NEW for 2023! Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback

Here at Oxford TEFL we are just adding the finishing touches to a course which will be of interest to anyone who’s involved in observing teachers and giving feedback. After the success of 2022’s new course (Certificate in Teaching Teens), we are delighted to present something totally different. Complementing the other ten online Teacher Development Courses we have on offer, our Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback will provide participants with a range of useful, transferable skills to boost your confidence and performance as you grow your TEFL career. As you’ll see, it could also open new doors and give your employability a shot in the arm for 2023.

Sound intriguing? Read on to find out more…

Who is the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback for?

The Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback is designed to be beneficial for a wide range of ELT professionals. For example, it is ideal for:

Teacher Trainers

Perhaps you’re already a qualified Cambridge CELTA tutor and would like to brush up on your observation skills? Or maybe it’s been a while since you’ve tutored and feel you could use a refresher? If so, the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback may well be just the pick-up your practice needs. The course is also suitable for those working as Trinity CertTESOL trainers, and on other similar courses with observation as a key component. Indeed, larger language schools or universities may have an internal Teacher Trainer for their team. If this is you, look no further!

Academic Managers

Directors of Studies, Senior Teachers, and Department Managers often have a wide range of responsibilities on their plate. If you’re working in a senior position like this, observing teachers and giving feedback probably forms part of your role. Want to start specialising in this and provide your team with the most effective feedback possible? Our new Development Course might be right up your street.

Those aspiring to grow in ELT

Firstly, statistics show that teaching English can be a lucrative profession. However, the best jobs are often highly competitive. So, make yourself stand out from the crowd by demonstrating to potential employers that you are taking your ELT career seriously and have management potential. Our Careers Advisor, Justin McCarty tells us:

“The TEFL employers I work with often tell me that they prefer to employ teachers who continue to grow professionally. Development Courses always make a good impression on a TEFL CV, and provide candidates with something substantive to discuss in an interview. The new Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback is sure to appeal to those who’ve racked up some experience post-CELTA and are looking to compete for senior roles.”

Trinity DipTESOL candidates

Our new Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback can serve as a great stepping stone for those who’d like to get a Level 7 qualification such as DipTESOL, a DELTA equivalent. DipTESOL involves observing teachers at several points. It’s especially relevant for the observed teaching practice (Unit 4) and projects (Unit 2). So, if you’re unsure about taking the plunge and committing to a Level 7 course, the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback might be just the preparation you need. Graduates are also entitled to a €50 discount on DipTESOL and any further Development Courses they take with Oxford TEFL.

Observing in online and in-person contexts

Gone are the days that teacher observations necessarily took place face-to-face. While this format remains popular, online and hybrid classes are also more common than ever. With this firmly in mind, the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback will leave graduates fully prepared, regardless of the classroom format(s) they work within.

Entry requirements for the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback

It is recommended that you have a Cambridge CELTA/ Trinity CertTESOL or initial teaching certificate to take the Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course. We would also recommend at least two years of classroom experience. Not sure whether the course is right for you? Apply here with no obligation and let our team of professionals help!

What will you learn on the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course?

The Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course will help you learn and practise how to give effective written and oral feedback to teachers you observe. It will also teach you how to manage teacher observation in the context of a training course, in a school or in any other teaching organisation. The course covers a range of topics including:

• The role of observation in teacher training and teacher development
• Types of observation and which to use when
• The stages of observation and feedback
• Setting up and managing observations
• Providing feedback in the context of a school or training context
• How to listen and what to say in the feedback conversation
• Options for creating and structuring effective written feedback
• How to prepare and carry out positive and constructive observation conversations 

How will the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course help you develop?

It’s flexible

Firstly, you can take the course over either 3 or 6 weeks. This means you’ll need to dedicate either 5 or 10 weekly hours to the course. Some of this is self-study, meaning it fits in around other commitments. The rest is composed of one-on-one tutorials (more about these below). These will take place at a mutually convenient time. You can start the course any Friday, but you don’t need to be available on Fridays specifically. In fact, this is just the date you’ll get connected to the online learning platform. We are used to working with busy teachers from all over the world, and the flexibility of our Development Courses is something our graduates say they love.

It’s practical

The Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback is highly practical and hands-on. At Oxford TEFL, we believe that the best way to learn is to do. The course we have designed reflects this in various ways. Trainees will learn through the application of tools from coaching, teacher development and counselling. In addition, they will have the opportunity to observe classroom teaching and feedback conversations, read and evaluate samples of written feedback and put what they learn from this into practice during tasks and assignments.

It’s thorough

Our expert team has collaborated to ensure that all key aspects of observing teachers and giving feedback are covered by this course. By the end, you will feel much more confident about your ability to set up and carry out effective observation. You will also be able to provide quality feedback in a variety of contexts and with a range of teacher/trainee types.

It’s personalised

Oxford TEFL’s Development Course graduates often list the one-to-one tutor attention as one of the highlights of their experience. Trainees have three online tutorials during the course, allowing them to receive input, get feedback, ask questions etc. Naturally, the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback is brand new. However, to give you an idea of the usual testimonials we receive, recent Certificate in Teaching Business English graduate Nathalie Robert says:

“The course covers everything you need to know to feel confident in the classroom. My tutor gave me personalised attention and support. She also provided me with various ideas and resources that will be useful to my future position—all of this in a relaxed and helpful atmosphere.”

But who’s the tutor for this new course? Read on to find out!

Course Tutor: Anna Stubbs 

We can’t imagine anyone better qualified than our very own Anna Stubbs to tutor on the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course. Anna has been training teachers at Oxford TEFL for over twenty years and is our CELTA Course Director. She also tutors on our Online TEFL Starter course. Needless to say then, Anna is hugely experienced in all areas of ELT. She’s very much looking forward to working with trainees on this new course, telling us:

“For some time now, teachers have been asking us for training to help them effectively conduct observations and provide feedback. I have really enjoyed liaising with our community and my colleagues to design this course, and feel that it takes into consideration the needs and preferences of trainees in this area. Overall, I’m very pleased with the result, and can’t wait to get started with the first participants in 2023!”

How will the course work?

For detailed information about how this course works and the schedule, we recommend reading the FAQs section at the bottom of this page. However, we would just like to say a word about the assessment during the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback course.

In order to complete your teacher development course successfully, you will need to participate fully, meet deadlines and submit tasks to a satisfactory standard. Your tutor will measure your progress and provide feedback on your tasks. Then, at the end of the course, we will provide you with an Oxford TEFL digital certificate which states that you have completed and passed the course. Simple!

Final thoughts

As you’ve probably gathered by now, we are very proud of the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback. In a nutshell, we feel that the format, content, and tutor make it a very practical proposition which will help teachers around the world take their TEFL careers to the next level. From tutors to trainers, Directors of Studies to DipTESOL candidates, we look forward to welcoming a wide selection of trainees to the course. So, watch this space for an update on how our first participants get on!

Curiosity piqued? Click here to learn more about the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback, or apply now by clicking this link. You are also welcome to contact our Sales and Marketing Director Fran at [email protected]. She will be able to answer any questions you may have, and help you to decide whether the Certificate in Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback is the right choice for you.