These two factors have a downward pull on the industry. Whilst it is true that certain institutions, like universities, pay teachers better, the pay would be even better (like actually good) without this downward pull. The “profession” has shown itself incapable of dealing with the likes of Bruce because it is not much better.

So, in reply to Darren, I would say yes “crappy schools deserve crappy teachers” but ask do crappy hospitals deserve crappy doctors crappy nurses or crappy private cleaning companies? Don’t we have to think of the service user, how we can create a better organisation capable of guaranteeing quality teaching? Such an organisation, as Darren recognises, would be in total contrast to the organisation which gave us all, or most of us, our start in teaching.

It would have to rip up the current system of self-regulating bodies, it would have to (big deep breath) end the four week training course- go get teaching” model inherrited from International House.

We as rank and file teachers have transformed ourselves in the classroom,, we have shown ourselves ever willing to learn (we have had to!!) unfortunately the professional organisations which imprison us have failed to learn anything for over 50 years.

As Tracy Chapman would say: “We’re talking about a revoluion”.

Thanks, Darren… Alex, the miners?

Come on, you know what the average staff room looks like. So, so, many teachers just whinge – to each other – my god, what can possibly come out of that? I am for a TEFL union: if it’s a good one rather than a bunch of idealistic volunteers whingeing in a giant staffroom!

K

To put it another way, rewards for doing a good job are all very well and good, but I’m not too happy with a sink or swim TEFL world where non exceptional teachers couldn’t even afford the university education that their children would need to become TEFL teachers themselves

It’s a process of change, not a sudden moment when we’ll all throw textbooks out the window. The following are all happening as we speak (or Tweet as the case may be):

The development of courses is becoming increasingly based on communication between publishers who listen to the market and the teachers in the markets. This communication has become the primary factor in determining the nature and content of courses should ‘be’.

Courses themselves are becoming more interactive, web-linked and incorporate more digital content. Textbooks are becoming just an element in courses which are increasingly offering support through a variety of intra-course and inter-user features.

Course developers are well aware of the limitations as well as the benefits of a global product and courses are getting more local support. I believe this is called Glocalisation. I also believe it combines the best of both worlds.

Karenne’s remarks about our beerier colleagues might be the reason there’s still a lot of life left in the textbook. ‘Flop-and-go’ is the term used to describe books that work well without any preparation and all the factors mentioned above are actually increasing the Flop-and-goability of textbooks.

Good teachers have always understood that a course is not the be all and end all of their teaching but can be a useful and integrated point of departure. Courses in the future will be more interesting and better integrated with the world around and involve whatever the technology is at that time. That’s what language teaching has always done.

I suspect at that stage ‘Karenne’ will have become a digital entity beamed around the world directly to our implanted memory chips! I hope when that day comes, the teacher formerly known as Karenne is enjoying a beer somewhere nice, possibly even with some of her less-motivated friends. My bet is that she will be. Cheers!