I �ve just been thinking lately how this autumn will bring new teachers to our schools, and daydreaming how lovely it would be to get some people who really love what they �re supposed to do, who ask when they don �t know something, accept given advice, learn fast and share their knowledge with their students and their colleagues. I know some of you, like me, are teacher trainers, in addition to being teachers, so I was wondering what �s your stand on this subject? Do you like training new teachers? Has it changed much during the last decade? What have your past experiences with it been like? What �s the best piece of advice you �d give a new teacher? What do you like/dislike about trainees? Even if you �re a trainee yourself, what would you expect from your mentor, and what do you think mentors expect from you? And for those of you who are parents, what sort of teachers do you wish for your kids?

(PS: I won �t be able to be here the whole time, but I �ll check in every now and then. Thanks in advance for all your replies.)

As a comparison....it �s like studying at Geography about jungle: it has tall trees, wild animals like this and this, beautiful birds, colorful plants and insects and when you get there you get bitten by a snake! 

This is why most of the young teachers think about changing their job as soon as possible when they face the real school.

I know there are good schools and great students....but I talk about the majority of schools here. 

Very interesting subject. I �m not a trainee nor am I a mentor, but as a "young" teacher (with little or no experience: I graduated from the University long before I decided to be a teacher. Before I used to be an interpreter and even taught arts in a studio in a kindergarten) I was "assigned" to a senior colleague-mentor for the first 3 years of my teaching experience. The mentor is supposed to guide you by sharing their experience. You �re both supposed to attend each other �s classes (from time to time) and have dairies with comments on your attendance. So I  have a so-called portfolio of a young teacher, ie a file where I keep various documents (new requirements to assessment of ss � work, etc.), educational articles that I �ve studied, my own research reports on some topics (creative writing for example), materials from some proficiency development courses, demonstration lessons � plans, "mutual attendance" diaries, some tips on how to maintain discipline in a class or how to be a better teacher. Whenever the inspectors from the city education department come to our school (which has happened quite often for the past 2 years), they look meticulously through that portfolio (and other documents too) to check on your work and progress. 

Every 4 years teachers in my country are to attend proficiency development courses and then get assessment of their work the next year.

During the English language weeks (usually sometime in April) all our teachers ("young" as well as more experienced ones) prepare demonstration lessons. We have a schedule when each of us can attend some of those classes. I love it because I guess that �s the way I learn the most.

Sorry this post turned out so lengthy, I got carried away...

Sophia

P.S. 2 Dona: Been there, done that Totally agree.

 

In Brazil, the reality most universities show us when we are studying to be a teacher is very different from the real one we face when we are having practical classes at school or even after graduating . It seems that teacher trainers at university are out of reality (at least I felt this with my university course), and only the practice of years is going to teach us how to prepare and behave in our classes.

For all this, I think it �s very useful for schools to have a department specialized in English with a teacher trainer to show them the reality and give them hints. We don �t usually have this in our schools in Brazil, but it would be just great if all of them could have. If we are talking about language institutes then it �s very different. There is usually a coordinator to help you and make you feel better. I have some experience with helping the coordinator at the language institute I work at with teacher training and it �s been just great. We usually give them some theory to read and discuss, practical workshops and then they have to present a microteaching. It �s good because the trainees feel more comfortable to face a classroom.

 

Well, I think that �s it!!

Best wishes