:: What makes a good trainee? Jenny Johnson asks experienced trainers...

1. What qualities do you spot in good trainees when they first start the course?

T1: It’s a gut reaction generally, you can spot them easily. I suppose it’s to do with their openness: no hang ups, ability to get on with new people, friendly and smiley. The foreign language lesson on Day 1 is a good way to see those who are willing to learn: they participate fully in the lesson and in feedback.

T2: Somebody who looks the part, i.e. looks alert, relaxed and non threatening /confrontational. Organised, files things away, takes notes in session and asks questions at the same time.

T3: They listen to students and almost automatically grade their language to be intelligible. They check they've understood the students with such things as 'I think you mean...? etc. They look happy when with the students, they spend coffee breaks with the students, they are often good learners themselves in foreign language lessons, they worry about what they wear (casual but smart), they are punctual and they offer help to their colleagues.

T4: ability to talk to group in open class - maintain eye contact, project a bit - show empathy - be a little funny

T5: I look for people who show a bit of 'get up and go', people who, despite their nerves, are willing to participate fully in activities and try out new things. I notice particularly which trainees ask questions during input sessions and look for signs of 'good instincts' in teaching. People who can reflect on their own experience(s) of being a (language) learner and draw conclusions about the nature of the teaching-learning process. Above all, I look for reflective qualities: those that are able to reflect on their knowledge and skills, identify key areas of strength and be pro-active in setting their own agenda for future development.

2. How do good trainees organize themselves?

T1: Simply by getting a file and putting session notes according to the topic. They plan their day to study and prepare the lessons and then relax with a beer on the terrace. It’s all about time management and asking if anything isn’t clear

T2: Separate files, begins thinking about the next lesson straight after the last one, makes bullet points about areas for improvement. Fast to change and take on Tutor instructions (show alertness)

T3: Often they ask about ways to organise their notes, they allocate time for such things as planning lessons and stick to it. As opposed to going out for drinks at the drop of a hat

T4: get a file - file everything on a daily basis - re read their notes, do their material preparation the night before and before they go home

T5: good trainees organise themselves to maximise learning. This often shows in trainees who organise their files so information is at hand when they most need it. Trainees who take notes (often including small drawings or other visual support). Well organised trainees know where they have filed handouts and can access them quickly. They have usually read the timetable and pre-empted the session by thinking about issues (e.g. planning, skills work, management, etc). Well organised trainees manage the workload well and set up routines of study to keep ahead of the game. These trainees usually hand in their plans early in the day and keep their portofolio up-to-date as they go.

3. What is the most problematic area even for the good trainees?

T1: Dealing with language effectively: illustrating the meaning and ensuring that the students get sufficient meaningful practice. This means making sure that the learning process is meaningful to the students and is useful for them in their own lives. Responding to students’ difficulty with expressing themselves: Students can express themselves, but the key is to listen and then help them say it in a different, more eloquent way: shaping, really.

T2: Dealing with student questions during their lesson (throws them a bit), being able to stand back and assess their own lesson, not trying to take on too much at the same time (points to work on), have a tendency to try
and incorporate everything rather than bit by bit (they don't create their own building blocks, they try to make a house everyday instead!)

T3: Language analysis/awareness: there is masses to learn in no time at all. Really good trainees apply for courses well in advance of the start date and pack in the research before.

T4: language analysis. And identifiying the teacher role - what is it that language teachers do - different form all the teachers they have had - eg sit down, don’t ramble on explaining everything

T5: Burnout around week three. CELTA, in many ways, works against sound educational principles. Whereas in class we make sure we don't overload the students, we stress that new learning takes time to be integrated into existing knowledge. We don't expect immediate accuracy or fluency from learners (unless we are pushing the old PPP dream). Unfortunately CELTA promotes these ideas. We know that there is only so much the brain can handle and only so much information that people can take in. Finally, a big issue for some trainees is the realisation that the grade will not reflect true potential in teaching but their mental stamina. The final grade usually reflects NOT what the person could achieve but what they could do during four super-intensive weeks.

4. Are there any skills which cannot be learnt on a course?

T1: Not really: the course is intensive and there is a lot to learn. But it gives a trainee the basic skills to cope in the first year of teaching. The key is then to try things out and keep reflecting on what works (and doesn’t), a case of continuing professional development.

T2: Being a people person, not letting others intimidate you (a lot of this is to do with personality and previous experience /work).

T3: I'm not sure but to be a teacher you have to be a natural communicator. This may be the one thing we can't teach. Such things as confidence we can, however, teach: trainees need to be confident from the start.

T4: probably - but it’s difficult to identify these - and they are probably not essential to being able to teach

T5: Interpersonal skills: the ability to motivate and engage. The ability to build rapport. While I do not believe that teachers are born (and not made), it is clear that such skills are more developed in some people and are difficult to learn. We might say that these skills fall under the heading of 'aptitude'.

5. Are there any classic critical incidents which stand out for most trainees, ie when the penny drops and behaviour changes?

T1: It happens at different stages of the course for different people. That’s the beauty of it, seeing the change and reaction when it all finally ‘clicks’.

T2: Once they stop worrying about the jargon and when they realise they don't have to change themselves, just be themselves.

T3: Yes. When they learn to grade their language, when they finally realise that their job is to get the students working rather than lecturing the students on grammar etc. At some point they realise EFL is a demanding profession and suddenly become far more professional about the course

T4: when they stop ‘doing activities’ - "we are going to do a listening" "only one more thing to do" - and start helping students to understand the text or say what they want to say

T5: I often feel that for most trainees the penny drops while observing their tutors, typically after the handover in week three. At this time the trainees often have a lot of bits of information and skill. They have worked on discrete bits of knowledge in their teaching practice but typically they haven't joined the dots. During the observation they notice how all this knowledge and skill combines into a dynamic process in which the learners are the protagonists. The trainees usually zone in on the areas of teaching that they find difficult or need to work on during the last phase of the course.

So, a great deal to consider and take on board! Good luck with your course!
Thanks to all the trainers who took part in this survey. Jenny Johnson