04 out 2018

by | in ELT Management

Most of us, ELT teachers, ascribe our lack of time to the number of lessons we teach in a week. I, oftentimes, find myself trying to design a lesson, study for an exam, read and take care of the house at the same time. Needless to say that this is, in the least, exhausting. Other times, we find ourselves fastened upon a vicious cycle, trying the same old recipes and getting nowhere. But, why don’t we think outside the ELT box? Juliana Mota, a teacher whom I have met...

02 jul 2018

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

Criticism hurts. Hence, it can be stressful, tense and sometimes traumatic. Still, it is such a natural part of life, including professional life, that knowing how to make the best out of it is an important skill for us to keep emotionally healthy. Below I list a few aspects to consider and that can prove useful in our field. Criticism or feedback? We are faced with criticism on a regular basis and no matter where it comes from, we have to learn if it is meant to be...

27 jun 2018

by | in ELT Management, Reflections about Education, Trends in ELT

CLIL has been the starting point for the majority of bilingual education programs and methodologies across the globe. Born in 1994 with the establishment of the European Community, CLIL was an attempt to standardize bilingual education approaches within the comunity, or at least to determine a range of  practices that, based on a common concept, could be considered efficient to lead to various levels of bilingualism. That's what David Marsh (the leader of the group that coined the term in the 90s) call "the many faces of CLIL". The...

09 maio 2018

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

Imagine you are feeling a little feverish. What do you do? Bloodletting, of course! You Google the nearest barbershop and get an Uber there so the barber can slash a vein and cure you by removing foul humours from your body. If you’re lucky, they may even use leeches! This may sound absurd to you, but the role of professions changes over time. The teaching profession wouldn’t be any different. Beginning on a very personal example, I’ve been deeply affected by recent changes in mindset and communication. The abilities...

30 mar 2018

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

  Every professional in the realm of education has the power to influence positive change, for instance, aligning theory to practice as extensively discussed. In this post, leadership will be brought to light for a discussion on how educational leaders may contribute to building the learning environment and causing a great impact on education. Firstly, we are assuming that the more senior you are, the more chances you have to affect the lives of learners somehow connected to you. That means a trainer may impact teachers, who will in turn...

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...