What's Next Action Plan

What's Next Action Plan

In review of Self Service Development (Hughes, 2009) I will proceed down the list in Teacher Development Action Plan:

I often formally meet colleagues to share ideas about teaching business English. False. I rarely do this. I have few close colleagues who specialize in BE teaching so take a lone wolf approach to it.

I often informally meet colleagues to share ideas about teaching business English. Somewhat true. There is another Canadian on campus in general studies taking his MA TESOL from Anaheim University. Form time to time over beer and chicken or whiskey we do discuss my classes and my methods of teaching.

I subscribe to a journal with ideas for business English teachers. True. I do now as I just joined Carl's BESIG.

I have a favourite ELT website I visit to get ideas. Not necessarily. I think every website has good points and bad points. I seek out bits and pieces from here and there.

I sometimes write an article or send in an idea to a journal/website. Not yet. But this is something I would not mind doing from time to time.

I attend workshops/teacher training at my school. Never.

I attend external workshops/conferences (eg BESIG). On occasion. KOTESOL but not recently.

I sometimes give workshops to other teachers. Not yet. But I think I would be good at it. KOTESOL rejected my first and only conference seminar proposal so without some great begging on their part I will be keeping some distance. They even spelled my name wrong in the rejection.

I participate in online teachers’ forums / discussion chats. On occasion. But Dave's ESL Cafe Korea section is ten times bigger than it was fifteen years ago and contains ten times the amount of whining and complaining it did then too?

I observe peers and invite them to observe me. Almost never. Usually limited to peaking in a door window and seeing the teacher doing all the talking. I call it, "bak bak bak..." I used to have a couple of Chinese teachers auditing my lessons just for the conversational practice.

I subscribe to a business magazine to improve my knowledge. True. I am usually a AIB list member on top of latest international business research but not learner focused.

I sometimes team-teach with a more experienced teacher. True. However the senior teacher in the general studies department has the same number of years in as me so hard to say he is more experienced. In addition these summer or winter school classes are in unrelated courses.

Two More Ideas

1. I have joined BESIG and become a member April 1st.

2. I am considering two learning development options at present:

A. Continuing to the diploma level in research commercialisation (and attendant thesis preparation) with QUT e-grad school if they will have me back (I requested a break since my mom died recently). I am basically already half way to a second masters degree.

B. Begin a Graduate Certificate in Mathematics with Charles Sturt University. This would assist me in developing some quanitiative skills in terms of a future PhD proposal submission in international business.

I do not feel I am avoiding further studies in BE teacher training by taking unrelated coursework. This CertIBET course is the first directly related teacher training development I have taken in over a decade. However I still see this career path as supporting a future in research and further higher studies. While I did wish to complete a DELTA while still under the age of forty I had once planned to take it in Moscow. At the moment however I would see these other courses as having more relevance to a future divergence where perhaps BE teaching will be my part-time job while I pursue a PhD full-time.

● I can put idea 1 into action in the next month.
● I can put idea 2 into action in the next six months.