Becoming a teacher educator in South Africa

 To train a small group of master trainers to deliver an Edexcel qualification (level 4) ◦ PTLLS plus assessor award  Worked with Pearsons,  OLG (private training organisation) OLG  Rustenburg College Rustenburg College

 OLG chose the 6 master trainers  the College sent three heads of department to “provide context”  2*2week blocks to deliver and assess the master trainers – 2 months between them ◦ Visit from an EV during the second block

 2 * 1 week blocks to deliver and assess at Rustenburg college  30 lecturers in range of subjects  Supported by material created from our sessions and in-country sourced documentation by a writer working for Pearsons  Change of role for the team from trainer to coach

 9 trainers ◦ 3 were engineering heads of department at the College: Dorothy, Lucky and Zac ◦ 2 worked for OLG full-time: Rochelle (project manager) and Lucas (maths) ◦ 4 were independent:  Sipho (HR consultant)  Trevor (accountancy)  Lance (social science)  Benjamin (can’t remember)

 Political context  Multilingual and tribal  The South African vocational education system  Resource issues  Transferability of principles and practices

 Laughter  Working together  Learning that the challenges and the rewards were the same  Learning about a different system and seeing more clearly the strengths and weaknesses of our own

 Brilliant!  This course has taught me to: ◦ Differentiate learners ◦ How to make a teaching and learning session interesting and memorable ◦ Place more emphasis on good formative assessment ◦ The importance of ice breaking in making the environment conducive to learning  When I return to teaching I want to give the learners a platform to explore other things than their academic side

 Sustainability ◦ Only 2 trainers stuck with it to the end  Contract by private partner ◦ We ‘heard’ about the lack of remuneration ◦ Lack of clarity from the start about logistics  But also had we motivated and prepared them well enough for their new role?

 Helen Colley et al, “Learning as Becoming”  “Teaching and learning are primarily social and cultural rather than individual and technical activities” (p472)  VET curricula tend to emphasise “acquisition of skills” and be outcome focussed  Creation of new identity is not considered  Other literature – individual is “absorbed” into culture and practices in the workplace

 Lave and Wenger – learning as participation – social participation is key and enables newcomers to learn from experienced practitioners  This process enables individuals to “become” a plumber, beauty therapist etc  Vocational Departments in FE colleges have specific cultures and behaviours – do these replicate those in their allied work environments?

 Question asked by research: ◦ What makes learners feel they are suitable for particular jobs?  Question for the project ◦ Were teachers/trainers picked who were ‘ready for’ or “suitable for” transition to teacher trainer  What criteria would you use?

 Question asked by research  How does their sense of identity change?  Question for the project  Did we promote this change?  What signs should we have been looking for?  How could we have enabled them to rehearse before putting into action the

 Co-construction of teaching and learning ◦ create an icebreaker, deliver it, evaluate ◦ Present how you will apply….  Similar to VET  “vocational learning is actively co-constructed by teachers and students, determined in part by the dominant structures of thought that prevail in particular employment structures”  What would these be for PCET?

 Dorothy, Zak and Lucky (3 Heads of Dept from the College) did not see themselves as teacher trainers initially ◦ It became an aspiration for 2 out of 3 of them  All 3 participated in the first week of training but struggled to do the second  One OLG trainer, Lucas, did both weeks but still defined himself as a maths teacher; did not develop at that point the necessary confidence (or skills)  Rochelle had a baby  Ben did the first week, but not the second and avoided marking – he remained elusive therefore  Sipho and Lance disappeared but Martin in touch with Lance on facebook…  Trevor has “become” a teacher educator – see feedback

 Always be involved in selection process and be clear about criteria  Ask to see contracts of staff involved if the project required on-going commitment  Work out the logistics from the start  Always work in pairs at the start  Check feedback if they are assessing  Teach to the end goal, not the syllabus

May God Almighty bless and grow you guys older and more smarter.