Choosing A Timetabling Software
Recently, I was asked for information about timetabling software. I don’t feel I can recommend a particular product as each school will have different requirements, but I thought it would be worth discussing some of the issues involved in choosing software appropriate to your needs.
I think the first consideration is ease of use for those who need to operate the system. The onscreen information should be user-friendly with clear instructions. You also need something that i…
Health Matters
I guess nobody likes thinking about what can go wrong with the recruitment process. We all like to think we are reasonable employers, offering a fair package in return for a professional job. Yet, we do operate in a market that is prone to certain complications. Think about it. We recruit mainly young teachers who travel a long way from their home and friends, perhaps to a country they don’t know anything about. There you are: already you can see how emotionally vulnerable th…
An Acronym By Any Other Name
I don’t know about you but I loathe acronyms. Yes, I know they have a convenience factor but they also seem to me to be potentially sinister, redolent of George Orwell’s Newspeak. Our field has its fair share of them and woe betide anyone who uses one wrongly. Never, for example, say ESL or TESL when you mean ESOL or TESOL. Why? because you might unwittingly insult a learner by referring to ESL (English as a second language) when the learner might be a speaker of several lang…
Better Late Then Never
Whenever I talk to teachers I don’t usually have to wait long before they start listing their concerns about students. I wonder what would come top of your list of teachers’ complaints about student behavior. My guess is that punctuality would come pretty high. It doesn’t sound too difficult on the surface to insist that students should come on time to their lessons but in practice there may be factors that make the lateness habit difficult to break.
Take country cultures,…
Break Out Of The Teaching Rut And Teach English In Hong Kong
Speaking English is a major priority for the people of Hong Kong. The business world is always moving quickly, and global communication is vitally important. In order to compete effectively, Hong Kong emphasizes English education for everyone from childhood on up.
Combine those factors with the fact that there’s currently a shortage of native English speaking teachers in the country, and it seems Hong Kong might be the ideal location if you’re considering teaching abroad.
…
Can You Get Teachers To Love Admin?
I recently discussed a recurring issue following this question from an employer:
“My teachers do an excellent job in the classroom and feedback from students is positive. But when it comes to administrative duties, I find they are lax. Registers are sometimes forgotten, lesson records are sketchy, and reports on students are late and not very full. How can I make teachers understand that these duties are as much a part of their job as teaching?”
Oh dear, I’ve heard this…
Dangerous Liaisons
We’ve all met them. They’re young, handsome, newly qualified and out to see the world. John is just one more young man using his English teaching certificate to help him travel before he settles down. He’s done a stint in Mexico, in China and now he’s in Eastern Europe. Of course all his female students adore him. But John is too professional to become entangled with a student. But he’s just discovered that situations can get very nasty despite his good intentions.
In his …
Do Something Exotic With Your Degree And Teach English In China
The demand for English teachers all over the world is growing quickly. As more countries interact with each other through business and other types of communication, the need for English speakers in foreign lands is growing. And nowhere is this need greater than in China.
If you’re considering teaching English in China, you’ve chosen a challenging and competitive field. Every day language students choose China as their career field, but the need still far outweighs the avai…
How Long Is An ESL Working Week?
It seems that some schools combine long hours with revolving days off so that teachers find it hard to recharge their batteries, let alone keep up the quality of their teaching.
As so often this comes back to cultural norms. Many teachers come from a background in which it is normal for the working week to run from Monday to Friday leaving Saturday and Sunday free. It can thus be difficult to adjust to working, say, six days before a day off arrives. Also if the two-day we…
Mixing Spaghetti And English: Teach English In Italy
For those who dream of teaching abroad, Italy is often the first country that comes to mind. Beautiful, historical, and surrounded by a sense of romance, Italy is a dream for most Westerners who plan on traveling for a career.
It should come as no surprise, then, that English teaching jobs in Italy are somewhat difficult to obtain. There’s a lot of competition and a lot of applicants, and if you’re hoping to secure a position you should be prepared to prove yourself.
Qu…