Reflecting on Leadership in Language Education; Curtis

Edited by

Andy Curtis [+–]

Anaheim University, California

Andy Curtis (PhD) is a Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Anaheim University. From 2015 to 2016, he served as the 50th President of the TESOL International Association. He has (co)authored and (co)edited 200 articles, book chapters and books, and he has presented to 50,000 language educators in 100 countries. He is based in Ontario, Canada, from where he works with learning organizations worldwide.

Although there are many aspects of language education that have been covered extensively in the literature, from methodologies to technologies, Leadership in Language Education (LiLE) has received very little attention – until recently.

As the world saw, during the global pandemic, poor leadership at the highest levels costs lives. The world needs better leaders — at every level of society — and Reflecting on Leadership in Language Education represents the first time that Reflective Practice has been positioned at the forefront of leadership development in language education. It is also the first book ever to bring together 300 years of LiLE experience into a single volume, capturing the insights from three centuries of lived LiLE experiences for the generations of leaders to come.

Series: Reflective Practice in Language Education

Prelims

Series Editor’s Preface [+–] vii-viii

Thomas S.C. Farrell FREE

Brock University

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Thomas S.C. Farrell is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Brock University, Canada. His professional interests include Reflective Practice, and Language Teacher Education & Development. He has published widely and has presented at major conferences worldwide on these topics. His webpage is: www.reflectiveinquiry.ca

Andy Curtis’ edited book, Reflecting on Leadership in Language Education, although consisting of reflections from ten leaders in the field of education also has implications for all leadership issues in this time of global responses and nonresponses by leaders worldwide to the current Covid-19 pandemic. This timely book tackles the complex issue of what effective leadership entails in language education and focuses on the reflections of ten prominent language educators who have held various leadership positions that amount to 300 years of lived leadership experiences. After an introduction and overview by the editor, Andy Curtis, the book is organized into a four-part structure to help make each chapter accessible, in terms of being a relatively ‘quick read’, and to bring a consistency to the tremendously varied RTL experiences shared by the ten authors. Each of the four main chapters has an introduction by Andy Curtis which asks questions, followed by the ten authors’ responses.

Introduction

Introduction and Overview: Reflecting on Leadership in Times of Crisis [+–] 1-13

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

Reflections on leadership, the rationale for the book and the structure and readership of the book.

Chapter 1: Learning from the Life Stories of Others

Introduction to the Question One Responses [+–] 14-19

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

The Question One prompt for the RTLs was: Please give a brief summary of your first role as a leader in language education and where you are now professionally, in terms of leadership. But before we look at their responses, we will first summarize the main recurring themes—or RTL learning points. It should be possible for readers to add to these six themes, based on their experiences of LiLE, either as a current leader, a future leader, or as someone who reports to someone else in an official leadership role. Each one of these themes could warrant an entire chapter to itself.

The Question One Responses [+–] 19-33

Okon Effiong,Christel Broady,Leo Mercado,Andy Curtis,Marjorie Rosenberg,Rosemary DePetro Orlando,Rosa Aronson,Deborah Healey,Neil J. Anderson,Kathleen M. Bailey £17.50

Qatar University

Okon Effiong is a lecturer in the Foundation Programme, Qatar University. He is a member of the TESOL Board of Directors and served on its Nominating Committee, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, as Chair-elect of EFL-Interest Section. He is founder and Past President of Africa TESOL. He was the President of Qatar TESOL.

Georgetown College

Dr. Christel Broady, chairwoman graduate programs, as well as the director of the ESL Program at Georgetown College is an international leader. Christel has served in many leadership roles with TESOL International and affiliates. Her list of domestic and international publications, keynotes, presentations, and awards is extensive.

Independent Scholar

Leo Mercado has been in the field for more than 25 years, making contributions as a director of studies, e-learning and proficiency testing specialist, project leader, author and academic entrepreneur. He has also successfully led two international accreditation processes, as well as large-scale, nationwide projects at the Ministry of Education level.

Anaheim University, California

Independent Scholar

Marjorie Rosenberg has been involved in tertiary and adult education in Austria since 1981. She is an active teacher trainer, conference presenter and ELT author. Marjorie served as IATEFL President from 2015-2017. Her latest project is working as a mentor through a programme designed by EVE and Africa TESOL.

Southern New Hampshire University

Dr. Rosemary DePetro Orlando is a Professor at Southern New Hampshire University, USA. She regularly travels to Vietnam National University in Hanoi to teach MSTEFL courses in a university partnership degree program. As a Language Teacher educator, Dr. Orlando regularly presents at national and international English Language Teaching conferences worldwide.

TESOL International Association

Rosa Aronson is the Interim Executive Director of TESOL International Association. Her career in Education began as an EFL teacher in France and continued in the USA in professional educational organizations. She has served as an English Language Specialist focusing on organizational leadership. She holds a PhD in Social Foundations of Education from the University of Virginia.

University of Oregon

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Dr. Deborah Healey was the 2020-2021 Past President of the Board of Directors of TESOL
International Association. An online and face-to-face teacher educator, she writes and presents extensively internationally (Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, US) on appropriate use of technology in language teaching. Her doctorate is in Computers in Education.

Brigham Young University, Hawaii

Neil J Anderson has been actively involved in leadership roles and reflective practice for over 40 years. He currently teaches at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, USA. Neil served as President of TESOL International Association from 2001-2002. He received the prestigious James Alatis Award from TESOL in 2014.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

Kathleen M. Bailey is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at the Middlebury Institute of
International Studies at Monterey (MIIS). She completed her MA and her doctorate at the
University of California at Los Angeles. Her research interests include teacher education,
language assessment, and the teaching of listening and speaking.

The Part One Responses Okon Effiong: Seeking Professional Development, But Finding Myself in at The Deep End Christel Broady: My Path to Leadership Leo Mercado: Getting on the Roller Coaster Andy Curtis: ‘Going’ Into Teaching But ‘Falling’ Into Leadership Marjorie Rosenberg: Moving Sideways into Leadership Rosemary Orlando: Just Another Day in Paradise? Rosa Aronson: Crossing Borders Between Countries and Organizations Deborah Healey: When a Door Opens, Walk Through Neil Anderson: Falling Into TESL Kathleen M. Bailey: My History as an Educational Leader

Chapter 2: The Multiplicity of Meanings of RP

Introduction to the Question Two Responses [+–] 34-38

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

In the second set of question prompts, the RTLs were asked to respond to these three slightly different versions of the same question: What do you understand by the term ‘Reflective Practice’? What does RP mean to you? What do you think of when you hear or read the phrase ‘RP’? The reason for the different versions is that, as language educators, we know that presenting the same question multiple times—but each time in a slightly different linguistic and/or grammatical form, with a slightly different focus—can increase the likelihood of eliciting more thorough and thoughtful replies, which accurately describes the accounts in Question Two.

The Question Two Responses [+–] 39-67

Okon Effiong,Christel Broady,Leo Mercado,Andy Curtis,Marjorie Rosenberg,Rosemary DePetro Orlando,Rosa Aronson,Deborah Healey,Neil J. Anderson,Kathleen M. Bailey £17.50

Qatar University

Georgetown College

Independent Scholar

Anaheim University, California

Independent Scholar

Southern New Hampshire University

TESOL International Association

University of Oregon

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Brigham Young University, Hawaii

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

The Question Two Responses Okon Effiong: Reflection and Leadership Christel Broady: My Unintended Leadership Formation Leo Mercado: Reflection as a Driving Force Andy Curtis: Room(s) to Reflect Marjorie Rosenberg: Moving Across Disciplines from Business to Teaching Rosemary Orlando: Practicing Reflecting Rosa Aronson: Finding Meaning in the Experience Deborah Healey: The Pieces Fit Together – Somehow Neil Anderson: Questioning Assumptions Through Metacognitive Engagement Kathleen M. Bailey: What Does Reflective Practice Mean to Me?

Chapter 3: The Challenges of Doing RP

Introduction to the Question Three Responses [+–] 68-73

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

In the third set of question prompts, the RTLs were asked to respond to these questions: How do you engage in RP? What are some of the challenges you have faced when engaging in RP? How did/do you address/meet those challenges? Unlike the Question Two prompts, these are three different questions, but in common with the Question Two responses, six more recurring themes were found in the RTLs’ responses, which are briefly summarized below. Each theme, as noted in the earlier chapters, could be the basis of an entire chapter. And again, readers are encouraged to find additional themes, by relating their experiences to those of these RTLs.

The Question Three Responses [+–] 73-102

Okon Effiong,Christel Broady,Leo Mercado,Andy Curtis,Marjorie Rosenberg,Rosemary DePetro Orlando,Rosa Aronson,Deborah Healey,Neil J. Anderson,Kathleen M. Bailey £17.50

Qatar University

Georgetown College

Independent Scholar

Anaheim University, California

Independent Scholar

Southern New Hampshire University

TESOL International Association

University of Oregon

View Website

Brigham Young University, Hawaii

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

The Question Three Responses Okon Effiong: Leadership Pipeline Laced with Obstacles Christel Broady: Proactive and Reactive Reflection—Tools for Professional Growth Leo Mercado: Looking at Oneself Andy Curtis: Seeing Ourselves as Other See Us Marjorie Rosenberg: Reflecting Using NLP Techniques Rosemary Orlando: Advocate, Reflect, Repeat Rosa Aronson: Cultivating Your Internal Compass Deborah Healey: A System – And Leadership – Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts Neil Anderson: Making My Thinking Visible Kathleen M. Bailey: How Do I Engage in Reflective Practice?

Chapter 4: Reflecting on Leadership Challenges in Language Education

Introduction to the Question Four Responses [+–] 103-116

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

The fourth and final set of prompts for the RTLs was: Think of a leadership challenge you faced some time ago. Describe that challenge, how you met/coped with that challenge, and what advice you would give someone facing a similar challenge. Or, instead of giving advice, you can describe what you would do differently, with the benefit of experience and hindsight, if you faced a similar challenge today. As noted in the introductions to Question Two and Question Three, re-presenting the same question in different forms is a common and effective technique used by teachers, perhaps especially language teachers. The first version of the Question Four prompt is focused on giving advice, and the second on describing how the RTL would respond differently had they to face a similar leadership challenge at present. But the difference between those two focuses is really only the difference between giving advice to others and giving advice to oneself.

The Question Four Responses [+–] 116-160

Okon Effiong,Christel Broady,Leo Mercado,Andy Curtis,Marjorie Rosenberg,Rosemary DePetro Orlando,Rosa Aronson,Deborah Healey,Neil J. Anderson,Kathleen M. Bailey £17.50

Qatar University

Georgetown College

Independent Scholar

Anaheim University, California

Independent Scholar

Southern New Hampshire University

TESOL International Association

University of Oregon

View Website

Brigham Young University, Hawaii

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey

The Question Four Responses Okon Effiong: Steering Africa TESOL on Course Christel Broady: Professional Challenges: An Opportunity to Become a Better Leader Leo Mercado: Flying Through the Turbulence Andy Curtis: Stepping and Stumbling (Back) Into the River Marjorie Rosenberg: Facing the Challenge of Leadership and the Transferal of Skills to Our Jobs as Teachers Rosemary Orlando: The Road Taken to Vietnam Rosa Aronson: TESOL as a Business Deborah Healey: Office Politics and Geopolitics – It’s All About People Neil Anderson: Facing Challenges Kathleen M. Bailey: Learning to Let Go: Ruminating on Delegating

Chapter 5

Recapping and Reflecting Forward [+–] 161-175

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

As we have noted in earlier chapters, language teachers appreciate the value of carefully thought out, deliberate ‘strategic repetition’ to help with understanding and with remembering. So, in the sections of this chapter, we will re-present the main RP and LiLE learning points from the Question One, Question Two, and Question Three responses (we have just seen the Question Four response summaries). But, in the spirit of ‘repetition with a twist’, I will add a brief paragraph to each of the learning points, using some of my own ‘personal-professional, sometimes confessional’ narratives, in some cases being shared here for the very first time publicly and in print.

End Matter

Index 176-179

Andy Curtis FREE

Anaheim University, California

Reviews

One could say the book is like a kaleidoscope or patchwork; it does not flow smoothly and you cannot read it in one or a few sittings. But this is its beauty. Professional development and reflection require pausing, reflecting about experiences and planning ahead. The readers of the book will pick it up, put it down; they may need or simply enjoy longer reflective breaks. This book offers ample reflective incidents, events or even adventures; it is a unique personal experience.
Humanising Language Teaching

Reflective practice is already an important concept in education and in management and is likely to increase in importance as an essential skill and attitude of mind for teachers, trainers and leaders in language education. This addition to Equinox Publishing’s expanding list of studies of the role of reflective practice in language education is important for researchers and for teachers in administrative and leading teaching and teacher training roles. As well as its extensive use of reference its dynamic quality comes from the actual reflections of leaders in language education about their lives, their teaching and their working in running teaching organisations.
Training, Language and Culture

Will appeal to a wide market of leaders and aspiring leaders in the language education industry. While many publications of this type have tended to focus on the teacher, this instalment bridges the gap between leader and reflective practice. Curtis' first hand experience as an industry leader and knowledge of the pressures placed on those working in management positions across the language education sector enable him to present the stories of these ten leaders as illustrative, reflective models that are both instructive and inspirational.
English Australia Journal

Academic leaders, including programme managers, teacher educators and language teachers, will undoubtedly find keen insights contained within the pages of this streamlined book. It is an enjoyable read and offers sage advice for current leaders and those aspiring to leadership positions.
IATEFL Voices

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Reflecting on Leadership in Language Education

Andy Curtis [+–]

Anaheim University, California

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