So many of us who have pursued management of ESL Programs as a next step
in our journey as ESL professionals are very committed to keeping the
direct and real connection with the classroom. Several posters to this
list discussion have talked about the value of remaining engaged at the
classroom level because of their love of teaching and/or their desire to
remain connected to students. I know that for a couple of years I
struggled to juggle both, being an administrator and a classroom
teacher, and in the end I discovered a way to feed my need to teach and
stay connected more directly to students at the same time in a way that
I had not anticipated. My motivation has always emanated from a
commitment to refugee and immigrant students, but when I was asked to
teach in an adult credentialing programming, I discovered a whole new
way of contributing something that I thought would ultimately be of
benefit to refugees and immigrants. Working with teachers as they are
learning their craft can be wonderfully rewarding and provided me with
the opportunity to engage with teachers in a way that was not evaluative
or supervisory - which raises another question I have been wondering
about....

 

When I was going through the administrative credentialing program, the
professor who was leading the section on supervision and evaluation made
a couple of very strong recommendations; the first was that
administrators and program managers should not try to be instructional
experts and should not try to critique the teachers they were
supervising and observing from a place of expertise. The second was that
as the supervisor and/or evaluator, an administrator or program manager
is very ill positioned to be a coach, or the person identified to help
and support a teacher because the supervisory dynamic will get in the
way. 

What do others think about these recommendations? 

Can ESL Program Managers continue over time to be experts on
instructional practice, or should they acknowledge that being out of the
classroom either entirely or more than they are in it, reduces their
ability to speak from a platform of expertise? And if an ESL Program
Manager does not speak from a platform of instructional and specific ESL
expertise, how do they effectively manage and supervise?

Do you agree that administrators and program managers are not the best
people to be coaches for teachers who need support to develop their
craft? If not the Program manager, then who?

 

Brigitte Marshall, Director

Oakland Adult and Career Education

McClymonds Education Complex

2607 Myrtle Street, Oakland, CA 94607

 

Tel: (510) 879 3037

Fax: (510) 452 2077 

 

Expect Success. Every student. Every classroom. Every day.
________________________________


From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Diaz, Beatriz B.
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 7:05 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 3347] Re: FW: Re: managing
programsforadultEnglishlearners

 

As the "leader" of a very large Adult ESOL program,  I wear many hats
but more and more I find it difficult to get away from my "administrator
crown", which is the one I like the least.  I strongly believe that
programs improve and better service students if leaders are in the
class, in the centers and in the community facilating English literacy
opportunities and expanding our learning communities. Unfortunately,
many hours of my day are spent processing the right form, approving
purchase orders and attending meetings.  Is this typical of others in
similar positions?  How have other achieved a balance short of putting
in 20 hours of work per day?

 

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Betsy Wong
Sent: Tue 1/13/2009 10:50 AM
To: 'The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3347] Re: FW: Re: managing
programsforadultEnglishlearners

In keeping with the spirit of a chain dialogue, I wanted to highlight
something that Laurie said:

"What I find more important is recognizing really good teaching methods
and
resources available and providing opportunities to share those in your
program."

I think that this is a really important part of a program manager's
role,
and it gets back to the points that have been made about striving to be
a
visionary and achieving balance.

It also points to a solution to a dilemma that many of us face: In the
face
of shrunken resources, what can we offer teachers when salary increases
or
full-time positions are simply not on the table?

I think that professional development opportunities can be something to
help
"sell" a program to a prospective teacher and help motivate (and retain)
current teachers. This can be through formal in-service meetings
responding
to teachers' stated needs or informal discussions or focus groups that
allow
teachers to share ideas and give input on program decisions.  

What do the rest of you think? Suggestions?

Betsy Lindeman Wong
Lead ESL Teacher
Alexandria Adult and Community Education

-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Mangum, Laurie
(ACE)
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 9:18 AM
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3342] FW: Re: managing programs
foradultEnglishlearners

I wanted to respond to Brigitte's thought

"I think it would be very interesting to explore this last point a
little
bit more. We have already asked if we think that ESOL Program Managers
should ideally have ESOL classroom experience - but what do we think
about the need for an effective ESOL Program Manager to have been a
good, or really good teacher? Is this a necessary pre-requisite? And is
an effective ESOL Program manager's effectiveness derived from their
ongoing expertise as a classroom instructor? Is it really possible for
an ESOL Program Manager to remain current and a model of good
instructional practice? If they don't, could they still be able to
manage and supervise other ESL instructors effectively?"


My name is Laurie Mangum, I manage the Family Literacy program under
Adult ESOL for Fairfax County Public Schools.  I had taught a
non-intensive ESOL class (first as a volunteer and then paid) before
taking on the responsibility to coordinate this program but I always
think of my professional background as a project manager.  I am often
frustrated by the idea in Education that good teachers make good
administrators.  I don't necessarily think being a really good teacher
is a pre-requisite to running a really good program.  What I find more
important is recognizing really good teaching methods and resources
available and providing opportunities to share those in your program.  I
see part of my job to be a consulting role and look for best practices
to share with my staff.  Managing the many facets of a program and being
adept at changing strategies when something isn't working are also
instrumental to being successful in the role.  Or as some people have
described my job: having the ability to juggle while herding cats. 



Laurie Mangum
Family Literacy Specialist/Adult ESOL
Fairfax County Public Schools
Adult & Community Education
Plum Center for Lifelong Learning
6815 Edsall Rd.
Springfield, VA 22151

Phone:  703-658-2760

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