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At EF Teach Online, we provide the technology to connect teachers and students worldwide. Here you'll find tools, tips and teacher stories to power your online classes.

Marc Achrymienia ‹ EF Teach Online

This blog is a continuation of Navigating growth: a practical exploration of Teacher Development Circles. In these two blogs, I examine the Circles of Development proposed by Foord (2019) and offer practical activities for each of them.
In the first blog, I focused on the two inner circles: “you” and “you and your students.” In this blog, I would like to examine the three outer circles: “you and your colleagues,” “you and your school,” and “you and your profession.”
<img alt="EF Toronto" src=" https://a.storyblok.com/f/238048/383x309/8bfb526b2f/image.png" style="width:300px;height:200px;">  
Source: Foord (2009, p.14) 

You and your colleagues: Co-planning 
Co-planning, or collaborative planning, is when two teachers discuss and develop lesson content together. In my experience, this can be a powerful catalyst for growth because it brings together different teaching styles and alternative perspectives, which ultimately leads to richer learning experiences for students. 
Before a co-planning session
1. Team up with a colleague, select a lesson (or part of a lesson) to plan together and briefly discuss (either in person or via email) the class and the teaching context.
2. Later, individually brainstorm possible ideas and approaches for the lesson and bring these to the co-planning session.
During the co-planning session
1. Share the ideas individually brainstormed and provide feedback. Consider the learning outcomes and how you would approach the material.
2. At the end, you can reflect on the experience of co-planning and share your ideas. For example, you could discuss: 
How helpful was the co-planning?
What did you learn from each other? 
When did you show an openness to new or different ideas? When an opposition? 
What might you do differently the next time you co-plan?
If one, or both, of you goes on to teach the lesson separately, or you co-teach the lesson together, you could meet up again to discuss how the lesson went. 
As a learning opportunity, co-planning will not disappoint. In my experience, it can create a stimulating space for personal and collective growth. By sharing practices and discussing choices, it often prompts you to rethink and re-evaluate your own classroom practices and underlying beliefs. You will not only learn from your colleague, but you will also learn about yourself.

You and your school: Taking on a new role and new project
A teacher’s life lies predominantly in the classroom and emphasising development within that space. However, moving beyond this can bring a refreshing change. Initiating a new project for your school provides a great way to broaden your impact beyond the familiar four walls. 
To do this, you can take the initiative and request a meeting about taking on a new challenge for your professional growth as a teacher. Discuss some suggestions for projects that could benefit both you and the school and agree on your time commitments and any other expectations. Settle on a project, plan it and then do it. 
Upon completion, assess the project’s success for both the school and yourself. Did the project meet both your expectations? Would you like to take on another project? 
For instance, when I was working in Poland, I proposed organising film nights at the school because I was passionate about film and its potential as a vehicle for language learning and cultural understanding. The initiative not only enriched the school environment but also provided an opportunity to have an impact beyond my own walls. 
You and your profession: Attending a conference and reporting back 
My initial foray into engaging with the profession involved attending a conference. What an experience it was! It was positively liberating to move beyond my school and connect with fellow teachers from different teaching contexts. 
An activity I would like to share is on reporting back on a conference you have been to. This is something that my previous teaching context encouraged and for incredibly good reasons. 
Reporting on a conference, whether verbally or in writing, can help you consolidate your learning and disseminate knowledge, and it may encourage your school to sponsor you as the benefit can extend to the entire school. If your school does not have a tradition of this, here is a suggested approach: 
Find a conference that interests you and discuss with your manager the benefits of going to the conference for you and your school. Propose reporting back on it in some way, via a workshop, a meeting, or an e-mail. 
At the conference, take notes so that you can prepare your report or workshop. For a report, consider topics such as: the most impactful workshops, the most interesting ideas, the most relevant contacts for your school. For a workshop, you could share some valuable ideas (ensuring due credit is given to the original authors) that can contribute to the collective growth of your teaching community. 
Conclusion 
Our exploration of Teacher Development Circles has revealed practical strategies for various areas, such as co-planning for professional exchange and bonding, initiating new projects for personal growth, and attending conferences to broaden professional horizons. These activities offer a glimpse into the benefit of using Teacher Development Circles as a framework for thinking about and going about developing as a teacher. 
Note: This blog contains third-party material, including images, quotes, or references. All such content is used for informational or illustrative purposes only, and we make no claims to ownership. Proper credit is given whenever possible. 


 
 
Learn more about EF Teach Online <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/teachonline/">here</a> .

This blog is a continuation of Navigating growth: a practical exploration of Teacher Development Circles. In these two blogs, I examine the Circles of Development proposed by Foord (2019) and offer practical activities for each of them.

Expanding your reach: using Teacher Development Circles

In the online classroom where screens dominate, the question of camera use continues to spark debate. Why are my students not turning their cameras on? Should I require or just encourage them to? How can I do that? In this blog I’ll be answering these questions by looking at a recent study which can help you make an informed decision about how best to encourage camera use in your classroom. 

In a study by Castelli and Sarvary (2020) at Cornell University, 273 undergraduate biology students were surveyed about their camera use. When asked why they left their camera off, they could choose up to 12 reasons or provide their own. 
The results show that most students (90%) had their video cameras off at least some of the time during the lessons and here are the reasons that gave: 

<img alt="EF Toronto" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/238048/3508x2480/e8a1e7647c/marc-blog-infographic_fv.png" style="width: 1507 px;height: 400px;"> 

These findings show that student camera use is multidimensional, complex and related to inclusion and diversity. So, based on this research I have compiled a list of the best suggestions I have come across to encourage camera use.
  
Consider a cameras-optional policy 

Some teachers may feel a strong need to require students to turn on their cameras. However, explicitly encouraging – rather than requiring – camera use seems the more sensible approach, one that is inclusive and sensitive to the diverse needs and situations in which students learn online. 
  
Quickly establish the norm 

You should explicitly encourage camera use on the first day, explain why it is important, and quickly establish it as the norm. This can be done by projecting a slide stating what the policy is (see picture).

<img alt="EF Toronto" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/238048/1507x855/da0c88efe7/image.png" style="width:753 px;height:427px;"> 

Source: Trust and Goodman (2023) 
  
Setting the norm early should also help address the main reason students gave for not turning on their cameras: concern about their personal appearance. If students anticipate being seen on camera, they are probably more likely to brush their hair and dress appropriately. 
  
Brainstorm camera use expectations with your students 

You can also use the beginning of the first class to develop camera and audio use policies with your students by asking them to discuss the following: 

- When is it acceptable to have your camera on and off? 

- When should the mute button be used? 

- What is the best way to let others know you need to step away? (e.g. turn video off? post in the chat? direct message the teacher?) 
  
Encourage virtual backgrounds 

It could be that students are not turning on their cameras because they are worried about other people coming into view or their physical location being seen in the background, so you can encourage them to play around with virtual backgrounds. 
  
Use icebreakers / visually vote 

Use activities that inadvertently require cameras to be one for participation, such as pass the pen and visually voting with thumbs up or down, may engage reluctant students to turn on and then keep on their cameras.</h6> 
  
Use Zoom features 

You can use the “Ask to Start Video” option on Zoom. As the host, you can request participants to turn on their cameras. To do this, click on the participant’s black screen, then the horizontal “…”, and then “Ask to Start Video.” I think this is preferable to making an announcement, as the students will see others turn on their cameras willingly rather than as a requirement. 
  
Conclusion 

Navigating student camera use in online classrooms requires a delicate balance between encouragement and understanding. By establishing norms early, leveraging technology effectively, and actively engaging students in shaping expectations, we can promote camera use while cultivating an atmosphere that respect individual circumstances.

  
Sources 

Castelli F. and Sarvary M. (2021). Why students do not turn on their video cameras during online classes and an equitable and inclusive plan to encourage them to do so. Ecology and Evolution. 11(8) pp. 3565–3576. Available <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7123">here.</a> 

Trust, T., Goodman, L. (2023). Cameras Optional? Examining Student Camera Use from a Learner-Centered Perspective. TechTrends, May 3, pp.1-13. Available Available <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-023-00855-9">here.</a>

  
  
Learn more about EF Teach Online <a href="https://www.ef.com/wwen/teachonline/">here</a> .

In the online classroom where screens dominate, the question of camera use continues to spark debate. Why are my students not turning their cameras on? Should I require or just encourage them to? 

How to encourage your students to turn their cameras on 

Introduction 

In the context of this month’s theme on growth, I thought it would be appropriate to explore the ways in which we, as teachers, can enhance our professional development. Professional development is important because, as aptly pointed out by Foord (2019), “it isn’t the same thing having ten years’ experience as having one year’s experience repeated ten times.” In other words, development requires an explicit and conscious attention to our beliefs, knowledge, and behaviours. 

Five circles of development 

To discuss teacher development, we can use a model that organises developmental activity into five categories, proposed by Foord (2019) in his book Developing Teacher: Practical activities for professional development. They can be represented in five concentric circles: 

<img alt="EF Toronto" src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/238048/383x309/8bfb526b2f/image.png"> 


Source: Foord (2009, p.14) 

The first circle, the inner circle is “you,” the teacher, working independently. Examples of individual activities would be reading this blog or reflecting on your own teaching. 

The second circle is “you and your students”. This might include seeking feedback from students and experimenting with a new methods, materials, and techniques with them. 

The third circle is “you and your colleagues”. This includes activities both inside and outside the classroom, such as observations or discussing a TEFL article with a colleague. 

The fourth circle is “you and your school”. Activities involving the school and teachers in an institution context might include carrying out projects and working on soft skills. 

The fifth circle is “you and your profession”. Examples would be attending or presenting at conferences, completing a recognized qualification, and writing for a website or journal. 

These circles can prove helpful because they illustrate a natural developmental progression that is familiar to many: one that typically begins with individual reflection and gradually extends outwards as one gains experience. The circles also enable us to establish categories, facilitating a clearer understanding of our preferences. This categorization can help us discern the activities that we generally favour and those that may not be as useful. For example, a freelance teacher may not be extensively involved in activities related to “you and your school”. 

Two practical activities 

I would now like to offer you two practical activities that I have personally used and found effective- one for each of the initial two circles: “you” and “you and your students”. 

You: Circles of development 

A great way to start thinking about the first circle of development is to reflect on what activities you have done so far. You can follow the steps I took: 

1. Identify six (or more) key moments, activities, events, or projects that you have recently engaged in to help you develop as a teacher. 

2. Categorise them using the concentric circles. 

3. Then, consider these questions: 

Which circle(s) do you tend to focus on? Why? 

Are you happy with the balance? 

Can you think of one (or more) activity that you could do in the underrepresented circle(s)?

4. The above steps are reflective. Now looking forward, ask yourself: Are you going to change anything about the way you approach developing as a teacher? Do you think you need to do more (or less) in certain circles of development? Write down what you propose to do, for future reference.

You and your students: Feedback method I like… I wish… I wonder… 

The second activity I have used extensively in my teaching is called “I like..., I wish…, I wonder…” This allows you to collect open feedback from learners and can be done at any point in their learning journey. Simply ask your students to write some sentences that begin with each of the phrases. 

“I like…” is a starting point for what has gone well or is positive about the lessons. 

“I wish…” is a starting point for what could be changed or improved about the lessons.

“I wonder…” is a starting point for pondering, questioning, or suggesting. You can change “I wonder…” to “What if…” or “How can I..” if you prefer. It is easy to change the headers to fit your context. For example, a student might write “What if we didn’t use this textbook?” or “How can I remember more vocabulary from the lessons?”

Conclusion 

Foord's circles show how teachers can grow from personal reflection to broader experiences. These circles help categorize activities, showing preferences and areas to improve. The suggested activities for "you" and "you and your students," which I have personally found helpful, can provide practical initial steps for self-reflection and feedback, which are critical to professional growth for effective teaching. 

Note: This blog contains third-party material, including images, quotes, or references. All such content is used for informational or illustrative purposes only, and we make no claims to ownership. Proper credit is given whenever possible.

In the context of this month’s theme on growth, I thought it would be appropriate to explore the ways in which we, as teachers, can enhance our professional development.

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Marc Achrymienia

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