About TDSIG

Who we are

IATEFL Teacher Development Special Interest Group provides a forum for us to develop our potential as teachers, to cultivate our abilities to navigate the challenges and successes of being a teacher, and to invigorate us in our ongoing work.

Anyone interested in such developmental issues can share their experiences and learn from the experiences of others. Through such a network, our community seeks to encourage individuals and groups of teachers to undertake activities that focus on personal and professional development.

TDSIG was formed by Adrian Underhill in 1985, and was one of the first distinct IATEFL SIGs.

Our aims:

  • To enable and encourage all categories of teacher to take more responsibility for professional and personal evolution throughout their careers.
  • To promote individual and institutional awareness of the importance of teacher development.
  • To encourage the provision of facilities for teacher development which do not already exist.

Become a member!

Meet the committee

Joint-coordinators

Cecília Lemos Harmer

Cecília Lemos Harmer

James Taylor

James Taylor

Committee members and projects

Helen Slee

Helen Slee

  • Developod
  • Website
  • DEI Officer

Helen Slee is a nonbinary British-Canadian English language teacher, writer, editor, and content creator who has been teaching English since 2015 to learners of all ages and levels. They have taught online and in multiple countries, including five years in Spain, and have spoken and written about ELT since 2020, and will not stop anytime soon. They are currently completing their DipTESOL, teaching privately, working on several creative projects, and always looking for professional development opportunities.

Elizabeth Coleman

Elizabeth Coleman

  • Publications
  • Events
  • DEI Officer

Elizabeth Coleman is a British ELT educator currently residing in Türkiye where she works at a private university delivering academic English lessons and overseeing departmental PD. She began her career in South Korea and has since taught students from many different countries in a variety of contexts. She is a frequent conference speaker and teacher trainer and writes on issues of inclusion and diversity. Her passion lies in promoting social and educational equity.

Jake Kimball

Jake Kimball

  • Publications

Jake Kimball holds an MSc in educational management in TESOL from Aston University, and his interests include program evaluation and classroom dynamics. In particular, he is interested in classroom management factors impacting Willingness to Communicate (WTC) and demotivation. Taking part in teacher development activities has been a long-time interest. He is an assistant professor of English in the Liberal Arts Department of Semyung University in South Korea.

Maria Eugenia laniro

Maria Eugenia laniro

  • Events
  • Social Media

María Eugenia Ianiro is an EFL educator with a degree as Licenciada en Lengua Inglesa and an MA in Professional Development for Language Education from Chichester University. Specialising in phonology and methodology, she brings extensive expertise to her role in EFL teacher education programs. María Eugenia is also a dedicated member of the ELT community, actively participating in and presenting at various professional events.

Natalia Wright

Natalia Wright

  • Publications

Natalia Wright is an ELT practitioner, researcher, and holistic educator. With nearly thirty years of experience teaching multilingual students in diverse educational contexts at the global and local intersection, she proudly calls herself a glocademic dedicated to promoting an inclusive approach to education. Having started as a classroom teacher, Natalia has progressed to her current role as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Liberal Arts at the American University of the Middle East in Kuwait, where she currently resides. As an experienced British Council trainer and a lifelong learner, she is constantly exploring new ways to inspire teachers through workshops, research, and collaborative projects.

Maria de la Caridad Smith Batson

Maria de la Caridad Smith Batson

  • Scholarships

Maria de la Caridad Smith Batson is a Full Professor at the University of Las Tunas, holds a doctorate in Educational Sciences; she is a teacher trainer, with an expertise on Integrated English Practice and English Didactics in Teaching Education Programs. Her professional experience of more than thirty years in the field has led to research studies published in several books and journal articles, on topics such as: The training process, Language teaching and learning, Professional guidance; the teacher’s role, and EFL habits and skills formation, which are also her research interests. She is a board member for teacher’s ranks, Masters’ and Doctorate dissertations.

Sammy Ming

Sammy Ming

  • Social Media
  • TDSIG on Tour

Sammy Ming is an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) lecturer at a university in London and an ELT materials writer. Over the course of her career, she has worked across a wide range of ELT contexts, including teacher training, Business English, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), IELTS preparation, and General English. Sammy is committed to professional development and reflective practice, and her work is informed by extensive classroom experience and a strong interest in supporting learners and teachers through accessible, high-impact materials. She was awarded the TESOL Professional Development Scholarship in 2021, and in 2019 she received the IELTS Morgan Terry Memorial Scholarship from IATEFL.

Sinem Atamsoy Koşar

Sinem Atamsoy Koşar

  • TDSIG on Tour
  • Developod

After 32 years in ELT, Sinem Atamsoy Koşar has recently stepped back from her university instructor role to focus on what she loves most – inspiring people to grow. She is a mentor, speaker, course writer and certified Neurolanguage Coach®. Throughout her career, Sinem has served as an academic manager, test writer, professional development coordinator, and a teacher educator. She is also one of the founding members and the former president of TESOL Türkiye, and currently serves on the Executive Committee of TEDSIG TESOL Türkiye. Originally from Northern Cyprus, Sinem continues to share her passion for learning, leadership, and growth through coaching, mentoring, and educational consultancy.

Cherry Au

Cherry Au

  • Social Media
  • Developod

Cherry Au is an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor at a further education college in Manchester and a regular speaker at international conferences. Having substantial teaching experience in Southest Asia and in the UK, Cherry has developed herself as an all round professional and decided to lay her research interest in continuous professional development (CPD). She values learning and she is interested in learning discovery. She has become a member of IATEFL for several years and now serves as one of the committee memebers of the Teacher Developement (TD) Special interest group. She is actively looking for opportunities to collaborate with other like-minded professionals in any possible ways through workshops, tallks or publications.