Paulina Liżewska, Paweł Kamiński Viewpoints On Using the EPOSTL in ELT Departments

nor.nomayber.yesyes I can understand the requirements set in national and local curricula I can evaluate and select meaningful speaking and interactional activities to encourage learners of differing abilities to participate I can design and select different activities in order to practiseand develop different listening strategies (listening for gist, specific information etc.) I can apply appropriate ways of reading a text in class (e.g. aloud, silently, in groups etc.) I can introduce, and help students to deal with, new or unknown items of grammar in a variety of ways (teacher presentation, awareness-raising, discovery etc.) I can evaluate and select a variety of activities which help learners to learn vocabulary I can evaluate and select activities which enhance the learners’ intercultural awareness

nor.nomayber.yesyes I can identify and evaluate a range of coursebooks/materials appropriate for the age, interests and the language level of the learners I can design learning materials and activities appropriate for my learners I can plan specific learning objectives for individual lessons and/or for a period of teaching I can structure lesson plans and/or plan for periods of teaching in a coherent and varied sequence of content I can be flexible when working from a lesson plan and respond to learner interests as the lesson progresses I can encourage learner participation whenever possible

nor.nomayber.yesyes I can take on different roles according to the needs of the learners and requirements of the activity (resource person, mediator, supervisor etc.) I can evaluate and select a variety of activities which help learners to identify and reflect on individual learning processes and learning styles I can evaluate and select tasks most suited to be carried out by learners at home I can evaluate and select valid assessment procedures (tests, portfolios, self-assessment etc.) appropriate to learning aims and objectives

Was this task easy?

“There is nothing particularly difficult in answering questionnaires.” “I am aware of my skills as a teacher, and I am able to say what I can do and what I have to work on.” “The task itself was easy, but there might be some things I don’t know or see in myself.” Quotes

Was this task easy?

“I have too little experience to evaluate myself so specifically.” “Hard to say, as we are forced to do certain activities by a teacher.” “I haven’t had enough teaching practice to answer all these questions.” Quotes

Conclusions Students have most problems with: – Assesing appropriate procedures (tests, portfolios etc.) – Personal approach towards pupils – Assesing appropriate materials Because they did not have related course yet Most students are either well prepared or self- confident They have no problem with more theoretical tasks, e.g. designing lesson plan, or other practiced in schools

Quotes “If you don’t like teaching, you will be a bad teacher no matter how well you are trained.” “Inborn qualities are helpful, but there are many rules to be learned.” “One can be trained as a teacher, know various techniques, ways of teaching, but it is not possible to acquire love for teaching.”

Do you think self-assesment should be implemented in your teacher training course?

Quotes “There is too much to read, prepare and learn, and there’s not much time to think about teaching itself.” “Sometimes we have to look at our actions from a different perspective.” “Problems are impossibly idealized and often have nothing in common with real lessons, pupils and problems.”

Conclusions Being self-reflective is not easy – Students might have had time to reflect, but they might have not realized that – It is a process Nobody knows about EPOSTL or even a portfolio method of self-evaluation – Although it would be useful

Personal note We need to vanquish our vanity, try to be objective, look from different perspectives Self-reflection is a first step to become a better teacher There is a need to highlight reflection during teaching courses

Thank you for your attention!