crypto解码:Guide to Professional Development in TESOL

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Are you a TESOL professional, or do you just have a job? What is a TESOL professional, and how can you become one?

A diverse network of English language teaching professionals is working to strengthen the teaching and learning of English around the world. These professionals are advancing their careers while advancing the profession of English language teaching. Membership in TESOL is only the first step toward elevating your teaching from just a job to a career and then to a profession. Whether your goal is to make a difference in your students‘ lives, conduct research in the field of English language teaching and learning, or help newcomers to the profession be the best they can be, TESOL membership is not simply an end unto itself--it is a vehicle for members to use in developing the profession while also developing as professionals.

So what is a TESOL professional? What can you do to become one? How do you know when your career has passed from the level of "just a job" to a profession?

TESOL professionals enhance their careers by developing materials, administering programs, and becoming active members of professional organizations. TESOL professionals conduct language research, present papers at conferences and seminars, write for professional publications, and advance academically by pursuing postgraduate degrees and becoming lifelong learners.

The paths to professionalism in the field of TESOL are as diverse as the profession itself. It may help to think of professionalism as a continuum with "just a job" at one end and "professionalism" at the other. Your goal is to continually move toward the professionalism side of the spectrum. How can you do that, and how can TESOL help?

Getting Started

• Become a TESOL member. TESOL members stay current with trends by participating in member communities; subscribing to TESOL publications; and enjoying discounts on educational programs, convention registration, publications, and more.

• Join your local affiliate. TESOL affiliates are autonomous, regionally based professional organizations that complement the work and services of TESOL. Membership in an affiliate is separate from membership in TESOL, and TESOL recommends joining both to maximize opportunities for learning and networking.

• Attend a TESOL convention. Convention participants have access to more than 1,000 presentations, plenary addresses by leaders in the field, an exhibit hall full of publications and products, pre- and postconvention institutes, and the Job MarketPlace job fair.

• Attend affiliate conventions. Use TESOL‘s worldwide calendar of events to find out when and where your local affiliate‘s next conference, workshop, or professional development event will be held. Participation in affiliate events helps you learn more about local news, issues, developments, and concerns in the profession in your part of the world.

• Participate in TESOL‘s educational programs. Teachers can update their skills, learn new skills, and possibly earn continuing education credits by participating in TESOL academies, symposia, fora, and online courses. These events offer English language teachers and administrators the opportunity to focus on topics of special interest, including social responsibility, learning to teach online English language courses, and the role of education in developing a culture of peace.

• Network. Learn from your colleagues via TESOL member communities such as caucuses and interest sections. Subscribe to (and read!) posts from your colleagues or pose a question to your colleagues via TESOL‘s e-lists.

• Read TESOL publications. Learn as much as you can about developments in the profession from TESOL publications. Topics include practical classroom tips (the New Ways series), studies of particular aspects of English language teaching (the Case Studies series), and guides to becoming a professional (the Professional Development in Language Education series).

The Next Steps

• Present a paper, poster, workshop, or demonstration. Present at TESOL‘s annual convention or affiliate conferences. This activity has a dual purpose: helping you become more involved with TESOL and its affiliates and helping you gain recognition in the field as a whole.

• Write an article for a TESOL publication. Submit articles to TESOL‘s serial publications, interest section and caucus newsletters, or affiliate newsletters. This activity, along with presenting a paper, helps you become a resource for others‘ professional development. These are the first steps in giving back to those from whom you have learned so much.

• Participate in a TESOL standing committee. Choose from a variety of committees and member communities, and put your expertise to work.

• Learn to become a TESOL leader. TESOL offers the Leadership Development Certificate Program (LDCP) to meet the specific needs of TESOL members who have asked for opportunities to learn more about the association and to develop their skills as leaders of the association and its affiliates. Courses and workshops are held on site during the TESOL convention and online afterward.

• Participate in decision-making processes. Serve as a volunteer or officer of an interest section, caucus, or affiliate, and help facilitate change in the association and the profession.

• Become involved in advocacy efforts. TESOL underwrites programs and undertakes a variety of projects to increase respect for the profession, for its practitioners, and for its student constituency. Subscribe to TESOL‘s advocacy lists to stay informed about the issues that matter to you.

• Apply for a grant, fellowship, or award. TESOL offers several awards and grants and publishes a guide to other funding sources in the field of English language teaching. Receiving an award, grant, or fellowship makes your professional development more financially feasible while giving you added recognition in the profession.

Other Professional Activities

• Share. Share your ideas with your colleagues, and look for opportunities to learn from your colleagues‘ ideas. Share lesson plans; write materials for your institution; give talks to other teachers on campus; and write articles or give interviews for professional and scholarly journals, school-based publications, and local, regional, or national media.

• Invest personal time and money as needed. Spend time outside of class helping students with problems or developing ideas and materials. Consider spending your own money on professional development activities if your institution is too underfunded to help. Spending personal time and money on your profession is an investment in yourself.

• Focus on your responsibility to your students. Remember that your students do not take time away from your writing and research; they are the reason for it! Make a commitment to miss class as infrequently as possible, always arrive on time, never leave early, and always be prepared. Put in the time and demonstrate the timeliness that you ask of your students. Part of the role of the professional in the classroom is to model the dedication you wish to see in your students.

• Focus on your responsibility to your institution. Always attend required meetings. Focus on the task at hand and make suggestions; don‘t just offer criticism. Prepare required materials and turn them in on time or early. Remember, a deadline isn‘t the due date; it is the end of the period during which something is expected and accepted. Help your program be the best it can be by mentoring new teachers, leading teacher and student organizations, and developing new organizations where needed.

• Focus on your responsibility to yourself. Be honest with yourself and realistic about your time. You cannot grow as a professional or fulfill your obligations to your students, your institution, or the profession as a whole if you are overextended. Set priorities and stick to them. Focus on your priorities. You are more obligated to fulfill a responsibility that you have already taken on than to take on an additional responsibility.

• Enjoy what you do. If you enjoy your profession, your chosen subfield, and the institution and location in which you work, professional development won‘t seem like a chore.

• State and Provincial Departments of Education
• Searching for a Teacher Education Program
• Tips for Evaluating Teacher Education Programs
• Other Resources for Becoming Qualified
• Common Qualifications for English Language Teachers