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1. Looking for the Big Picture: Macrostrategies for L2 Teacher Observation and Feedback

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   The authors describe the typical type of teacher observation and assessment used today -- top down, one-way communication from supervisor to teacher that looks at the weaknesses in the teaching. The authors believe that observation and feedback can be something more. They present six strategies for supervisors (e.g., recognizing subjectiveness, talking across the data, providing alternatives and resources). Additional suggestions include structured intervention and supervisor portfolios.

2. Reflective Teaching: The Principles and Practices

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Reflective teaching is highly popular within English language programs, but there is some debate over definitions and best practices for reflective teaching. The author explores current approaches to reflective teaching (e.g., reflection-in-action, action research) and provides guides for a teacher development model using reflective teaching. He concludes that teachers who use reflection will gain freedom from impulse and uncertainty and will redefine themselves as educated and experienced human beings.

3. Plurilingualism and Translanguaging Strategies for Language Teachers and Students

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This session, "Plurilingualism and Translanguaging Strategies for Language Teachers and Students," demonstrates how including students’ first language (L1) in the ELT classroom offers the potential for innovative and nuanced communication and understanding in both students’ L1 and L2 and shows activities that can be adapted for students of all ages and levels.

4. Teaching English for and with Communities

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article is a reflection of English teaching in Chiclayo, Peru, at a not-for-profit cultural center. It starts with a brief explanation of the authors’ desire to help transform the community through English teaching. The article then explains the concept of civic education and offers a three-tiered approach that has been designed to help the community: Chiclayo reads, summer institute for k-12 English teachers, and the advanced curriculum. The implementation and results of the projects are discussed.

5. Statistics and Research Design: Essential Concepts for Working Teachers

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article presents key concepts for teachers seeking to understand statistical reasoning and research design. First the author establishes that one must understand what is being defined and how. The author then defines useful terms such as variable and average and illustrates them with real-world examples. The article concludes by presenting simple tips for understanding and using statistics appropriately, relating both to classroom teaching and research design using quantitative data.

6. Superpowering Your Lecture: Activities to Engage Learners and Gather Feedback

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This session, “Superpowering Your Lecture: Activities to Engage Learners and Gather Feedback,” explores several interactive, ready-to-use activities designed to motivate learners enrolled in lecture-style classes; these approaches also enable the instructor to gather crucial information about their students’ progress and understanding of the material.

7. The Relevance of Literary Analysis to Teaching Literature in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article presents a review of six approaches to teaching literature based on the author's and his colleagues' experience. It looks at the theoretical bases of these six approaches and discusses the pros and cons of using literature in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. The six approaches are evaluated based on the core principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This article discusses the benefits of combining literary works with communicative activities and student motivation.

8. Curriculum Revisions in Teacher Education during COVID-19: The Critical Reflections of Two Professors

   In: English Teaching Forum 2023, Volume 61, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Elena King and Molly Riddle narrate the decision-making processes they applied as they revised their curricula for in-service and licensure-candidate teachers during the pandemic. The authors offer examples of how to use the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) framework and provide key takeaways from their experience that can be applied productively in a variety of contexts.

9. Contextualizing Teacher Training through Needs Analysis and Reflexivity

   In: English Teaching Forum 2023, Volume 61, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Experienced teacher trainers Jimalee Sowell and Kevin McCaughey offer “suggestions teacher trainers might implement to improve their understanding of the local teachers they work with as well as ways of knowing the self and how the self interfaces with local contexts.” The article describes methods of needs assessment and discusses techniques for examining and understanding the self, all in the context of enhancing teacher training and professional development.

10. Shall We Dance: Team Teaching as Supervision in the English Language Classroom

    In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

    This article compares team teaching to a dance in which leadership shifts from partner to partner. It argues for the use of team teaching as an effective and motivating means of professional development. The author shares his experience in team teaching and offers a list of steps that can be used to establish and maintain team teaching that is effective for both the professionals and their students, such as when to involve students and when to trade roles.

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