We are finally ready to share news about next June's Trainer Prep course for experienced input-based language teachers! And we have some exciting changes to tell you about.
First of all, we've decided to create a new entity that represents the work Anny and Kirstin do together, rather than as a sideline to our separate work with Dynamic Language Learning (Kirstin, in the Netherlands) and Altamira Language Learning (Anny, in the Philadelphia Tri-state area). Introducing What's Your Next Step? where we will focus on working with teachers who are ready to move to another level. We will be launching our new website soon, so stay tuned.
As one of our next steps, we've reimagined Trainer Prep as two shorter programs:
UPDATED! A three-day intensive Course that focuses on the heart of the Trainer Prep experience: principles to guide our training, essential elements of teaching for acquisition, and key components of a training 'event'.
NEW! a two-day Presenter Retreat for those who are ready to get down to business, planning and practicing your own workshop or presentation, either alone or with a partner or team, in an atmosphere of collegial support and shared purpose. The Presenter Retreat is open to 'graduates' of the Trainer Prep course.
Here's the nitty-gritty:
Trainer Prep intensive 3-day course: June 21-24, 2020 ($675, 4 nights lodging included: arrive Saturday evening, leave Wednesday morning)
2-day Presenter Retreat: June 24-26, 2020 ($300, 2 nights lodging included: arrive Wednesday midday, leave Friday afternoon)
Both programs combined: Sat evening-Friday afternoon ($950, 6 nights lodging included)
But maybe you aren't yet sure what it is we're offering. See more here, and here:
In the work we (Kirstin Plante and Anny Ewing) do as presenters, mentors, coaches, and trainers for language teachers, we see teachers come into the training context from many different starting points and along many different paths. Since there is no single “way” to approach teaching with comprehensible input, we need to be agile as coaches and trainers. That’s why we have organized these programs in Jamestown, Rhode Island. That's why we'd love to have you join us!
This training was born in 2015 in the Netherlands and Anny and Kirstin have been facilitating it together in the States since 2016. In that time, we've assembled a growing and broadening cohort of comprehension-based communicative language teachers, presenters, coaches, teacher leaders, and aspiring trainers to share and reflect on why we do what we do and how to make it accessible and appealing to others.
Each year’s group has its own personality and the week’s agenda is adapted to your talents, interests, and needs.
Last year the Trainer Prep course did not run, and instead we hosted our first Alumni Weekend. That group of teacher leaders, who had already experienced 5 days of learning together in previous years’ Trainer Prep courses, was able to troubleshoot, problem solve, and advise each other with a shared background and a well-tuned sense of purpose.
That Alumni Weekend was the precursor and inspiration for this year's Presenter Retreat, which will again be driven by the interests and needs of the people in attendance, with a focus on creating or designing our own training 'events' during the two-day retreat.
For us, getting together with dedicated teachers ready to take the next step is part trainer development, part teacher revitalization, part professional networking, and part 'family' reunion. As Kirstin and Anny guide the week’s activities, we learn and grow as much as anyone.
So, what should you do next?
If you are ready to apply for Trainer Prep 2020, here is the application.
Click here for more details about the course, schedule, lodging, application, etc.
Click here to see the 2019 video [N.B. with last year's dates] showing scenes from the training in previous years.
If you are thinking about it but are not ready to apply, do nothing! We’ll continue to send updates to this mailing list until the course has filled (limit 18 participants).
We hope to see you in June! Anny & Kirstin
If you know anyone else we should send an invitation to, please have them join the mailing list here.
If you are interested in having us offer the Trainer Prep course in Europe, let us know here.