27 mar 2018

by | in ELT Management, Reflections about Education

When Ofelia Garcia in her book Bilingual Education in the 21st Century - a Global Perspective  states that "bilingual education is the only possible education in the 21st century", what does she mean by that? Is she saying that she envisages a future with only bilingual schools? Bilingual Education, for a lot of people, is still the kind of Education you have at bilingual or international schools. It is, therefore, a kind of Education that is only available to a few privileged people - the ones who can afford...

21 fev 2018

by | in ELT Management

Trabalhar como autônomo envolve riscos. Isso não significa que temos que aceita-los sem fazer nada a respeito. Em minha experiência como professor particular (por cerca de 18 anos), teacher trainer e empreendedor, pude aprender várias formas de mitigar esses riscos. Segue abaixo: 1- Tenha um contrato! Ter um contrato cria um efeito psicológico interessante. Embora nossos clientes podem simplesmente ignorar as cláusulas, na prática as pessoas precisam de um norte que oficialize as regras e como o contrato tem um formato jurídico, aumentamos drasticamente as chances de evitar certas dores...

29 jan 2018

by | in ELT Management

In my institution, we have a solid teacher evaluation system that has been in place for over twenty years, of course with adaptations along the way to face our ever-changing times. In this evaluation system, we try to balance the need for measurement and for development (Marzano, 2012). We also take into consideration teachers’ knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitude, according to Freeman’s (1989) KASA framework. Teachers are evaluated based on their performance in the classroom, with observations as data, as well as based on their role in the...

25 jan 2018

by | in ELT Management

It’s the beginning of the year.  Private teachers and educational managers are looking for new students while retaining the current ones. However, one area of weakness in keeping with most ELT professionals lies in their sales techniques. Therefore, by brushing up on their sales pitch, we may improve dramatically their conversion and, ultimately, their revenue. This article aims to shed light on an often-overlooked sales strategy called consultative sales. I’ll describe what constitutes its main features, its philosophy and goals. Afterwards I’ll explore ways in which consultative sales can...

23 jan 2018

by | in ELT Management, Reflections about Education

Photo from ELTPics by Branislav Kubecka  I’d like to thank all EFL/ESL teachers who agreed to participate and collaborate in my research of this important issue.   Burnout:  physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress (Oxford dictionary). Burnout is a theme which seems to have been frequently discussed among EFL teachers recently. I myself have reflected about it since I experienced a certain awful situation in 2012. I can assure you it is as if one steals the floor under your feet and the consequences are extreme and pure chaos. And  I tell you: either...

29 dez 2017

by | in Career, ELT Management, Reflections about Education

My whole formal educational background is academic, from my B.A. in Journalism, to my master's in Teaching English as a Second Language and my doctorate in Education. Everything I have published so far is academic, about learning and teaching. Most of my presentations in conferences are about academic topics, ranging from second language writing, assessment, and teacher development. Only recently have I started presenting on topics related to leadership and management. Thus, I can safely say that I am an academic in a leadership role. It's not that I...

19 dez 2017

by | in Classroom Experiences, Classroom Management, ELT Management, Reflections about Education, Skills

  "And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back." Robert Frost (1874-1963) It's the beginning of the semester and you are still getting to know your group of 10-year-olds. You have only just begun to set the ground rules for the group and you are still in doubt whether you should assign them homework or do the first homework assignments together in class so that they...

16 dez 2017

by | in Classroom Experiences, ELT Management, Reflections about Education, Teacher Development

I was looking for an inspiring article about motivation when I came across Bruce Dixon’s entitled ‘The Value of a Cold Shower’. It starts by questioning the kind of expectations we have when we attend the opening keynote at a conference. Dixon asks us: ‘Do you want to be entertained, informed, inspired or provoked, or maybe all of the above? Are you looking for your current thinking to be affirmed, challenged, or dismissed?’ He then goes further using the metaphors of ‘warm baths’ and ‘cold shower’ to explain...

26 nov 2017

by | in Career, ELT Management, Reflections about Education, Teacher Development

A few days ago, the Rio de Janeiro Secretary of Education criticized the actress Tais Araujo for her TED Talk in which she shares some of the challenges she will soon encounter as a mother of black children. The Secretary described it as ‘racial stupidity’. Needless to say, I was shocked to hear that. It made me think a lot about my privileges and the industry we work at. I’ve been working in ELT for 15 years, the last 4 working independently. For 11 years, I was part of...