I was pleasantly surprised when I asked my coordinating teacher about professional development at Luis Vives, my school here in Spain. According to my CT there are quite a few opportunities for professional development throughout the year at my school. I honestly was expecting him to say there wasn’t much at all, as education seems to be much less structured here in Spain.
My CT told me that there is a ten week series for PD in January Februrary and March. During these weeks, teachers have an optional seminar every Tuesday on various topics related to education. Some of the topics of discussion include techniques for teaching English, teaching in small groups, 3D printing, classroom design, children’s psychology, robotic programing, using phones and tablets in the classroom, and mindfulness for teachers with their students. These seminars are optional. My CT said that teachers usually only go if the seminar is in a subject area that they are interested in or required to teach.
I asked my CT if he has been any of the technology seminars and he said no, but he said that there is one required seminar at the beginning of the year for training with the interactive whiteboards in each class that he attends every year. My teacher is an English teacher so he usually goes to the teaching English seminars. He said they also have Cambridge English seminars throughout the year where they discuss the best techniques for teaching English.
My CT told me that there is a ten week series for PD in January Februrary and March. During these weeks, teachers have an optional seminar every Tuesday on various topics related to education. Some of the topics of discussion include techniques for teaching English, teaching in small groups, 3D printing, classroom design, children’s psychology, robotic programing, using phones and tablets in the classroom, and mindfulness for teachers with their students. These seminars are optional. My CT said that teachers usually only go if the seminar is in a subject area that they are interested in or required to teach.
I asked my CT if he has been any of the technology seminars and he said no, but he said that there is one required seminar at the beginning of the year for training with the interactive whiteboards in each class that he attends every year. My teacher is an English teacher so he usually goes to the teaching English seminars. He said they also have Cambridge English seminars throughout the year where they discuss the best techniques for teaching English.