WEDNESDAY 29TH JULY, 2009

SCHEDULE

13.00 – 13.30: Registration
13.30 – 14.45: First Talk: Do we really want to make it homogeneous?
14.45 – 15.30: Coffee break
15.30 – 16.45: Second Talk: Keys to self-development

ABSTRACTS
First Talk:
Do we really want to make it homogeneous?
A lot has been said on mixed-ability and heterogeneous classes but very little in the form of practical tips that really help us solve the problems we face daily. We all know that we usually teach large groups in which students are likely to have different levels of English, different socio-cultural backgrounds, different learning potentials… If heterogeneity is then to be expected, why are more and more teachers finding it difficult to achieve their aims? In what part of the teaching/learning process does the failure lie? What works and what doesn’t work with heterogeneous classes? Let us analyse the variables at play and discuss how we can enjoy what we do as we manage to help our students learn more effectively.

Second Talk:
Keys to self-development
Teachers are often assessed in terms of their results: if our students pass international exams, learn how to speak properly or write good compositions, we are excellent! The truth is that results do not depend only on us but also on the focus of our work: our students. However, if the teaching/learning process is defined by the roles and actions of three participants – student, teacher and environment – then we are also responsible for poor results. What fails when we fail? How can we become better teachers each day? What makes a good teacher? Perfect grammar? Native-like sounds? Continuous training? These are undoubtedly important factors that contribute to but do not guarantee our becoming effective. Being modest is a good starting point. Why? Because the key to professional growth is closely related to constructive self-assessment and this, in turn, has to do with the teacher’s presence in the classroom, the use of management skills and problem-solving strategies, etc. Let us analyze the different variables from a practical point of view aiming at our own professional development.

BIO DATA
Profesora Alejandra Ottolina
Director of Studies at Santa Monica School of Languages, is an experienced accredited teacher trainer for: C.O.T.E (Certificate for Overseas teachers of English) and I.C.E.L.T. (In-service Certificate for English Language Teachers) - University of Cambridge.
Alejandra is a Profesora de Inglés from the Instituto de Enseñanza Superior en Lenguas Vivas “Juan Ramón Fernández”. She has lectured all over Argentina as well as in TEFL congresses in Uruguay and Paraguay. She is the Course Consultant for Winners and her work as an author includes the Winners teacher’s books, the CLIL section in the Switch On series and its teacher’s books, among others.