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From: Anna Silliman <73651.1122@CompuServe.COM>
Newsgroups: nifl.esl
Subject: soup kitchen
Date: 29 Jan 1997 12:31:06 -0500
Organization: National Institute for Literacy
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I am "provoked" by David Rosen's posting to share with you
my editorial comments from the upcoming issue of Hands-on English,
because my "list of demands" seems appropriate to what he
is asking about.
I'd also like to say that SOME of the minimum requirements
required to do professional work that are missing in adult ESL
programs don't even require extra funds! So why can't we have them??
I suggest there is a major failure to take learning English
seriously, even within educational settings.
Here's the editorial:
*** A new set of demands ***
With the new year underway, and many of the federal
funding crises of the past year resolved, at least for
the short term, we'd like to take this opportunity to
list what we think every ESL instructor should have,
in order to do a great job:
1. Space large enough for the number of students.
2. Secure storage for teaching materials.
3. A materials budget, with materials selected by teachers.
4. Copying facilities with no hassles.
5. Reliable mail delivery at school.
6. Access to a phone (at least to call out).
7. Office hours,or space and time set aside to meet students
outside of class.
8. Options for professional development, on an ongoing basis.
9. Class size appropriate to the teaching goals of the course!
10. Pay and benefits that increase over time; recognition of service.
11. A job description that outlines the tasks expected of a teacher.
12. Support and help with things that need doing outside the job
description.
13. Administrators who take input from teachers about the needs of
their students.
14. Respect for our students that is visible in the institution.
(Celebrate our successes!)
"Coping" is not enough!
Since no doubt more demands will be put on teachers
in the future in terms of accountability, let's raise our
expectations of what a good program should provide so that
we can do our work.
Anna Silliman, Editor
Hands-on English
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Anna Silliman, Editor
Hands-on English "A helping hand for ESL"
P.O. Box 256, Crete, NE 68333
Toll-free: 1-800-ESL-HAND (375-4263)
Phone:402-826-5426
Fax: 402-826-3997
E-mail: 73651.1122@compuserve.com
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