tools

The following table lists a number of staff development ideas.  These are divided into four categories.  The "elementary" type of in-service training often does not cater for a whole-school approach or for an in-depth study of school-specific issues.  However these are the most common staff development activities and must not be overlooked or underestimated.  "Research-based" activities are more sophisticated and call for a serious commitment on the part of teachers.  "Hands-on" experiences need to be institutionalised to be successful as the teachers would need to act in a supportive environment.  "Advanced" staff development initiatives are intended to bring about change in various ways.  They require a collective effort and can be successful in schools where a strong sense of community is felt.

Which staff development activities do you carry out in your school?

A. Elementary:

  • attend  regular  in-service and other coursesorganised by external agencies
  • invite guest speakers  on a one-off basis  tothe schoolØ  participate in short in-house focusedcourses run by outside staff
  • organise induction for student-teachersand novice teachers
  • take  personal  initiative  to  keep  up  to  date with developments in language education
  • invite a senior teacher as  an  observer to  give"objective" feedback
  • participate in community eveningsespecially concerning languages and cultures
  • other?

B. Research: based (observation and action research)

  • "being a pupil for a day" and attending alllessons  to  understand  better  the  languageissues from a pupil"s point of view
  • visit other schools, or participate inexchanges,  to  witness  alternative  ways  of teaching
  • mutual  classroom  observation  by  teachersand/or video discussions
  • school-based workshops
  • carry  out  surveys  to  collect  data  prior  to implementing policy
  • staff   evaluate   and   discuss   following   the implementation of a innovation
  • collect  a   list   of   references   (e.g.   books,videos, CD-Roms, web-sites) that tacklelanguage issues
  • other?

C. Hands on Experience: (job enrichment)

  • participate in co-operative teaching
  • experience new tasks e.g. time-tabling, chairing  committees,  organiseexaminations (rotate tasks among teachers)
  • participate  in  work  in  progress  such  as  needs  analysis;  an  appraisal  scheme;  the development  of  policies  specific  to  issueslike discipline, high achievers,  children with   special   needs,   school   environment, autonomous   learning,  language teaching, etc.
  • explore  staff  attitudes  towards  educational issues, and specifically language attitudes
  • actively   involv ing   parents   in   educational tasks
  • teachers work together across thecurriculum
  • teachers  organise  extra-curricular events together (e.g. a language soiree)
  • other?

D Advanced: 

  • organize a working party to improveparticular curricular areas
  • work in partnership with other stakeholders(e.g.   parents)   and   act   as   learners   in   theprocess
  • participate  in  sessions  to  cultivate  positiveenergy on a human level, e.g. by focusing on positive past events,  team building exercises to tackle issues like mistrust and conflict, role   playing to improve body language, etc
  • other?
 
Developing a Whole-School Language Policy
Preparing a School Language Profile
Strategies for school development
A Road Map for In-House Staff Development
Road map amplified
A mind map for material development
Mind Map amplified
Plurilingual and Pluricultural Education: From Theory To Practice
Lakes and rivers amplified
A summary of practices