right employer. The wages, vacations, and social scene appeal to a great many; that's why you have people who can do it for 10-15+ years]

Originally Posted by Thinkingofachange

I think that's important, but people can't live on idealism alone. If your employer is financially fucking you over (which, by definition, he will be), you need to take solace in something else--living in a beautiful country, or having access to beautiful women, or being able to travel.

Korea provides that to an extent; but even the decent wages, vacations, and women eventually often lose out to the hard reality of living in...that shithole.

Originally Posted by jonny danger

And good admins are as common as good people.

Hmm, I don't know about this. I think being a good administrator takes a special kind of person.

I'm lucky to now work for two people who are both extremely good people and good administrators.

In Thailand I would say that both my employers were pretty decent people and good at their job.

In Korea, I can only say that I had one major employer (in 7.5+ years) that was both a good person and a good administrator.

Most Koreans I have worked for have been neither.

Originally Posted by jonny danger

But if you mix in a little business-minded profit margin mentality and realize you'll never be anything more than an employee (and a foreigner) you might come to the conclusion whatever joy you get from teaching is about all you got. Maintain that and you'll be just fine.

It is true that you should primarily feel satisfied in teaching because you love teaching...but you can also be a happy employee and feel valued (even if you are a foreigner).

But to be in the ESL game and feel that I think there are only a few places to do so.

I think the Middle East (just in general) is one such place. A good international school, almost anywhere in the world, is probably another.

IA