1. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers1 Management in the „Real World” Personal reflections of a teacher/manager Maria Matheidesz

2. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers2 INTRODUCTION I had to formulate two crucial questions: What can teachers/academic managers transfer to the „real” world of management? Do teachers teach what our students will need outside the classroom?

3. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers3 What can teachers/academic managers transfer to the „real” world of management? Sensitivity to needs of staff and clients–teachers’ experience in responding to students’ needs Observing and monitoring processes – experience in lesson observation Planning short and long term – lesson planning and course design

4. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers4 What skills do teachers/academic managers have to learn? Financial awareness – in business everything has financial implication Time pressure – business life is much faster than the working pace in education Fast reactions – the market changes rapidly, quick reactions are needed as opposed to slow decision making in education

5. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers5 What skills do our students need most? Basic requirements in a working situation are: Independence Efficiency Appropriacy

6. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers6 Independence When you state at a job interview that you speak a foreign language, employers will expect you to operate in that language in the business situations required by your job E.g. sales assistants are likely to carry out the following tasks in a foreign language: (1), (2) (1)(2)

7. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers7 Tasks of a sales assistant Writing emails, letters, agreements Telephoning Checking and verifying documents (e.g. consignment lists, customs clearance documentation, invoices etc.) Negotiating (terms and conditions: discounts, delivery time, special orders, payment terms etc.)

8. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers8 Tasks of a sales assistant (contd) Reading product descriptions Translating product descriptions Producing brochure descriptions based on foreign texts Giving presentations about trade results to stakeholders/suppliers Writing reports/market analyses/proposals

9. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers9 Efficiency What does language efficiency mean in a working situation? The job is done well in time the first timewellin time How are foreign language transactions evaluated? Success: if business is running smoothly

10. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers10 When is the job done WELL? If it is done in accordance with the business interests of the company. If the required business result is not achieved the job is not done well.

11. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers11 When is the job done in time? Fast action is a major requirement in business The pace of the business world is much faster than that of the classroom Slow action often has direct or indirect financial implications Special skills are to be acquired to cope with the constant time pressure

12. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers12 The job needs to be done well for the first time A quality assurance concept Tolerance for mistakes: no room for mistakes in basic tasks, room for language mistakes as long as task is performed well

13. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers13 An example A sales assistant is used to clarifying language points with her boss to make sure that she understands everything correctly. One day the boss is on holiday. The sales assistant puts off answering the email without looking at it. The company will have to pay a substantial storage charge for a consignment due to the delayed delivery of one document.

14. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers14 Appropriacy Language used in business transactions have to meet international standards in the use of Pronunciation/intonation Specialised vocabulary Register suitable for the position of participants in the interaction

15. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers15 Discussion points Compare priorities of skills and requirements in the real world and in the classroom? –For teachers/academic managers –For students Which requirements are not considered in the classroom? How could teachers prepare students for the specific requirements of the business world?

16. Quality Management for Schools and Teachers16 What to do? Raise awareness among teachers/students of these difference Design specialised tasks and exercises similar to real-life situations (e.g. build in a time limit) Evaluate language performance also by task result and not only by language accuracy