coursebook teachers' guides

[treehouse]

How do other teachers feel about the teachers' guides that accompany commercial coursebooks? Do you think they're helpful in the classroom and/or useful for professional development?

I've found that a lot of teachers I know are pretty divided on this -- some say they don't consult teachers' guides at all whist others find them very helpful. I'm wondering if this is a reflection of the fact that some teachers' guides are better quality than others or if it has more to do with the personal preferences of teachers.

Any thoughts?

[Susan]

I don't usually look at them, time factor for me.

But when I do look, I often find some useful extra activities. I don't read about how to handle the regular exercises in class.

[treehouse]

Hi Susan,
Would you say your use of them changed over time? For example, did you begin to use them less as you gained teaching experience, or did you never really use them to begin with?

[Susan]

Hi,

I definitely used them less as I got more experience.

[Joe]

I'd agree with everything Susan said above.

[John V55]

To be honest I've never come across one; the Thai and Chinese teachers pinch them before they get to me. I rarely use workbooks as I'm left to work on my own, but on occasion, I look through the contents and then adapt them to my own specification, reflecting the student level.
Here's my self-designed first year middle school syllabus.

http://www.academia.edu/11730502/ABL_TEFL_SYLLABUS

[andrewberlin]

I almost never read them but I collect some of them because they often contain useful photocopiable activities. Headway, Cutting Edge, Speakout all have pretty good teacher's resources in the back of the book.