What to say at the English teachers staff meetings

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What to say at the English teachers staff meetings

Written by Robert Vance on May 4, 2008 – 11:23 pm

“Robert, please talk to the staff now and give them some tips that will help them to improve their English teaching skills.” No matter where I have taught around the world, I have always dreaded hearing my boss utter these words. It is not that I dislike staff meetings. I enjoy mingling with my Chinese colleagues and having a chance to participate in making decisions about the English program. What I do not like is being placed on a pedestal and treated as if I am ‘a cut above’ the rest of the English teachers. Actually, I do not even have a teaching degree; my degree is unrelated to education. Most of the teachers with whom I have worked during my ESL career have probably been much more qualified to teach than I am. If my boss would ever give them a chance to give me some advice, I would probably pick up some important and useful techniques. Not a chance. It is always me who has to give the lecture to the Chinese teachers. Are you ‘in the same boat’ as I? Over the years, I have learned to choose my words carefully and make sure that my Chinese colleagues come away encouraged after having sat through one of my ‘little talks.’ Here are some tips to help you and your colleagues to get the most out of these meetings:

–Do not talk down to your Chinese colleagues. Make sure they realize that you see them as your equals at school and that you can learn from them as well.
–If you have to give your teaching colleagues some advice, try to focus on issues relating to helping their students improve pronunciation. This is definitely something that a native speaker does have authority on which to speak. Some helpful advice may include playing tapes in the classroom, or showing clips of English movies (if the technology is available).
–Do not lecture your colleagues. Encourage them to dialogue with you about the joys and perils of learning English. Ask them for their input. Your meeting with them should be a conversation, not a one sided talk.
–Encourage your colleagues who are teaching at the senior middle school level to take a little time out of each class and try to focus on something other than preparing for the college entrance exam. If you have some time, you can introduce some games or other fun activities.
–Always encourage the staff. Hopefully, you have had some opportunities to observe your colleagues teaching styles and you can have some positive comments to make about their methods. If you ever have a negative comment to make, the staff meeting is not the time. Pull that teacher aside later and share your concerns.
–Do not be afraid to ask for help at the staff meeting. If you are experiencing discipling issues in class or you feel like you could use some more support, be frank about your requests. Your colleagues will respect you for asking.
–Always remind your colleagues that you are ready and willing to receive their input at anytime. Ask them if there is anything that they think you can improve on. Be ready! Some of them may be frank with you but I have often received some valuable feedback at these meetings.
–Always end your part of the meeting by thanking your colleagues. Most Chinese teachers work very hard in China (especially compared to most foreign teachers in the country) and you should recognize their contribution to the school.

I almost always go over the same content in the staff meetings. They seem to all follow a similar script. That is perfectly fine. These meetings are simply meant to bring the staff together and make sure that everyone is ‘on the same page.’ Do not take yourself too seriously at these meetings. Have fun and encourage your Chinese colleagues.

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