Planning your Career

as a Language
Educator
Mary Shepard Wong,
Azusa Pacific University
CATESOL 2009 Pasadena, CA
April 17, 2009 Hilton Hotel
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Questions
Areyouaprofessionallanguageeducator?
Ifnot,whodoyouconsidertobeaprofessional?
Wherewillyoubeteachingintheyear2020and
whatwillyouhaveaccomplishedprofessionally?
Whateventshavecausedyoutogrowmostasa
languageorteachereducator?
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Teacher development
defined
Teacher development is a term used
in the literature to describe a process
of continual intellectual, experiential,
and attitudinal growth of teachers
(Lange, 1990, p. 250). It allows for
continued growth both before and
throughout a career . . . in which
teachers continue to evolve in the use,
adaptation, and application of their art
and craft (ibid).
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Teacher / professional
development allows
teachers to:
1. Raise awareness of their strengths and
weaknesses in teaching
2. Acquire new knowledge
3. Solve a particular problem
4. Upgrade skills due to changes in society or
the field of ELT
5. Advance their career
6. Find fulfillment and prevent burnout
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1. Ways to raise awareness of s & w

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Keep a journal
Learn a new language
Record and view your teaching
Ask a peer to observe you and discuss it
Observe other teachers
Compile a portfolio
Engage in team teaching
Ask someone to mentor you
Engage in action research
Survey students about your teaching

2. Ways to acquire new knowledge

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Attend a conference
Read professional journals in ELT
Read in different but related fields
Become active in professional organizations
Write a book review
Write an article or chapter
Enroll in an advanced degree program
Launch a teachers reading group
Ask to teach a different level, course, content
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3. Ways to solve a problem

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Engage in a case study

Interview colleagues
Conduct classroom or collaborative research
Analyze a critical incident
Conduct an online survey
Join an online discussion list
Find related online resources
Join or start a special interest group (SIG)
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4. Ways to upgrade your skills

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Attend a workshop in desired area

Find ways to learn from your colleagues
Apply for a grant to learn a specific skill
Take an online or distance course

5. Ways to advance your career

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Get an advanced degree

Engage in and write up research
Write a chapter, journal article, or book
Co-write or edit a book
Apply for administrative positions
Seek out positions as a teacher educator
Develop a language course
Create a language program
Establish a language school
Volunteer to serve on committees

6. Ways to find fulfillment

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Take a sabbatical (perhaps without pay)

Start a student scholarship fund
Organize a local conference
Volunteer in a professional organization
Engage in international collaboration
Mentor other teachers
Teach less advantaged students
Start a professional organization
Be an advocate for students
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Steps to plan your career

1. Determine your strengths and
weaknesses as a teacher and plan to
develop both.
2. Consider where you are in your
journey in terms of education,
teaching and life experiences, and
meaningful professional
opportunities you have had so far.
3. Brainstorm and then select &
prioritize long term goals supported
by short term goals.
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4. Design a plan noting the resources

A matrix to help assess

awareness of ones teaching
Known to self
self
Known to
others

Unknown
to others

OPEN SELF
What we and
others know

SECRET SELF
What we know
but others dont
know

Unknown to

BLIND SELF
What we dont
know but others
do know
HIDDEN SELF
What we and
others dont
know

Johari window (Joe Luft & Harry Ingram 1969)

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Determining your strengths

(Write out three of your strengths which may
relate to:)

Knowledge (Head)
General Pedagogical knowledge
(Teaching)

Specific Subject matter knowledge

(Language & Language Learning, TESOL )

Self-Awareness (Heart)
open, blind, secret, hidden self

Attitude (Heart)
autonomy (motivation, choice,
responsibility)

Skills (Hands)
Language proficiency

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Considering your
weaknesses
(Write three of your weaknesses which may
relate to:)

Knowledge (Head)

General Pedagogical knowledge

(Teaching)

Specific Subject matter knowledge

(Language & Language Learning, TESOL )

Self-Awareness (Heart)
open, blind, secret, hidden self

Attitude (Heart)
autonomy (motivation, choice,
responsibility)

Skills (Hands)
Language proficiency

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Reflecting on our journey

so far
Look over your CV / Rsum or make a
timeline and mark your:
Education (degrees)
Professional activities or times of
growth
Teaching experience to date
Related life experiences

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Envisioning your ideal self

If you were to imagine the most
ambitious long term professional goal,
what would that be?
You never know what you can do
until you try, so dream BIG!
Envision an ideal world. What type of
person is needed to create and sustain
that world? What type of educator is
needed to educate such a person?
What experiences will enable you to
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become such an educator?

Prioritizing our goals

Keeping in mind your strengths and
weaknesses, your current stage of
development, and your aspirations, write:
1 long term (10 year) PD goal
2 short term (2-5 year) goals to support
it
(i.e. directly related to the long term
goal)
2 short term goals to augment it
(i.e., not necessarily related to the long
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term goal)

Closing comment
The only people who achieve much
are those who want knowledge so badly that they
seek it while the conditions are unfavorable.
Favorable conditions never come.
C. S. Lewis

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