A couple of weeks ago Rachel Tsateri invited me to take part in one of the most promising CPD projects I’ve participated. The ELT Jams!
What are the ELT Jams?
In a nutshell, ELT Jams are stress-free meetings where teachers from around the globe come together to present a teaching idea, an activity or even a complete lesson plan and share it with the other two teachers! Rachel has managed to stage the meetings in a way that you will receive feedback without feeling judged at any time.
It goes like this:
- Participants have six minutes to present their idea.
- After that, the other two teachers give positive feedback and some ideas for improvement.
- Finally, the other two teachers have another three minutes to expand on their feedback.
The community is comprised of a very tight-knit group of teachers who made the whole process a lot more enjoyable to me. For more information, Rachel has put together all the necessary for ELT Jam newbies who would like to jump on the Jamwagon!
How can you contribute to the Jams?
As I said, all you need is an idea and a lot of energy! Personally, I brought my Art Gallery Speaking lesson plan which was very well received and for which I received some very constructive feedback which has definitely improved my lesson plan! When I started getting into material writing which was only a few months ago, I read the ‘500 Ideas for creating English language materials‘ by Lindsay Clandfield & John Hughes. One of the ways suggested in the book to improve your materials, is to share them with your fellow teachers. Unfortunately, I started taking material writing seriously during the lockdown when most of my teacher friends were so busy trying to make ends meet and so had little time for giving me feedback. ELT Jams though, introduced me to a new group of teachers who are all eager to share and comment on each other’s work in order for everyone to improve!
When’s the next one you’re asking
Rachel is using Freeed, a free platform for teachers who want their teacher voices to be heard without having to spend money on having a website. You can follow Rachel’s profile for more information on the next Jams as well as my profile for more teaching ideas and lesson plans!
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