Wizard's first rule: what works and what doesn't in teacher training sessions (workshop) This talk focuses on do’s and don’ts for an effective input session and can be useful both for beginner trainers and for academic managers who support them. There will be a critical analysis of principles of andragogy and loop input, opinions of ELT luminaries, as well as stories from my own and other colleagues' training and mentoring experience. Three takeaways When preparing a training session, consider: 1 The balance between modelling what you want the participants to learn and treating them as adult professionals 2 The balance between experiential learning and information density 3 The balance between practical tips and foundation principles

1. Katherine Martinkevich
British Council Ukraine
Wizard's First Rule:
what works in teacher
training sessions

2. In this session we will:
Consider principles of adult learning (‘andragogy’)
Discuss how they can apply to teacher training
Practise making choices based on these principles
1
2
3

4. Why do we need to
talk about it?

5. We need ‘formal and systematic preparation of
trainers’ (Ruth Wajnryb 2012)
Teacher trainers are ‘agents of change’ (Sue Leather
2011)
They need to able to ‘analyse the teaching process and
classroom practices for the benefit of one’s trainees’
(Marisa Constantinides 2009)
‘I received little formal training on how to train but
instead, like many teacher trainers before me, Ipicked
ituponthejob.’ (John Hughes 2015).
What ELT
experts say:

7. Malcolm Knowles (1913-1997)
1) The Need to Know
2) Self-Concept
3) Experience
4) Readiness to Learn
5) Orientation
6) Motivation
Six principles of
andragogy

8. The Need to Know:trainees need to
know why they are here and how it’s
going to help them in their work
You need to be able to give trainees practical solutions for
their classroom
‘Being a teacher trainer shouldn’t mean leaving the
language classroom’ (Tessa Woodward 2009)

9. Self Concept: trainees have an
image of themselves and they can
resist, become disengage or even
hostile if you try to break it
You need to consider their previous experience and
prevent loss of face. Let them make their own choices. At
the same time, establish your own credibility.
‘Teacher training implies change at quite a deep
level. ...can see people become resistant or even
‘destabilised.’ (Sue Leather, 2015)

10. Experience: what the trainees
already know impacts what they
learn
Tap into their expertise and give them an opportunity to
integrate what they already know with the new
information
Trainers ‘facilitate teachers as they reflect on
classroom practice’ (Sue Leather 2011)

11. Readiness to learn: trainees need to
see the relevance of the training to
their own work
Share your own classroom experience and provide quick
tips and takeaways
‘Being a teacher trainer shouldn’t mean leaving the
language classroom’ (Tessa Woodward 2009)

12. Orientation: trainees are task-oriented
rather than information-oriented
Have a principled selection of processes (McGrath 1997):
give trainees practical tasks and case studies so that they
could apply the principles

13. Motivation: internal motivators are
more effective
Consider at what stage of their career the trainees are;
take into account the power dynamics, their intrinsic and
extrinsic motivation
As teachers progress throughout their careers, they
can engage in transformational processes including
critical reflection on practice, redefinition of
assumptions and beliefs... Or they can disengage
from the work environment (Steffy, quoted by Ron
White 2008)

14. How do we find the
balance?

15. Modellingversus eliciting
Experiential learning versus information density
Practical tips versus foundational principles
1
2
3
Principles of Andragogy
1) The Need to Know
2) Self-Concept
3) Experience
4) Readiness to Learn
5) Orientation
6) Motivation

16. Case study 1:
You have been invited to do a workshop on error
correction for a group of teachers in a small private
school in another city. You were told that 3 of them
have the CELTA, 2 have Delta Module 1, and all the
others BAs or MAs. You’ll have 60 minutes.
Case study 2:
When your DoS found out about this conference, they
asked you to give a short 30-minute presentation to
all colleagues after you get back. Some of your
colleagues are very experienced; there are several
newly qualified teachers, but you are not sure what
exactly they would be interested in - and if anyone
comes at all!

17. ANY QUESTIONS?

18. Epic fantasy by Terry Goodkind:
‘ThepeopleareNOTstupid’.They
are professional adults.The Wizard’s
First Rule

19. THANK YOU!

20. References
Constantinides, M. (2009). How to Become an ELT Teacher Educator.
https://kalinago.blogspot.gr/2009/11/marisa-constandides-on-how-to-become.html
Hughes, J. (2015). A Practical Introduction to Teacher Training in ELT. Pavilion Publishing
and Media Ltd.
Leather, S. (2011). Teacher? Trainer? What’s the difference?
https://sueleather.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/teacher-trainer-whats-the-difference/
McGrath, I. (1997). Learning to train. Hemel Hempstead, England: Prentice Hall Europe
ELT.
Steele, C. An Essential Guide to Andragogy for Learning Businesses.
https://www.leadinglearning.com/guide-to-andragogy/
Wajnryb, R. (2012). Classroom observation tasks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Woodward, T. (2009). Am I ready to be a teacher trainer?
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/am-i-ready-be-a-teacher-trainer
White, R. (2008). Teachers’ Professional Life Cycles
http://ihjournal.com/teachers-professional-life-cycles

21. Teacher, teacher trainer, Delta tutor at British Council Kyiv (Ukraine)
Katherine Martinkevich
kath.martink@gmail.com
blog: Kate’s ELT Crate
eltcrate.wordpress.com
facebook/instagram: eltcrate
LinkedIn: katherine-martinkevich
twitter: @kath_martink