Ready, Steady, Go!Ready, Steady, Go!The Teacher as participant in The Teacher as participant in

school language policyschool language policy

Antoinette Camilleri GrimaAntoinette Camilleri Grima

What does a teacher What does a teacher bring to class?bring to class?

StakeholdersStakeholders

TeachersTeachers

AdministratorsAdministrators

Parents/carersParents/carers

Education Education authoritiesauthorities

External agentsExternal agents

The teacher as a childThe teacher as a child

Getting readyGetting ready

The linguistic and The linguistic and cultural practicescultural practices

Inherit attitudesInherit attitudes

Formulate beliefsFormulate beliefs

Develop habitsDevelop habits

As a student-teacherAs a student-teacher

Getting steadyGetting steady

Relevant factors:Relevant factors:

Choice of careerChoice of career

Course structureCourse structure

Areas of studyAreas of study

Opportunity for Opportunity for practicepractice

Qualified teacherQualified teacher

Go!Go!

PracticesPractices

Teacher deploymentTeacher deployment

Role within the schoolRole within the school

Opportunity for Opportunity for personal developmentpersonal development

Sense of fulfilmentSense of fulfilment

AngelaAngela

BiographicalBiographicalLongitudinalLongitudinalDevelopmentalDevelopmentalEthnographicEthnographicMalteseMalteseRepresentativeRepresentative

Watch videoWatch video

Teacher baggageTeacher baggage

Bi-dialectalBi-dialectal

BilingualBilingual

PlurilingualPlurilingual

MulticulturalMulticultural

What was missing?What was missing?

Had little Had little opportunity for opportunity for intercultural intercultural communicationcommunication

What was gained?What was gained?

Positive attitudePositive attitude

Teacher of Italian Teacher of Italian from Italyfrom Italy

Teacher EducationTeacher Education

Choice of professionChoice of profession

Teaching practiceTeaching practice

Deployment of teachersDeployment of teachers

Induction into the Induction into the professionprofession

What was missing?What was missing?

Lack of preparation for Lack of preparation for new realities likenew realities like

• Heavy work loadHeavy work load

• Examination pressuresExamination pressures

• Negative attitudesNegative attitudes

• Parental involvementParental involvement

What was gained?What was gained?

Knowledge and Knowledge and understandingunderstanding

Experience, skills, Experience, skills, valuesvalues

Ability to reflect and Ability to reflect and act upon that act upon that reflectionreflection

The Teacher at SchoolThe Teacher at School

Personal & Personal & professional professional developmentdevelopment

ActiveActive

MotivatedMotivated

Something missing…Something missing…

No cross-curricular No cross-curricular relevancerelevance

No diversified approachNo diversified approach

Feels disheartenedFeels disheartened

Finds personal Finds personal fulfilment outside fulfilment outside schoolschool

Rays of hopeRays of hope

Decentralisation of Decentralisation of power – school power – school autonomyautonomy

Teacher Teacher empowermentempowerment

In-house Staff Development In-house Staff Development

Organisational structures Organisational structures and procedures within the and procedures within the school should engage school should engage teachers in reflecting and teachers in reflecting and acting, and in feeling that acting, and in feeling that they are making a valid they are making a valid and welcome and welcome contributioncontribution..

Teachers’ Perspectives on Effective Teachers’ Perspectives on Effective School LeadershipSchool Leadership

(Harris, Day & Hadfield, 2003)(Harris, Day & Hadfield, 2003)

• Staff development is generally Staff development is generally welcomed by teacherswelcomed by teachers

• Viewed as a means of rewarding Viewed as a means of rewarding staffstaff

• Motivates developmentMotivates development

““In particular, the headteachers’ In particular, the headteachers’ commitment to staff commitment to staff development was seen as a development was seen as a key element of effective key element of effective leadership”leadership” (p. 74)(p. 74)

……from the perspective of from the perspective of teachers… teachers…

effective school leaders effective school leaders enable others to initiate,enable others to initiate,

and to take responsibility for and to take responsibility for leadingleading