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1. 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.

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. Practicum: Microteaching for Non-Native Speaking Teacher Trainees

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   In situations where it is not possible for trainees to practice teaching in local schools, teaching short lessons to their peers—called microteaching--can provide beneficial experience and feedback to teachers-in-training. The article includes guidelines for presenters, observers, and teacher trainers as well as a sample practicum class schedule and microteaching lesson. Students experience microteaching both in small groups and with the whole class.

4. Peace Corps Teacher Training Resources

   Format(s): Website

   Find resources for teachers on lesson planning, classroom management, developing materials, and working in low-resource contexts.

5. 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.

6. The Future is Now: Preparing a New Generation of CBI Teachers

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of Content Based Instruction (CBI) and provides ways that language-teacher education programs can better prepare CBI teachers. The author argues that CBI is particularly relevant now, in the 21st century. The article explains what specific skills are needed to successfully teach using a CBI approach, including Language Proficiency, Academic Skills, Pedagogical Knowledge, and content-language interface skills.

7. Empowering Teachers through Professional Development

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article promotes professional development for teachers. Connection to a community of teachers and greater motivation and achievement of students are just a few benefits of learning new skills, resources, and techniques. The author describes low-cost development opportunities, from individual tasks such as reading articles and keeping a journal, to collaborative techniques such as peer mentoring/coaching, forming a teacher support group, or joining a national organization.

8. Video Recording as a Stimulus for Reflection in Pre-Service EFL Teacher Training

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   All teachers should reflect on their teaching. In this article, the author argues for using video recording as a tool for critical reflection. She states that recording and review should be used even at the early stages of pre-service teacher training in microteaching sessions. She suggests that after the teaching is completed, teachers view the tape multiple times by themselves, then with a peer, and finally with a supervisor. Outcomes for this training include increased self-awareness, role shift from actor to director, and increased continuity.

9. On Teaching and Learning

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

   This page of thoughtful quotes and sage advice accompanies the teacher training warm-up activity introduced in Polatsek's article.

10. Teacher Resources

    In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    These “Teacher Resources” consist of reviews of two commercial publications. The first is the second edition of the book titled “Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching” by Jack C. Richard and Theodore S. Rodgers, and the second is “Language and the Internet” by David Crystal.

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