TEACHERS DISCUSSION FORUM
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#1 Parent James - 2009-10-15
Re: Teacher Training

Thank you for the sound advice.

Great ideas and questions, but again, nothing I have not thought of or acted on.

I have since met with other course providers in the country (who are experiencing the same problems) and teamed up with an employment agency. I won't go into the details.

Thank you again for your consideration.

J

#2 Parent cunning inguist - 2009-10-14
Re: Teacher Training

Hello James

You don't state what your company offers in the way of teacher training - CELTA, TEFL, TESOL?

Without going into specific details of your business, (not asked for), here are a few questions you might consider: -
In asking "you" I also include the people you employ.

  • Are your training facilities in the right locations for potential students?
  • In the locations where you have centres, are there many 'migrant' workers, (for want of a better term), or recent immigrants/ non-native speakers that need or want to learn the language and could be your potential market?
  • Do you have contacts in local government that could provide detailed analysis and statistics for each area?
  • How do you attract students? For example, do you visit the workplaces and make contact with the employers? Will those workers get time-off to attend the classes? Highly-motivated students will do the free course in their own time.
  • Do you do any advertising in workplaces/gathering places?
  • Can you offer any 'sweeteners' to potential students, like advice about citizenship tests or visa requirements,(where needed).
  • Do you offer any form of accepted certification for the students on completion of the course?

  • Are you trying to train too many teachers? 15 seems about right for an intensive CELTA course for example.
  • Do you recruit teachers for your courses with varied life experiences, or a teaching or training background and also the confidence or experience in working with young adults and adults? Not essential, but if your students are having problems in accepting 'rookies' maybe this is a big issue.
  • Do you employ part-time, externally accredited assessors to help with the final assessment of teachers?

  • Do you have competitors? Are they struggling too?
  • When was the last time you did a SWOT or STEEPS analysis for example? Some of your centres may be unsustainable in the long-term.
  • How "fit for purpose" are the people you pay to manage each location?
  • Is this something that has happened recently? Has it been going on for a long time?

    Don't feel obliged to reply but I would suggest that it is not good business practice to pay students to attend, even if you have trainee teachers raring to go and their fees are in the bank! It sounds like desperation, frustration or maybe just putting out feelers for a business opportunity. Sorry, but I've given guidance before, only to find out later that I was being duped!

    • James - 2009-10-13
    Teacher Training

    Hi all,

    I run a couple of language schools and teacher training schools around Europe. The problem I am writing about is to do with teacher training.

    Lately my staff and I are finding it more and more difficult to find learners for our trainees to practice on. The unwillingness of 'guinea pigs' for lessons with training 'teachers' is understandable but never really caused a hassle in the past.

    It is more the lack of people interested in attending these lessons that I am having a hard time understanding.

    I have tried offering free lessons, charging for lessons in a bid to make them feel like they 'have to' attend simply because they've paid for it and on our last course I even paid people to come. Now, I have run these courses in small towns and big cities in English speaking countries.

    Where does it end?

    If there any other course providers that are experiencing the same problem I would love to hear from you, or anyone else with good ideas.

    Cheers

    James

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