ELT Supervisor Guidelines PDF 2019-2020

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❺ Planning for Supervisors Christison and Murray (2008, p.128) have noted that, as consultants in ELT, successful ELT programs and organizations are characterized by two qualities: they have a strategic plan and they have lead...

GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❺ Planning for Supervisors Christison and Murray (2008, p.128) have noted that, as consultants in ELT, successful ELT programs and organizations are characterized by two qualities: they have a strategic plan and they have leaders who understand the process of strategic planning and competent in developing and implementing strategic planning. It follows that for any language program to succeed there should be a plan and competent leadership to create the plan and to oversee its implementation. The aim of this chapter, then, is to acquaint nominee supervisors with the process of strategic planning, develop a strategic plan as well as leadership skills to implement a strategic plan. Pearce, Freeman and Robinson (1997 cited in Christison and Murray, 2008 p. 129) define strategic planning as “the process of determining the mission, major objectives, strategies and policies that govern the acquisition and allocation of resources to achieve organizational aims”. What is strategic planning? Strategic planning originated from business and was adopted in education in general and in English language teaching “to improve the educational outcomes of language learners” (p.130), to provide direction and to ensure that all staff share the same goals. The role of strategic planning in ELT Christison and Murray (2008, p.128) note that “there is no perfect way to conduct strategic planning” but there are three main steps that experts in strategic consider to be the most important namely: (1) assessing the situation, (2) determining the organization’s goals, and (3) deciding on a path for getting from the present to the goal at some point in the future. (Christison and Murray (2008, p.131). Klinghammer (1997, p. 64) cited in Richards (2001, p. 203) outlines the function of strategic planning in language teaching and identifies six elements of a good strategic plan: vision, mission, values, purpose, goals and strategies. Steps in strategic planning Assessing the situation looks at the “current situation with a focus on key issues/ problems and their implications” (UNHCR,1999, p.38). In this phase, information is gathered, analyzed and interpreted about the stakeholders involved in teaching English including, learners, teachers, supervisors and other stakeholders. Some of the questions that should be answered at this stage are the following:  What is the current situation?  What are we currently doing to effect change towards the desired situation?  What are the core problems we must address, and what are their causes and effects?  What constraints must be overcome or deal with?  What lessons have we learned thus far that we should apply in the future? (UNHCR,1999, p.39) Assessing the situation Table of Contents 31 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Once the assessment of the current situation is carried out, the information gathered at this stage will form the basis on which the strategic plan will be developed. It includes vision, mission and value statements development as well as goals and objectives development. Determining the organization’s goals / strategy formulation Christison and Murray (2008, p.133) define vision statements as “brief written descriptions of the purpose of the organization, used to communicate with individuals external to the organization”. They give the following example to illustrate what is meant by vision “Full participation in a cohesive and diverse society”. The UNHCR (1999, p.39) describe vision as “our image of how things should be, i.e., the desired situation in terms of how we want the situation to be transformed as a result of the impact of our and our partners' efforts.” Klinghammer (1997, p. 64) cited in Richards (2001, p. 203) defines vision as “a statement of where a language program is going in the long term and what its members hope to accomplish”. Key questions that should be answered during vision development include:  What is the desired situation we want and within what time frame?  What overall impact do we want our efforts to have?  What is the chain of results necessary to achieve the overall imp act we want?  If we make maximum uses of all available resources in the most efficient way possible, what will be the result?  How will we measure our impact? (UNHCR, 1999, p.39) Vision statement Christison and Murray (2008, p.134) define a mission statement as “an aim for the future, based on the vision”. They further add that “a mission statement is usually a description of how the organization will or should operate in the future and of how customers or clients [in our case learners and teachers] will benefit from the organization’s … services.” Klinghammer (1997, p. 64) cited in Richards (2001, p. 203) defines mission as “a description of the institution’s vision in terms of specific goals that it seeks to achieve, usually within a particular period of time. This is expressed in the form of a mission statement”. Mission statement Christison and Murray (2008, p.134) define value statements as “the overall priorities for the organization “which “can be focused on moral values such as acting with integrity, honesty and respect” or professional behavior and values such as “planning lessons carefully, showing concern for students or returning papers in a timely manner”. They further add that value statements “can be also focused on organizational values such as improving the quality of instruction at all levels and creating more opportunities fit teacher growth and development.” Klinghammer (1997, p. 64) cited in Richards (2001, p. 203) defines values as “the principles that guide the conduct of a program in terms of responsibility to students, teachers and other stakeholders”. The following constitute examples of value statements of the professional organization TESOL:  Professionalism in language education  Accessible high quality education  Interaction of research and reflective practice for educational improvement (Christison and Murray 2008, p.134) Value statements Determining goals and objectives Table of Contents Goals and objectives have to be derived from the vision, mission and values statements. Goals are 32 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) defined as “desired end states that a group of individuals decide are important for the success of an organization.” (Christison and Murray 2008, p.135). Klinghammer (1997, p. 64) cited in Richards (2001, p. 203) describe goals as “specific steps that relate to each aspect of the mission such as developing teaching materials, or providing an environment in which teachers can carry out classroom research”. However, they are not well specified and need to be formulated into objectives which are “are lists of activities that help you achieve your goals”. For the minimum conditions to Implementing the goals and achieving the strategic plan be met in order for a strategic plan to be implemented, Klinghammer (Christison and Murray, 2008, p.135) lists the following: 1) Each goal has been clearly articulated and individuals have agreed on how it can be achieved by delineating objectives clearly 2) The resources necessary to achieve the goals are available 3) A detailed timeline for achieving each goal has been established 4) The outcomes for each objective are measurable 5) A person or persons have been identified to take responsibility to see that each goal is completed Strategy implementation is important in strategic planning. Klinghammer (1997 cited in Christison and Murray, 2008, p.135) defines strategies as “the methods and activities that will be used to attain the goals”. The (UNHCR, 1999, p.39) states that strategy implementation “involves identifying a range of means (i.e., tactics, the "how") for achieving your vision and determining which ones seem most appropriate”. Key questions that should be answered in this phase of strategy implementation include:  What are all the options and alternatives we have available to achieve our vision/ objectives?  What new and creative approaches can we take to make more efficient and effective use of our resources?  What are the activities necessary to be implemented to deliver the outputs which collectively will achieve the desired impact? The following are some of the techniques strategic planners use to identify strategic options: 1) Brainstorming 2) Lateral Thinking 3) The Outside Expert 4) External Strategy 5) Operations Review 6) People-Oriented Planning It is not enough to create a strategic plan and implement it. The process of implementation needs to be monitored. The following have to be monitored on a regular basis: Monitoring implementation of the strategic plan 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Evaluating the progress on strategies implementation Monitoring performance against objectives Identifying barriers and obstacles Making adjustments to strategies and objective Reprioritize, remove or add new strategies Table of Contents 33 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Mission statement Goal : 2 Objectives Goal 1: Objectives   Goal : 3 Objectives  The Operational plan What is an operational plan? While a strategic plan is a plan that is formulated at the level of the general supervision and is a long term plan that sets up strategies for the years to come (five years at the minimum), another type of plan that derives from the strategic plan is the operational or action plan. The National Health Service (2011, p.4) defines operational or action planning as “the process that guides the day-to-day activities of an organization or project. It is the process of planning what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, by whom it needs to be done, and what resources or inputs are needed to do it. It is the process of operationalizing the strategic objectives. The Ontario Organizational Development Program (ODDP, 2018, p.3) stresses that an action plan “intended to complement the other planning documents used by the organization, including the strategic plan … and to support the development of Staff work plans”. The National Health Service (2011, p.4) states that most action plans consist of the following elements:  Goals that need to be achieved and that are derived from the strategic plan (the outputs areas that result from the strategic planning process);  Objectives derived from the goals  Action steps that have to be followed to reach this objective; they should be concrete, memorable and attainable. They contribute to the achievement of the goals and objectives.  A time plan or schedule for when each step must take place and how long would take;  Allocating responsibility as to who will carry out the successful completion of each step and who will be supporting them.  Listing resources needed for accomplishing each step. The resources include among others the following: o People o Materials o Services o Transport  Monitoring progress of the implementation of the operational plan. Monitoring in the context of action planning is the ongoing assessment of how an organization or project is performing against its action plans. In this context it addresses questions such as: o Are results being achieved within the timeframes set? o Are resources being efficiently and effectively used? o Are we doing what we said we would do and if not, why not? Table of Contents o Are we meeting their objectives? Monitoring helps us determine whether we are implementing our action plan effectively and Elements of an operational plan 34 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) efficiently. It helps us account to other stakeholders for what is happening in the project or organization. It helps us learn from mistakes and take corrective action when necessary. (NHS, 2011, p.39) The following is a template to be used by supervisors to plan for their action plans; it can cover any development goal derived from the strategic plan or any problematic area faced while monitoring performance. Strategic plan goal (general supervision level): Excellence in teaching Operational/action plan goal (Area level): teaching methods and techniques Operation plan objectives (individual supervisor): 1. Identify techniques used to introduce vocabulary 2. Determine the range and effectiveness of techniques used 3. Track new technique implementation Objective 1: Action steps Identify techniques used to introduce new vocabulary Responsible School supervisor Start date 15/9/2019 End date 26/9/2029 Resources needed Progress Lesson plans Ongoing 35 References  Christison , M.A. (2008). Strategic planning for english language teachers and leaders. In C.T, Coombe et al. (Eds.). Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning (pp. 128-140). Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press.  Coombe, C. , McCloskey, M.L. , Stephenson, L. & Anderson, N.J. (Eds.). (2008). Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning. Ann Arbor : The University of Michigan Press  Richards, J.C. (2001). CurriculumDevelopment in Language Teaching. New York : Cambridge University Press  The National Health Service , U.K. (2011). An Overview of Action Planning Retrieved June 9, 2019, from https://www.england.nhs.uk/improvement-hub/wpcontent/uploads/sites/44/2018/06/An-Overview-of-Action-Planning.pdf  The Ontario Organizational Development Program (2018).Operational Planning Guide and Templates.Retrieved June 9, 2019, from http://oodp.ca/product/operational-planningtemplates/ Table of Contents GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) ❻ Professional Development Introduction Professional development has been shown to have significant positive effects on teachers, students and the implementation of educational reform. Glatthorn (1995, p. 41 cited in VillegasReimers, 2003, p.11) defines professional development as “the growth a teacher achieves as a result of gaining increased experience and examining his or her teaching systematically”. What is Professional development (PD)? Characteristics of professional development Effective professional development has the following characteristics:  A teacher is an active learner engaged in the process of learning and not a recipient of knowledge. (Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.13).  Professional development should be approached as a long term process where teachers continually learn over time and are engaged in a series of learning experiences with continuous follow up and support from their supervisors to allow for change to occur in teachers’ performance and the whole educational system.  The process of professional development should be school-based where schools are transformed into communities of learners, communities of inquiry, professional communities and caring communities (Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.13) engaged on-the-job learning’ activities such as study groups, action research and portfolios (Wood and McQuarrie, 1999 cited in (Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.14).  A teacher should be considered a reflective practitioner “who will acquire new knowledge and experiences based on his prior knowledge”, “building new pedagogical theories and practices” and “developing expertise in the field” (Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.14).  Professional development should be looked upon as a collaborative process that is most effective when meaningful interactions not only among teachers but between teachers, administrators and parents occur. (Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.14) The following principles and guidelines have been put forward to make teacher professional development successful. Factors that contribute to successful professional development  Supporting teachers, schools and district initiatives should be supported by trainers.  Professional development should be rooted in active learning and teaching where active learning is promoted.  Teachers should be provided with continuous follow up and support.  Teachers should be provided with feedback on their results. (Gusky 1995; Corcoran 1995; Fullan 1987 cited in Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.18) Table of Contents 36 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR) ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Professional development is important because it impacts teachers' performance, student learning and educational change. The following points have been identified as outcomes of effective professional development: The importance of professional development  PD leads to changes in teachers’ beliefs which lead to a change in classroom practice. (Baker and Smith 1999 cited in Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.20)  PD impacts teachers' ability to define teaching goals for their students.  PD improves teachers’ behaviour in the classrooms and schools.  PD plays an important role in changing teachers’ teaching methods, which has a positive impact on students’ learning (Borko and Putnam, 1995 cited in Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.21).  PD improves teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge.  PD enhances teachers' classroom teaching and student achievement.  PD positively affects teachers' professional knowledge which leads to higher levels of student achievement (cited in Villegas-Reimers, 2003, p.21).  PD has an effect on the success of the implementation of educational reform (VillegasReimers, 2003, p.24). Supervision means instructing, guiding, monitoring and observing teachers while they are performing their job. The word supervision is the combination of two words “super” and “vision” where “super” means over and above and “vision” means seeing. So, supervision means seeing the activities of employees from over and above (Vincent, 2019). It follows that a supervisor has a vital role in planning, designing material, implementing and evaluating training: The role of the trainer/supervisor in CPD: 1. Planning: In this stage, a supervisor designs a work plan that includes the main objectives of training such as: 1) Increasing teachers' knowledge about a specific topic. 2) Improving teachers' attitudes about the importance of CP for present and future needs. 3) Building and strengthening teachers' skills. 4) Improving work behaviour so that teachers function better in their environment (Abbatt F R, 2004). 2. Designing training materials    While designing materials for professional development, the following points need to be kept in mind: Focusing primarily on the learning needs of teachers and students, and not on what is easy available the trainer. Creating training content and assessments that relate directly to the learning objectives. Including as much hands-on practice or simulation as possible as people learn by doing. Table of Contents 37 GUIDELINES PAMPHLET (ELT SPERVISOR)    ELT GENERAL SUPERVISION (2019 – 2020) Enabling trainees to talk and interact with the trainer and with each other during the training. Breaking the training materials up into small “chunks” that are easier to absorb and understand. Using a “blended learning” approach that includes training in several different formats (computer-based, instructor-led, etc.) (Dalto J, 2014) The supervisor might conduct the training or arrange for it to be delivered by another trainer. Training could range from on-the-job advice to more formal training programs. (Dalto J, 2014) 3. Implementing the Training If the supervisor’s goal is to deliver effective training that changes teachers’ behaviour and practice, then the supervisor needs to evaluate the extent to which the training was effective. (Dalto J, 2014) 4. Evaluating the training There are different types of professional development for teachers, using a variety of methodologies and tools. The following are some of the widely used training tools in professional development: Types of Professional Development 1. Online courses: These have become so popular during the last decades as a result of the advancement of information technology. Their popularity is due to the easiness of access to online materials available. For example, a teacher can get free access to so many online courses around the world with just a click. What makes these courses more useful is that they are interactive. That is, you can take part in activities, you can get peer observation, you can get truthful feedback and you can also share information with almost zero-cost. (Carol F, 2019) 2. Seminars and workshops: School districts usually organize these activities where teachers can share practical experiences about class management, time management, methodologies, different assessment tools, different teaching strategies and different techniques. In addition to that, many schools tend to arrange these seminars and workshops in partnership with other local and international organizations. Many of these training courses may extend to many hours per term or per year and may have a continuing education requirement, with a specific number of courses or hours of teaching required per year to obtain or maintain a license or certification. (Carol F, 2019) 3. One-day training: One of the most popular options of professional development for teachers is a one-day seminar or workshop. Topics can range from classroom management to technology. The format is usually a morning session followed by some practical techniques or a micro-teaching activity. (Carol F, 2019) Table of Contents 38 4. Observation: In this type of professional development, the supervisor observes teachers in their classrooms, assesses their instructional practices and provides structured feedback. (Mary Burns, 2014) 5.Peer-observation: This model of PD may be used as a support measure following workshops or periodically throughout the school year as a form of peer coaching (Sparks & Loucks-Horsley, 1989). Teachers observe other teachers in action. In such a model, teachers create lessons and invite colleagues to observe the lesson and provide feedback in a postobservation session. 6. Staff meetings: It is where teachers can exchange ideas and negotiate about the best strategies, pedagogies and the best techniques for delivering and enhancing classroom practice and learning. References  Villegas-Reimers, Eleonora.2003. Teacher professional development: an international review of the literature. UNESCO. IIEP  Klooster V. 2018 “The importance of professional development: Retrieved from: https://continuingprofessionaldevelopment.org/why-is-cpd-important/  Introduction to CPD, 2019 Retrieved from: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/cpd-revalidation/cpdguide/introduction-to-cpd/  Carol 2019 “The different types of PD for educators” Retrieved from: https://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-professional-development-foreducators.htm  Burns M. 2014 “Five models of teacher-centered professional development” Retrieved from: https://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/five-models-teacher-centered-professional-development  Perkins D. 2019 “ 7 characteristics of great professional development” Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/education/8-things-professional-development/  Quint J. 2011 “ Professional development for teachers” Retrieved from: https://www.mdrc.org/publication/professional-development-teachers  Vincent, 2019 “The role of supervision in an organisation” Retrieved from:https://studydocz.com/importance-and-role-of-supervision-in-an-organization-23305  Abbatt F R, 2004 “Teaching for better learning: A guide for teachers” 2nd ed. Geneva: World Health Organisation  Wayne S. (n.d.). SWOT Analysis for Organizational Training. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/swot-analysis-organizational-training-5049.html  Head, K., &Taylor, P. (1997). Readings in Teacher Development. Oxford, UK: Heinemann  Coombe et al. (2008). Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning. Michigan Press, US Table of Contents 39