Directives to Teachers of English in 

the Intermediate and Secondary 

Schools.

Dear Teachers of English,

    It is an ample opportunity to congratulate you on the occasion of the new school year, and thank those prominent, hardworking and distinguished teachers who were very cooperative from all aspects. We, on the other hand, are very much pleased to have new teammates.  We greet them and wish them success and best of luck.

    The educational supervisors, as usual, visit schools for the sole purpose of developing school staffs as opposed to merely inspecting the teachers' performance. During some of their previous visits, they observed some shortcomings in some teachers' performance as well as competence. We strongly believe that we should never be ashamed of stating the clear deficiencies that we often see and observe during some teachers' presentation. Stating these deficiencies helps teachers to avoid making them repeatedly. So, there come the weak spots in which we, teachers of English, should keep away from: -

*Rushing a lesson in order to finish all that is in the teacher's book.

*Making no notes of some lessons you, the teacher, has not finished.

*Neglecting vocabulary, particularly in the intermediate stage. Teachers should give regular oral and written vocabulary quizzes.

*Not encouraging pupils to learn some new words every day, or stressing the fact that they should spend some time in the library, pursuing short stories, news magazines...etc.

*Not bringing the students into a full awareness about the prospects of their future, and that is why they do not appreciate the time they spend at school, and do not know why they are studying English.  

*Giving pupils fewer assignments than expected.

 *Not telling the students to assign a separate book for homework and another for class-work.

  *Missing one goal that is essential for all pupils. That is to learn to communicate, because language is communication.  

*Marking home assignment and workbooks haphazardly.

  *Ignoring YM important instructions in the teacher's books

  *Keeping the teaching aids, including cassettes, perhaps hidden somewhere in the school and not using them properly.

  *No quick revision if there are some spare minutes at the end of a lesson.

  *No specific aim of the lesson; whatever comes to mind is said.

*Discouraging pupils speaking up in class by correcting thorn too much, not making notes of their mistakes but interrupting them.

  *Not using chorus work to practice rhythm, sometime asking pupils to repeat in chorus a sentence that they do not understand.

  *Going round the class asking each pupil in turn, not pointing suddenly and unexpectedly, or calling a pupil's name or asking a volunteer to answer a question.

  * Helping gifted pupils only, not the slow ones.

  *Not returning to those who had given Incorrect answers and asking them to give the right ones after correction had been made.

  *Asking all the questions themselves.

  *Talking too much,' not reducing the amount of talking by using mime, drawing on the board or making pair and group work.

  *Trying to read the notes in his preparation while teaching, not studying the notes for each lesson in advances.

  *Translating each item Into Arabic; very little English is used then.

    Having poor command of the target language. Rarely listens to the English Broadcasting Corporation, seldom reads English texts or attends meetings where English is the means of communications

 *The class-climate is boring.  The teacher never smiles, praises, or jokes.

*The teacher often criticizes pupils' behaviors.  Pupils, therefore, show no signs of enthusiasm to participate.

*No warm-up questions when the class formally starts.

*No classroom controls It Is because the teacher anticipates having difficulties with pupils.

*Asking his pupils, " Do you understand? "The teacher should never ask such a question because pupils are too shy to show their ignorance and they remain quiet.

*Ignoring the importance of testing. Testing actually enables teachers to measure their own success and failure in the classroom helping them to know when lesson plans must be modified to meet the pupils' unforeseen problems and urgent needs.

    Now, having stated most of what had been reported to our office regarding some imperfections of some teachers' performance and competence; we should look for the most appropriate strategy to overcome such shortcomings and hence improve the teachers' performance.

    To put it briefly, read those written weak spots repeatedly till you become quite sure of determining areas of strength and weakness, then, refer to the teacher's book, where you would find a solution for almost every difficulty. The teacher's book, in fact, is the key to the course (ESA). It includes detailed coverage of everything teachers need to attain solid Improvement in their teaching process, subsequently, avoiding the faults mentioned earlier.

Clear sense of directions: -

    Aims, preparations, format, content, and making of an oral examination can be seen and read clearly In the fast few pages of the teacher's book (Appendix A - C). It is worth mentioning here too that the Teacher's Book does not state regulations of an oral test. With this regard, we would like you to remember that a pupil, who fails in the first session and enrolls in the second, should have oral and written rests. That is to say. [Examination rules applicable to the second term are to be followed in the second session]. The distribution of marks given to you will clear up the matter.

The ultimate Aim of Our Education:-

    Education, as you know, charters and implements the desires of a nation by bringing up its younger generations according to its wanted principles and values. The Educational policy of the Kingdom has a provision that ought to be followed in all stages of Education. It is based on Islam, which the nation embraces as a creed, a system of observances, a code of ethics, legislation, a law and a complete way of life. The teacher's goal as an active member of this nation, therefore, is to bring up a faithful citizen capable of building up his nation and also to develop a feeling of responsibility among students towards their faith. This is the real leading and positive role of you- the teacher. We believe that you are not only capable of perceiving the clear and ultimate aim of our educational message, but also willing to put this great responsibility into practice. In you, our trustworthy teachers, we have confidence.

Riyadh Directorate of Education,

Educational Affairs, English Department. 

AbdulRahman AL-Hawail.

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