Not Everyone is Coachable

How open are you to feedback? There are people who think they are open to feedback until feedback is not that positive. Independently of how you put it, directly, indirectly, sugar-coated or not, some people simply shut down and get defensive. Have you ever gone through this experience to find out?

Before enrolling in a CELTA certification or Delta diploma, ask yourself: Am I ready to see the dust under the rug? The truth about my teaching skills? Sometimes even personality traits need to be "adjusted". Are you ready to be observed under pressure and possibly change some of your old habits? Or at least be open to trying new things? Feedback on these courses involves a lot of the above.

Every once in a while, teacher educators come across teachers who become quite defensive during feedback sessions. It's not uncommon to see them blaming students when an activity did not work (!!), doubting what the tutor observed, and being just plain rude. They don't want to listen. After all, they've been doing what they do for years, and students have always loved it. They have no or little self-awareness. For them, a good lesson is just fun, independently of the linguistic outcome. The rationale behind lesson planning does not interest them, it's too complicated and boring... Again, they are not really willing to listen and think. They just want their diploma or certificate. These are the un-coachables.

Being open to (constructive) criticism can be tough for a lot of people, it's not easy. Here are some tips to practice being more coachable:

• Listen with an open mind and open heart. Don't take any of the comments personally, even if they feel personal. If they sounded too personal, you could choose to ignore them or talk to the person who shared them in private. Ask for evidence or more clarification.

• After the feedback session, reflect upon what's been said, and the questions that have been raised, and the insights you might have had. Keep a journal if it helps. Coaching only works if there's reflection. And it is a reflection on what worked (the positives) and what needs to be improved (plus the 'how').

• In these courses (CELTA and Delta), some of your peers might not have been trained or learned how to give feedback. They might not be able to discern facts from personal opinion. Try to stick to the facts and hard evidence. Analyze what was observed along with the outcome, only take personal opinions on board if they are helpful, if not, don't obsess over them, just ignore them.

• Students are not the best people to assess what was relevant or effective in class towards their language development. They get easily engaged and involved in a 15-min activity in which they produced almost nothing, but had lots of fun, this does not mean necessarily the activity was effective, especially if you have a clear language/skills aim.

• Keep track of your progress. Being mindful of what's working and what's not, and how many times you've attempted something new, this is essential for your development. Don't discard new ideas after one attempt... it's a constant analysis, was the context appropriate, the type of lesson, the group profile? Keep in mind you can always adapt, change, or improve techniques. But don't insist on something that clearly is not working for you..! Find the balance.

I hope this helps you keep an open mind and motivated! Challenge yourself. Notice your progress.

And believe me, your tutors are there to help you. Your success is their success. :)