Welcome to our May newsletter

Dear Phil,

This month we focus on lesson observations – a great tool for teacher development but not always an easy one! Our May webinar is all about an alternative approach, Narrative self-observation. What does it mean? Well, it’s a way to help teachers move from ‘That went badly.’ to ‘What actually happened?’ What’s the full picture?’. It helps teachers look at the story of a lesson like an outsider and to ask questions such as ‘Is the story I tell myself accurate or fair? What themes recur in the story of my lessons?’ Find out more and register here.

To help you get ready for the webinar, we’ve included some more information about Narrative self-observation.

If you have a little extra time this month, catch up on our April webinar or even take a scroll through our YouTube playlist over a cup of tea. And don’t forget to join our Teacher Educator Facebook community and share your insights with our global community.

Enjoy the content.

The TeachingEnglish Teacher Educator team

Quicklinks:

• May 2026 webinar
• May 2026 pre-webinar reading
• April 2026 webinar recording
• Teacher educator learning resource pack
• Teacher Educator Community (Facebook group)
• Explore our YouTube Playlist for teacher educators

May 2026 webinar

Join us on Thursday 21 May 2026 for a webinar facilitated by Dr Jason Anderson to explore narrative self-observation as an alternative approach to lesson observation.

Pre-webinar reading

Find out more about our webinar theme with our suggested pre-reading: Narrative self-observation: a new framework for teacher professional development and identity research.

April 2026 webinar

Watch a recording of the April 2026 webinar: How schools retain talented and capable teachers, facilitated by Professor Qing Gu.

Teacher educator learning resource pack 

Our Teacher Educator Learning Resource Pack includes an essential framework for skills and knowledge, key research to inform your practice, and guiding principles for planning effective Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

Teacher Educator Community (Facebook group)

Join our new dedicated, vibrant and inclusive online community that empowers teacher educators within ELT to collaborate and share knowledge. We support teacher educators build dialogue, share experience and offer a platform for reflection and learning. We encourage everyone to learn from each other in our community. 

Explore our YouTube Playlist for Teacher Educators