If you’re a Twitter user, join the next #CdnELTchat on Tuesday, February 26th. Below is a recap of the the most recent chat from the #CdnELTchat moderators.
On February 12, ELT practitioners from across Canada and the U.S. connected on Twitter for #CdnELTchat on the topic of Supporting teachers new to the #ELT profession. Jennifer Chow (@jennifermchow) kept the conversation moving by posting questions, while Bonnie Nicholas (@EALstories) helped out by replying and retweeting, and Augusta Avram (@LINCinstructor) and Svetlana Lupasco (@stanzasl) provided background support. Please contact any of the team members if you have ideas for chats or if you’d like to help out, maybe by co-moderating a chat or collecting the tweets for a summary like this one.
During the chat, we shared stories about what we know now and what we wish we’d known then. There were lots of great ideas by and for both new and experienced teachers. The conversation was a good reminder for me that everyone struggles when they first start out teaching, and that the struggles can continue even if you are an experienced teacher. We’ve collected the discussion around each question using Wakelet. Click to read the questions and replies.
Q1: Where are you in your career? What was the biggest challenge you had as a new teacher?
Click here to read the conversation around Q1.
Q2: If you could write a letter to yourself at the start of your career, what advice would you give yourself?
Click here to read the conversation around Q2.
Q3: How do you overcome the nerves of teaching your first few classes?
Click here to read the conversation around Q3.
Q4: How can continuing teachers mentor and help each other, as well as those new to the profession?
Click here to read the conversation around Q4.
Q5: What is the best way to transfer what you’ve learned to actual practice in the classroom?
Click here to read the conversation around Q5.
Q6: What role do professional associations play in supporting teachers new to the #ELT profession?
Click here to read the conversation around Q6.
#CdnELTchat is a collaborative effort that we hope will lead to more reflective practice for all of us. We collect questions in advance of each chat on Padlet, and then choose 5 or 6 for the hour-long chat. Our Padlet, Questions and Topics for #CdnELTchat, is always open for comments. Here are all the great questions we received but didn’t have time to use.
- What kind of support can you offer teachers new to the #ELT profession? What kind of support do you need from experienced #ELT teachers?
- How can we mentor each other throughout our careers?
- How can experienced teachers be encouraged to support new teachers?
- How can new teachers support each other?
- What kind of mentoring do new teachers need?
- As a teacher new to the #ELT profession, what is your greatest worry?
- As a teacher new to the #ELT profession, what questions do you have for more experienced teachers?
- Is there a best practice/structure when transferring what you’ve learned to actual practice in the classroom (such as grammar)?
- How do teachers stay motivated?
- What do you wish you had known when you started teaching?
- What is your top tip for new teachers?
- How can continuing teachers mentor and help each other, as well as those new to the profession?
- What do you wish you had known when you started teaching?
#CdnELTchats are held about every two weeks during the school year (we take the summers off) on Tuesday nights at 6 Pacific, 7 Mountain, 8 Central, 9 Eastern, and 10 Atlantic. We encourage you to continue the #slowburn conversation after the live chat. Check out the hashtag if you’re on Twitter.
