Language teachers are passionate professionals, dedicated to guiding their students on transformative journeys. But what do teachers truly seek when they’re looking to enhance their skills? It’s not just more theory or rigid methodologies. Instead, many educators want to find strategies that will transform their practice, their teaching methodology and enhance their relationship with the students.
When looking for professional growth, language teachers are often drawn to opportunities that offer practical solutions to their most pressing needs. This includes a focus on effective teaching methods, classroom strategies, and practical tools that they can readily use in lesson planning and delivery. They need to know how the theory translates to their own, real-world classrooms, and they want to enhance their lesson-planning skills, and also their assessment abilities, so they can identify areas for improvement and also track their students’ growth. They also recognize that in an increasingly diverse classroom, they want to create methods that address every student’s individual needs. This also needs to be combined with tools for better classroom management, which will help them create better learning environments for all.
Beyond just the practical aspects, language teachers are also concerned about motivation, and their ability to connect with students. They are looking for a way to shift the focus in the classroom, from teacher-led learning to a student-centred approach. They want to use techniques to increase student engagement and foster learner autonomy, where the students are responsible for their own learning, and that is aligned with the student’s unique goals. To empower their learners, they are looking for active and authentic learning experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom setting.
We know professional growth is a key element for all educators, which means a focus on career advancement, skills development, innovation, a desire to create opportunities for learning through active experimentation, and a focus on reflective practice. They know that they also need to learn through their peers and be part of a strong and supportive community, where they can learn from others who have gone through the same things. And technology now plays a vital role, so a keen interest is taken in discovering new ways to blend technology into the class. This means that a teacher looking for professional development is not only wanting new knowledge, but a transformative experience, that helps them not only be better teachers but also be better versions of themselves.
If you feel this is the process you are going through, get in touch, check out our free talks on our YT channel and join our Members Only Zone or an upcoming course. To your professional development journey!
