{"id":3181,"date":"2012-04-08T09:41:41","date_gmt":"2012-04-08T08:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eltchat.com\/?p=3181"},"modified":"2012-04-08T09:41:41","modified_gmt":"2012-04-08T08:41:41","slug":"demand-high-teaching-summary-of-eltchat-28032012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/2012\/04\/08\/demand-high-teaching-summary-of-eltchat-28032012\/","title":{"rendered":"Demand-High Teaching – Summary of #Eltchat 28\/03\/2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

This #ELTchat took place at 12:00 P.M. GMT on 28\/03\/2012 and Jim Scrivener agreed to take part in this as a follow up to the issues he raised in his talk at IATEFL Glasgow. The chat started with Mr Scrivener sending a series of tweets to briefly outline the main points he raised in his talk and then #ELTchat participants started the discussion to which he responded from TESOL International Conference 2012 – in Philadelphia – which he was, at the time, attending.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The summary was contributed by Lizzie Pinard and it is reproduced here from her blog<\/span><\/a> with her kind permission. Thank you Lizzie!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Having been privileged to see Jim Scrivener (@jimscriv) talk at length about Demand-High Teaching (DHT) at the recent IATEFL conference in Glasgow, which led me, via a follow-up session with both @jimscriver and Adrian Underhill, to\u00a0their blog on this subject<\/a>\u00a0as well as his\u00a0recent book<\/a>\u00a0on Classroom Management Techniques, when #Eltchat time rolled around, for me it was the obvious choice of topic to nominate. And, not only was it selected as the number one discussion choice but @jimscriv, himself, was able to join us today from his hotel room in Philly where he is currently attending another conference.<\/p>\n

@theteacherjames recommended that we all read\u00a0\u00a0by @jemjemgardner before kicking off and finally, following strict instructions from @marisa_c, the\u00a0discussion itself began with\u00a0an introduction<\/a>\u00a0from @jimscriv. This culminated with the question,<\/p>\n

Is where we are really where we want to be? Or have we just ended up here somehow?<\/strong><\/p>\n

@Jimscriv proposed that we, as teachers, \u201chave drifted into a sort of dead end\u201d and, in response to @Shaunwilden\u2019s argument that a new name is not needed for what is simply expecting the most from our students, states that the main purpose of coining the term, DHT, was to be provocative and generate discussion. (An aim that was certainly achieved during this #eltchat session!)<\/p>\n

A lot of questions were raised, and in the spirit of avoiding the spoon-feeding method, I\u2019ll start \u00a0by listing these for you to reflect on before offering up the responses that tweeters volunteered.<\/strong><\/p>\n

–\u00a0Do you think that we\u2019ve drifted into a touchy feely style because we\u2019ve incorrectly associated engagement with fun?<\/p>\n

– Has it become \u2018politically correct\u2019 to overpraise?<\/p>\n

– Does DHT match with learner expectations or wants or needs?<\/p>\n

– Is DHT just expecting the most from your students?<\/p>\n

– Maybe deferring to the [course] book isn\u2019t all bad, if it leaves more time to allocate to more challenging tasks with pupils?<\/p>\n

– Demand high cognitively or linguistically? Some lessons put both at elementary level.<\/p>\n

– Are teachers afraid to demand high linguistically?<\/p>\n

– Why aim low?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0How does \u2018demand-high ELT\u2019 sit with differentiation? Seems a demand too high. I\u2019m already stretch as far as I can be sometimes.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0How do u distinguish between positive feedback and praise?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The discussion focussed initially on\u00a0defining DHT, reaching an understanding of what it involves and, indeed, what it does not involve.\u00a0Here are some of the suggestions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Demand-High isn\u2019t a negative argument. It\u2019s a positive assertion that it\u2019s ok to \u201cteach\u201d.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Everyone means well but somehow we have lost touch with where the learning is going on.<\/p>\n

– We used to call this \u2018having high expectations of our Ss\u2019 and research suggests if you do,ss rise UP to ur expectation.<\/p>\n

– We need to treat students like adults (if they are) and challenge them in every way<\/p>\n

– Encouragement as valuable. Feedback as essential. Praise as mostly harmful.<\/p>\n

– Demand high can be for any kind of student, low or high ability, just have to differentiate the demand.<\/p>\n

– It\u2019s about providing the right amount of challenge for each student.<\/p>\n

– It\u2019s about not giving indiscriminate praise- which means nothing.<\/p>\n

– Of course lessons shld be enjoyable \u2013 but that comes from engagement with real learning \u2013 not spurious \u201cfun\u201d.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0All sts should be treated like \u2018achieving students\u2019 rather than like slowies\u2026..<\/p>\n

– I think that there is a way of teaching one-to-one with everyone in a class. And making it useful for all.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Goal is that feedback is neutral or comes from students themselves, rather than mechanically from T.<\/p>\n

– It involves an endless struggle between what Ts believe in and the philosophy of CB-based syllabus and exams imposed by the school?<\/p>\n

– DHT means more teaching moments or periods in a lesson<\/p>\n

–\u00a0I think of high demand as my Ss being able to do things with the language. I want to see what they can do. So more them than me.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Demand-High is definitely learner-centred and learning-centred.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0The challenge must be sensitive and supportive. The aim is not to terrify! But helpful, coaching, focus makes a huge difference.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This led on to exploring the obstacles that obstruct the way to DHT:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– In theory, I see myself as a \u201cdemand high\u201d teacher *but* in some contexts, it isn\u2019t always practical\/possible<\/p>\n

– Demand-low or average teaching is infectious in institutions where there is blame culture<\/p>\n

–\u00a0There is a culture of praising when it isn\u2019t fully due, I\u2019d say \u2013 hard to separate from \u2018encouragement\u2019<\/p>\n

–\u00a0We also have the difficulty of judging what is demand high of an elementary and what it is for, say, an upper int student<\/p>\n

–\u00a0There\u2019s a misunderstanding that just because they look like they are enjoying themselves, they must be learning<\/p>\n

–\u00a0We need to ensure the level of challenge is right in so many ways (not too heavy linguistically) not too light (content)<\/p>\n

– Schools, ministries etc do a great disservice to Ts by imposing targets \u2013 so many units a week<\/p>\n

– Having to enroll students on a course knowing that they are going to pass the final exam<\/p>\n

–\u00a0The trouble with any term is that it\u2019s open to interpretation.\u00a0 Inevitable.<\/p>\n

– DHT is also demanding of the T \u2013 more time, effort, preparation, energy required. Can\u2019t just sit back and do same old.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0I worked in a language school where \u201cno\u201d was a word we were not allowed to say to students. Impossible mission.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Seen so many teachers getting swept along by syllabus \u2013 doing 5 rushed readings per week instead of one good one.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Uncritical coursebook use promotes a kind of dependency in Ts and Ss \u2013 hand-holding all round \u2013 we all need a degree of challenge.<\/p>\n

– Often teachers are scared that they\u2019ll upset the students. There can be cultural sensitivities in play too.<\/p>\n

– Humanism is hugely misunderstood in ELT. It is almost the opposite of \u201ctouchy feely\u201d. It is a muscular, robust way to help.<\/p>\n

– There\u2019s a lot of treadmill in ELT (& edu generally), often exam driven \u2013 more bits of paper<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So despite all these obstacles, how can we promote DHT? How can we bring it into our classroom?<\/strong><\/p>\n

– By\u00a0guiding them [learners], leading them towards an achievable goal, but without a script, adapting to their needs during the lesson.<\/p>\n

– If we are going to challenge them we have to know where they are at. Our relationship w the Ss important.<\/p>\n

– \u201cChallenge\u201d [the learners] to acquire \u2013 if tasks dont\u2019s have enough challenge there is no acquisition.<\/p>\n

– Giving hints to get students to reformulate something rather than immediately gving the correct version yourself.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Teachers need to slow down and learn to stop meeting targets in course books. Focus on what\u2019s happening, then and there.<\/p>\n

– Question what we are doing\u00a0 in class rather than just doing it for the sake of doing it.<\/p>\n

– When the topic is \u2018tedious and insulting\u2019, we need to find a better angle from the sts (or change the book!)<\/p>\n

– We need to train Ts to (a) say \u201cno\u201d supportively and (b) have techniques to help sts to \u201cyes\u201d<\/p>\n

–\u00a0No more spoonfeeding, let them develop ideas and shape them, less book-based teaching and more exploration.<\/p>\n

– Being straight foward and asking students to not to settle for good enough.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0I ask them questions that I think may intrigue them.<\/p>\n

– Honesty is great, but correction needs to be sensitively and supportively done.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Choose subjects which the sts will find motivating. High demand will come easier from their own engagement.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0Push them,challenge them, support them then let them lead<\/p>\n

– Involve ss in discussing what we\u2019ve done, how can we do it better and what needs to be done next: learner responsibility.<\/p>\n

– Get sts working for answers. Get sts to explain rules & meanings. Empower sts & give yourself room to see the bigger picture.<\/p>\n

-Look at them as individuals and not homogenizing expectations for whole class<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We then considered the role of pre-service teacher training in promoting DHT, what happens beyond this training and what should happen\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

There were some questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– DHT seems a post-CELTA step to me. A higher plane of evolution. How do Ts get there? Who wil support\/guide them?<\/p>\n

– Wondering how could this be incorporated into e.g. CELTA..<\/p>\n

– What T standards are there post-CELTA? What are Ts goals after they have taught for a few years? Do they get lost in the soup?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And some opinions:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– [Wondering how this could be incorporated into CELTA?]It is, but then it gets lost achieving a tick box criteria<\/p>\n

– I think they [pre-service teacher trainers] have a responsibility \u2013 more looking at techniques etc rather than here\u2019s a good activity for<\/p>\n

-Maybe it\u2019s for post-CELTA, maybe it comes with experience as well. It\u2019s about questioning approaches, methods and techniques.<\/p>\n

– Hate to say but maybe Teachers have problems with HDT & support because in their certificate programme their trainer made them feel like an idiot.<\/p>\n

– You probably can\u2019t \u201ctrain\u201d in 4 weeks. That course [CELTA] is survival skills. But an experienced T needs more skills.<\/p>\n

– My sense is CELTA (no offense any1!) often pushes Ts 2 follow list of things to do\/not do rather than focusing on Student Learning<\/p>\n

– We can\u2019t teach this in 4 weeks, but we can make the goal clear and model in own practice<\/p>\n

– There is a higher skillset for experienced Ts that is largely unnoticed and untrained.<\/p>\n

– At the end of the day it\u2019s not about he qualifications it is about the skills in the classroom<\/p>\n

– This is definitely where DoSes come in \u2013 observing Ts and forming understanding of what they are about, then guiding.<\/p>\n

– Maybe CELTA can promote DHT but we need to develop it ourselves<\/p>\n

– It\u2019s hard to get new Ts to reflect and question practices\/methods on the Celta when there\u2019s only 4 weeks to teach them how to teach.<\/p>\n

– Delta courses \u201cshould\u201d go there \u2013 but are so wound up in stress and checklists that they tend not to.<\/p>\n

-It\u2019s very important that Ts understand the value (or not) of what they\u2019re doing<\/p>\n

– I think CELTA trainees can only cope with so much. It\u2019s a survival intro. Sure, intro the idea\u00a0 but expect \u201clag\u201d<\/p>\n

– A suggestion-come up with a series of DHT commandments. See #dogme for an example. V.useful for post-CELTA Ts.<\/p>\n

– Demand-high is the business of in-service development, peer observation, action research, supportive observations etc<\/p>\n

– Truly it all begins in the training classroom but the microclimate of institutions also plays an impotrant role<\/p>\n

– Ts sit and wait for PD to come to them. They often don\u2019t know where or when to start.<\/p>\n

– Hard in a sector where too many institutions r concerned abt bums on seats not quality. Like mobile phone companies.<\/p>\n

– Teachers carry around a lot of assumptions \u2013 DoSes need to investigate, identify and challenge these regularly.<\/p>\n

– Trainers can b afraid 2 stomp on trainees egos -knock-on effect inclassm. \u2018Aim high\u2019 should be a life philosophy.<\/p>\n

– It\u2019s also about changing preservice teachers perceptions of what teaching is & precedence for lifelong learning<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There seemed to be a feeling that some institutions can make it difficult for teachers to be or become demand-high teachers but that despite this, we can still bring demand-high teaching into the classroom, via any of the suggestions for promoting DHT listed earlier in this summary. As a grassroots movement, the best thing we can do is spread the word.<\/p>\n

To conclude with, here are four quotes from the discussion that, for me, really summed up what we are trying to achieve with Demand-High Teaching and how those moments might feel:<\/strong><\/p>\n

– Our students are capable of great things if we don\u2019t underestimate them.<\/p>\n

– Goethe: \u00a0\u201dIf I accept you as you are, I make you worse; but if I treat you as I believe you are capable of being, I help you become that\u201d<\/p>\n

– How will I know if I am getting my hands dirty? When learners lean back in chairs after class with tired, happy faces.<\/p>\n

– You will feel it. Uncertainty. Having to think rather than auto-pilot. A real conversation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To find out more about Demand-High Teaching and to see the discussion continue, visit\u00a0@jimscriv and Adrian\u2019s blog<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Author<\/span><\/strong>
\n\"\"<\/a>Lizzie Pinard has been teaching EFL full time for two years , has done a language assistanceship in France (as part of my degree in English and French literature) which involved teaching primary school children EFL, volunteered at a language camp in Romania, completed her CELTA at the University of Sheffield ELTC and taught all ages and abilities in an EF English First school in Indonesia, experienced the frenzied pace of summer school at Newbury Hall International School\u2019s OISE programme and taught at TBI Jakarta, also developing a school magazine and study centre.<\/p>\n

On Twitter she is @LizziePinard<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This #ELTchat took place at 12:00 P.M. GMT on 28\/03\/2012 and Jim Scrivener agreed to take part in this as a follow up to the issues he raised in his talk at IATEFL Glasgow. The chat started with Mr Scrivener sending a series of tweets to briefly outline the main points he raised in his…
Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-summary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3181\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eltchat.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}