Riin Kont-Kontson
TTK University of Applied SciencesIMG_0674

My initial teacher training prepared me for….sorry my mind went blank trying to finish this sentence. To be honest, everything I have learned has come from my practice as a university lecturer- there I have learned human psychology, time management, responsibility, being a role model, leadership, effectiveness, you name it!
Andy Gaskins,
St. Gilles International London CentreIMG_0665

There seems to be a similarity between teacher training and, more broadly, teaching (of English- particularly, though not exclusively) in the need to cover, a syllabus, a course, the content of an exam etc…this can often lead to top-down controlled teaching- the fear of letting go, being perhaps less to do with the teacher’s own desire to control than with pressure from above to get the students / trainees from where they are to where they need to be

Bulara Monyaki,
University of Warwick PG StudentIMG_0680

My teacher training was a very top down experience. The facilitators know and the trainees have to take their cues and directives from the trainer. The voice of the trainee is not heard as they only follow instructions…

Deepthi Sashidhar,
Government First Grade College for Women (Ramanagar)
TDSIG Michael Berman Scholarship WinnerIMG_0666

Having reached the stage of teaching where I was comfortable with my own proficiency in English, I was pleasantly surprised and in fact, glad to be jostled out of the complacency of it, but events that seemed to bracket me as a NNEST, and made me aware that “with power comes responsibility”, and I had a responsibility to better myself

Saleha Mersin,
University of Warwick PG StudentIMG_0675

My teacher training was basically a top-down one. I learned a lot from informal interactions, colleagues, people outside teaching and especially my students.