1. Abstract
After graduating from university and becoming a certified teacher of English or having long teaching experience in educational institutions, some teachers believe that they know enough about teaching, and they do not need to spend time on further development. This belief is often held by teachers in public schools. However, is this belief justified? If so, why do many of our students still struggle with English?Why do teachers ignore this issue? Everything in the education system is interconnected, including the professional development of teachers and the support provided by school administration. In order to improve the quality of education, both teachers and principals need to prioritize professional development. As J. Richards states in his book, the field of language teaching is constantly evolving, making it difficult for teachers to keep up with changes. Therefore, regular opportunities for professional development are crucial. As Jim Scrivener said, "I'd go so far as to suggest that any teacher who has stopped learning themselves has probably also stopped being useful as a teacher" (Learning Teaching, 380).
The purpose of this essay is to discuss the importance of teachers' professional development, explore possible reasons for neglecting it, and suggest solutions to address this issue.
All the assumptions in this essay are based on my own experience, as well as conversations with other teachers and my experience teaching in public schools.
2. Introduction
Professional development refers to educational opportunities provided to teachers to keep them updated on the latest teaching methods, curriculum, standards, and technology.
Professional development is essential for teachers to continuously develop their professional skills, in order to effectively deal with emerging situations and set goals for themselves.
"A vast amount of research has shown that the quality of the individual teacher is one of the most significant variables influencing how much progress students make in school" (Cambridge Assessment English 2018). Therefore, professional development of teachers is a vital factor in schooling improvement and educational change. It is useful not only for teachers, but also for students, school administrators, parents, and colleagues. Thus, it can be considered to be both an individual and social implementation.
However, there are some teachers who do not develop their professional skills. There could be several reasons for this, so let us try to assume some of them. One possible explanation could be that the teachers do not receive enough support and leadership from the principal. Another reason could be that teachers have a lot of stuff to do and they do not have time not only for professional growth but also for their families. The third assumption is that they probably belief they have enough knowledge how to teach students, so they do not even think that they can find something new from different courses, seminars and all other things that help teachers to develop their professional knowledge. Let us look at each of the assumptions more closely.
3. Assumptions
One possible reason for teachers neglecting their professional development is the lack of support and leadership from school principals. When teachers first start working at a school, they have to face various challenges, such as dealing with "difficult" students, lack of resources, being a part of the team, working with school materials, and so on. By "difficult" students I mean those who exhibit challenging behavior. I strongly believe that effective management of these students can only be achieved though collaboration of a subject teacher with an administration, a form teacher, and parents. However, in some schools, teachers work in isolation and do not receive enough support from the school administration. The teachers do not have enough equipment, such as printers, overhead projectors, or interactive whiteboards to create engaging and innovative lessons. Basically, the principals focus more on administrative matters than support, especially new teachers who need more support at their start. All these challenges can hinder teachers' professional development and impact their ability to effectively teach their students.
Furthermore, some schools offer professional development courses, which can vary greatly in structure and effectiveness. Unfortunately, some of them follow a seminar format where teachers are lectured, they are passive participants and do not have the opportunity to collaborate and develop their content knowledge and teaching skills. Thus, this type of training is not the most effective way to increase teacher effectiveness.
Another factor that may contribute to neglecting professional development is the heavy workloads of teachers. It is found that many teachers have a high number of classes to teach each day, and must also check students' homework and prepare for the next day's lessons after school. This leaves them with little time for rest and self-development Moreover, some teachers may take on additional work, such as teaching private lessons, in order to supplement their low salaries. This can lead to teachers feeling overwhelmed and unable to prioritize their own professional development.
It may seem that the teachers cannot organize their working hours and free time as they may stay longer at school to check students' homework. As a result, they have little time to rest and cannot even think about having time for self-development.
Lastly, some teachers may believe that they already possess enough knowledge and skills to teach their students and do not see the value in further development. This may be especially true for teachers who have been teaching for a long time. Furthermore, some teachers may not want to spend money and time for attending teacher training courses. They may feel comfortable with their current teaching methods and techniques. Generally speaking, there are some teachers who do not pay attention on have they been progressing with their students or not, they just need to follow the school curriculum and give students marks. They never reflect on their lessons and never think about other ways of teaching students. Nevertheless, it is essential for teachers to continuously reflect on their lessons and consider new ways of teaching as things change year to year and generation to generation. Teaching methods and techniques are constantly evolving.
4. Solutions
First of all, a school should prioritize creating a collaborative environment where teachers can easily work together with each other and the principal. This includes fostering a warm and positive climate that supports teachers and effective leadership. Additionally, classrooms should be equipped with necessary educational technology and teaching equipment to encourage teachers' creativity. Furthermore, the principal can also hire a mentor to assist teachers in developing their skills. Professional development courses should be interactive and provide teachers with the opportunity to practice new teaching techniques.
Furthermore, school leaders should consider teachers' work schedules and strive to create a more comfortable and more satisfying work environment. This can include promoting a healthy work-life balance, and providing opportunities for professional development. Moreover, schools can have a specialist, such as a mentor, to help teachers with organization and soft skills development.
On the other hand, teachers also have a responsibility to work on their own development. As Harmer said, teachers can organize their own teacher development groups which meet at pre-arranged times. All the teachers in the group can vote on what they want to talk about, and every week a different teacher can lead the session.
In addition to these solutions, teachers can also work on addressing problems that arise in the classroom, by observing their own lessons and researching solutions.
Further, they can analyze lessons from the coursebook pages and adapt them creatively to meet their students' needs. As Jack Richards writes in his book, "Teachers are a key factor in the successful implementation of curriculum changes. Exceptional teachers can often compensate for the poor-quality resources and materials they have to work from."
"Teachers can plan, discuss, and observe each other's lessons. However, it will not work if the teacher being observed feels that they are being judged. The main reasons for peer observation should be a) for the observer to learn new things and reflect on their own teaching, and b) for the observed teacher to have a chance to talk about their lesson with an observer they can trust. When schools organize peer observation, it is a good idea to have a meeting where teachers talk about the good things they have observed. This means that everyone gets to hear new ideas". (Harmer J., 2012).
5. My own experience of self-development
I would like to share my personal experience with self-development as an English teacher. When I first started my teaching career, I was confident in my abilities because I had studied teaching at university and received my diploma. I enjoyed teaching and my job. However, as time went on, I began to lose interest. I had many classes and would often come home late in the evening, only to spend hours checking my students' homework. Teaching became my entire life and I felt exhausted and unfulfilled. This is a common experience known as teacher burnout. To combat this, I took a break and attended courses for English teachers, which sparked my interest in further professional growth. I also took some exams for teachers and participated in activities that broadened my understanding of the learning process and improved my teaching skills. When I returned to teaching, I found it to be less exhausting and more enjoyable. These teacher professional development activities allowed me to reflect on my teaching and students' learning from a different perspective. I learned that teacher burnout is often a temporary state and most teachers are able to overcome it. Currently, I am dedicated to furthering my professional development and have aspirations to conduct action research and potentially establish my own small school.
At the end I would also like to mention Foord's model, which categorizes teachers' development into five concentric circles:
- Teacher (working alone, reading books, attending courses, reflecting on lessons),
- Teacher and students (getting feedback and using new materials),
- Teacher and colleagues (peer observation, team teaching, swap shops)
- Teacher and school (interaction with administration and staff)
- Teacher and profession. (participating in conferences and writing for publication)
6. Conclusion
Professional development is a lifelong process that begins with initial teacher training and continues throughout a teacher's entire career. It is crucial for improving skills, awareness of different approaches and techniques, and ultimately, students' performance overall. Additionally, it helps teachers stay passionate, sharp, and up-to-date on the most relevant best practices. As we see, there are numerous reasons why teachers should continue their professional development.
In summary, I would like to emphasize the following points:
- School administrators must support teachers in their professional development.
- Administrators should provide effective and relevant training courses.
- Teachers can set goals and achieve objectives through continuous, interactive, and collaborative professional development opportunities.
I highly recommend using Foord's model as a guide for professional development.
In conclusion, let us suggest, therefore, that an effective approach is to start with individual developmental activities and gradually expand your circle to include your students, your colleagues, the school and the profession. Bringing about change in institutions is the ultimate and most challenging act of development. (Foord D. 2017)
References
- Scrivener J. (2011) Learning Teaching, Oxford: Macmillan
- Richards J.C., Thomas S.C. Farrell T.S.C. (2005) Professional Development for language teachers, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Richards J.C. (2017) 50 Tips for Teacher Development, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Foord D. (2017) The Developing Teacher, Delta Publishing
- Harmer J. (2012) Essential Teacher Knowledge, Pearson ELT
- Cambridge Assessment English 2018, consultancy-service-teacher-development, from https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/470565-consultancy-services-teacher-development.pdf