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Tips for ELT Managers

By Altiné Moumouni
If you remember, one of my New Year’s Resolutions as a TEFL teacher was to take on more responsibilities. Here are a few tips, mainly for ELT managers

Recently I have been interested in ELT management. After teaching math for about 2 years, I am considering taking more responsibility and moving to a management position. If you remember, one of my New Year’s Resolutions as a TEFL teacher was to take on more responsibilities. Here are a few tips, mainly for ELT managers.

1. Focus on people 

People are your biggest assets, and you can accomplish far more with the right people than you think. The most important traits you need to look for when hiring teachers are passion and commitment to your students’ success, and creativity when using teaching materials and creating classroom activities. Ensure you get to know teachers individually, their strengths and weaknesses, and what motivate them. 

2. Observation is key

Observation is one of the most critical skills for an EFL manager. The good thing about observation is that it gives instant feedback to the person who observes and the one being observed. As an ELT manager, you can see what your teachers are doing well and how they can improve. It is essential that you provide every teacher you observe with constructive feedback recommending actionable steps. Here are a few tips:  

  • Organize a system of peer observations where teachers observe one another
  • If you teach classes, invite your teachers to observe and watch you while you teach

3. Develop your teachers 

There are several ways to develop your teachers. You can recommend your teachers take additional certifications and attend workshops. Furthermore, you can organize mini-monthly trainings where you focus on specific skills to teach your teachers, including classroom management, class planning, and mixed teaching classrooms. If you are uncomfortable giving workshops, start with a Toastmasters club where you can polish your public speaking skills. Continuous professional development is critical for attracting and retaining good teachers. Training teachers is one of the biggest parts of being an ELT manager, especially Director of Studies (DoS) or Assistant Director of Studies (ADoS).

4. Have a clear mission statement for your school

A mission statement will be the glue that will bring your whole school together and get everyone involved in your school’s success. If you still need to develop a mission statement, ask everyone to get involved in what your school should be about. In your mission statement, remember to include your community: what are you doing to improve your community? If you are a big school, you can offer scholarships to those who need them. You also allow your community to use empty spaces for community activities. This will build a good reputation for your school, leading to increased student enrolment and parent involvement.

5. Be approachable 

It is essential that every student feel that they can talk to you comfortably without fear. However, bear in mind that it will take a lot of time and patience for your students to be able to come to speak. If you are approachable, you can prevent most of the issues in your school before they occur because students will feel comfortable sharing their concerns with you. Note that being approachable doesn’t mean becoming friends with your students; I suggest you keep some distance between yourself and your students. 

6. Show students and their parents that you care 

Regularly meeting and updating parents on their children’s progress is one way to show that you care. One of the mistakes many ELT managers make is to talk to students only when they do something wrong. Make a new habit of telling students when they behave well and informing their parents. Imagine you are a parent, and your kid’s school calls you to tell you that your kid did something amazing at school. How would you feel? 

7. Commit to never-ending improvement

To make others better, you must also become better and be committed to constant learning. You can start by reading books about ELT management. Teachers generally expect their ELT managers to be more knowledgeable and be able to offer advanced teaching tips. Below are a few books recommendation for ELT managers. 

  • From Teacher to Manager: Managing Language Teaching Organizations (Cambridge Educational Management)
  • About Language by Scott Thornbury 
  • And Sound Foundations by Adrian Underhill

I am always looking for good books to read; please let me know in the comment section if you have a book recommendation for ELT managers.

Written by Altiné Moumouni for Teflnet November 2022
Altiné is from Toronto, Canada, and currently teaches mathematics at a high school in Guangzhou, China. He has a master's degree in International Economics and Finance from Ryerson University in Canada and is passionate about helping people worldwide through his blogs. He writes about TEFL Teaching and Health and Fitness. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, running, traveling, and anything that allows him to experience the beauty of nature. You can find him at altinify.com.
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