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BC TEAL is proud to present our 2025 Annual Conference: Disruptive Educational Practices: Strategies for Transformation.

Educators shine in times of change to face unexpected challenges. This is when creativity flourishes by combining proven practices with fresh and innovative ideas. These times call for transformation which can be rooted in tradition or experience, or it can arise through unexplored approaches. The synthesis of old and new ideas drives meaningful progress. Join other insightful and creative educators as we flourish within the power of our community.
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TESL Practicum: Learning and Teaching in the Time of Turmoil
Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT
TBA
The Douglas College TESL program recently developed a new practicum model that effectively addresses previous challenges in training future EAL teachers while creating new opportunities for underserved EAL learners in the community. Presenters will first provide an overview of the challenges they faced in the post-COVID world, including limited sponsor teacher support from partner schools, as well as their own institutional policy constraints. They will then outline the steps taken to create the new in-house practicum model and explain its beneficial effects on both the TESL program and community EAL learners. 
This initiative, which is based on the Teaching and Learning Cycle (TLC) framework (Derewianka & Jones, 2016), has proven effective for TESL students and their learning as it is based on scaffolding and reinforced by classroom instruction. The benefits for EAL learners, however, seem to extend beyond language learning, impacting their current and future identities and creating lasting effects on their lives. The presenters will share their classroom experience and explain the reasons behind these effects, highlighting a somewhat unexpected finding from this initiative: a significant imbalance between the demand for EAL instruction and the available options for learners. 
The experience underscores the importance of finding creative ways to better serve the EAL community during the time they are most vulnerable, despite difficulties posed by institutional and governmental regulations. It emphasizes the need for teacher training and language teaching providers to come together in support of students. Attendees will leave the session with ideas on how this can be achieved. 
Reference 
Derewianka, B., & Jones, P. (2016). Teaching Language in Context (2nd ed.). Oxford University  
Press Australia & New Zealand. 
Speakers
GS

Gordana Sokic

Instructor, Douglas College
Gordana Sokic is a TESL and EAP instructor at Douglas College, with experience in EAL teaching, curriculum writing, and teacher training in diverse settings.
avatar for Nathan Hall

Nathan Hall

Instructor, Douglas College
Nathan Hall is an English language / TESL educator with over 19 years of experience. He is passionate about pedagogically-sound uses of technology for education.
KS

Kat Suric

TESL practicum facilitator, Douglas College
Kat Suric is an experienced EAL teacher. Her most recent experience includes acting as a sponsor teacher in the TESL program’s practicum at Douglas College. 
Saturday May 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT
TBA
  Teacher Education, Teacher Education

Attendees (6)


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