Teachers Should Always Be Learning- Here's Why!

Jo Gakonga - ELT Training

26 Jul 202403:02

Summary

TLDRJoakim Konga, an experienced teacher trainer, emphasizes the importance of teachers being learners themselves. He shares his personal experience learning pottery, highlighting three key benefits: empathy with struggling students, appreciating different teaching styles, and the joy of learning. He invites viewers to explore his website for English language teacher support and encourages them to learn new skills.

Takeaways

😀 Joa Konga is a teacher, educator, and has been a Selter trainer and assessor for over 20 years.
📚 Joa Konga has a website, elttraining.com, where she provides video-based support material for English language teachers at all stages of their career.
👍 Joa Konga encourages viewers to give a thumbs up and subscribe if they like the content.
📚 Teachers should always be learning something new, ideally something challenging, to stay engaged and empathetic with their students.
🤔 Learning something new can help teachers better empathize with students who find certain subjects difficult, as it provides a fresh perspective on the learning process.
👀 Observing other teachers in action from a learner's perspective can provide valuable insights into both good and poor teaching practices.
🤓 Reflecting on one's own teaching practice can be facilitated by experiencing learning from different teachers, which highlights the importance of continuous professional development.
🎨 Joa Konga uses the example of learning pottery to illustrate the challenges and benefits of learning something new, even when it's difficult.
🌟 Learning new skills can be fun and keeps individuals interested in life, which is a valuable aspect of personal and professional growth.
📹 Joa Konga offers a program for those interested in learning to make videos, suggesting that she values practical skills in addition to theoretical knowledge.

Q & A

Who is Joa Konga?
-Joa Konga is a teacher, educator, and has been a teacher trainer and assessor for over 20 years.
What is the purpose of Joa Konga's website?
-The purpose of Joa Konga's website, elttraining.com, is to provide video-based support material for English language teachers at all stages of their career.
What does Joa Konga believe about continuous learning for teachers?
-Joa Konga believes that teachers should always be learning something new, preferably something that is challenging for them, to keep growing and improving in their profession.
Why did Joa Konga start learning pottery on a wheel?
-Joa Konga started learning pottery on a wheel as a personal challenge and to experience learning something new and difficult, which can help her empathize with her students and reflect on her teaching practices.
What are the three reasons Joa Konga suggests for being a learner as a teacher?
-The three reasons are: 1) To empathize with students who find the subject difficult, 2) To observe and appreciate good and not-so-great teaching from a learner's perspective, and 3) To keep life interesting and fun through the joy of learning.
How does learning something new help teachers empathize with their students?
-Learning something new helps teachers understand the struggles and challenges that students face, especially if the subject is difficult for them, thus allowing for better empathy and support.
What is the importance of observing teaching from a learner's perspective?
-Observing teaching from a learner's perspective allows teachers to appreciate effective teaching strategies and identify areas for improvement in their own teaching practices.
Why does Joa Konga emphasize the fun aspect of learning something new?
-Joa Konga emphasizes the fun aspect of learning to highlight that continuous learning should not only be about professional development but also about personal enjoyment and staying engaged with life.
What is the outcome of Joa Konga's first attempts at pottery?
-The outcome of Joa Konga's first attempts at pottery is not explicitly mentioned in the script, but it is implied that she is finding it useful and is sharing her experiences to inspire others.
What does Joa Konga suggest for those interested in making videos?
-For those interested in making videos, Joa Konga mentions that she runs a great program for learning video production, suggesting that she offers training or resources for this skill.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Learning Pottery: A Teacher's New Challenge

Joakim Konga, an experienced teacher educator and Selter trainer, introduces himself and his website, elttraining.com, which provides video-based support material for English language teachers. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning for teachers, drawing a parallel with his own recent endeavor of learning pottery. Joakim shares his first attempts at pottery, highlighting the difficulty of the task and how it can help teachers empathize with their students who might struggle with learning. He also suggests that learning something new can provide a fresh perspective on teaching, allowing teachers to appreciate good teaching practices and reflect on their own. Lastly, he mentions the joy of learning and encourages viewers to consider what new skill they might want to learn, hinting at his program for those interested in making videos.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Pottery

Pottery refers to the craft of making objects from clay, which are then fired at high temperatures to harden. In the video, pottery serves as a metaphor for the learning process, highlighting the challenges and rewards of engaging in a new skill. The speaker's personal experience with pottery underscores the theme of lifelong learning and its benefits for educators.

💡Teacher Training

Teacher training involves the education and development of skills for individuals who wish to become teachers. The video script mentions this in the context of the presenter's background and expertise, emphasizing the importance of continuous learning even for those in the teaching profession. It suggests that learning new skills, like pottery, can enhance a teacher's empathy and understanding of the learning process.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. In the script, the concept of empathy is linked to the idea that learning a new skill can help teachers better relate to the struggles and achievements of their students. It is suggested that experiencing the challenges of learning pottery can make a teacher more attuned to the diverse learning experiences of their students.

💡Innate Talent

Innate talent refers to a natural ability or skill that a person is born with. The video script discusses how teachers may have an innate talent for teaching, which can make it difficult for them to empathize with students who find learning challenging. Recognizing one's own innate abilities and the effort required to develop them can foster greater understanding and patience in teaching.

💡Motivation

Motivation is the drive or desire to do something. The script mentions that success in learning can motivate individuals to improve further. It implies that teachers, having experienced the motivation that comes from mastering a subject, can apply this understanding to inspire and support their students in their own learning journeys.

💡Learning

Learning is the process of acquiring new knowledge, skills, or understanding. The video's main theme revolves around the importance of learning for teachers, not only to improve their teaching practice but also for personal growth and enjoyment. The script uses the presenter's experience with pottery to illustrate the joy and challenges of learning something new.

💡Reflection

Reflection is the act of thinking deeply about one's experiences, thoughts, feelings, and actions. In the context of the video, reflection is encouraged as a way for teachers to evaluate and improve their teaching methods by observing and analyzing their own learning experiences, such as the process of learning pottery.

💡Practice

Practice refers to the act of performing an activity repeatedly to improve skill. The script suggests that by engaging in the practice of pottery, the presenter is able to gain insights into the teaching and learning process, which can be applied to their professional practice as an educator.

💡Lifelong Learning

Lifelong learning is the concept of engaging in continuous learning throughout one's life. The video script promotes the idea that learning new things, such as pottery, is not only beneficial for personal development but also for maintaining a fresh and enthusiastic approach to teaching.

💡Video-Based Support Material

Video-based support material refers to educational content delivered through video formats. The script mentions the presenter's website, which provides such materials for English language teachers. This highlights the use of multimedia resources in enhancing teaching and learning experiences.

💡ELT (English Language Teaching)

ELT stands for English Language Teaching, which is the process of teaching the English language to speakers of other languages. The script refers to the presenter's website, which offers video-based support material specifically for English language teachers, indicating the specialized nature of the content and its relevance to the video's target audience.

Highlights

Joakim Konga introduces himself as a teacher educator with over 20 years of experience in teacher training and assessment.

Joakim has a website, elttraining.com, offering video-based support materials for English language teachers.

He encourages viewers to subscribe and give a thumbs up for video content they enjoy.

Joakim believes teachers should always be learning, especially something challenging.

He shares his personal experience of learning pottery, finding it harder than expected.

There are three reasons given for teachers to be learners: empathy with students, observing teaching from a learner's perspective, and the joy of learning.

Learning something new helps teachers empathize with students who find subjects difficult.

Being a learner allows teachers to appreciate good teaching and reflect on their own practice.

Joakim emphasizes the importance of learning for personal enjoyment and staying interested in life.

He showcases his initial attempts at pottery, indicating its immediate practical use.

Joakim invites viewers to consider what new skill they might learn next.

For those interested in video making, Joakim offers a program to help develop their skills.

The video content is released weekly, providing ongoing support and learning opportunities for teachers.

Joakim's approach to learning pottery exemplifies the value of stepping out of one's comfort zone.

The transcript highlights the importance of continuous learning for personal and professional development.

The video serves as a reminder that learning can be both challenging and rewarding.

Joakim's initiative to learn pottery parallels the journey of a teacher embracing new learning experiences.