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Pivot Point: Becoming a Language Program Administrator
11/09/2018
Julius Pañares
Pivot Point is a four-part series on 21st Century Employment Resiliency for ESL teachers marketing their skills beyond the classroom.
Have you ever thought of Becoming a Language Program Administrator (LPA)? At some point during your career, you may have witnessed a col...
Pivot Point is a four-part series on 21st Century Employment Resiliency for ESL teachers marketing their skills beyond the classroom.
A Handbook for Language Program Administrators, by Fredricka L. Stoller and MaryAnn Christison, has been a long-standing desktop reference for LPAs, and covers the many roles that administrators assume as leaders, decision makers, promoters, and managers, while also exploring the crucial knowledge and skills needed for success. The book can help you identify skill sets and knowledge areas for program administration.
Gaining LPA Skills Quickly
Two of the biggest experience hurdles for teachers who are eying administration are supervision and financial management, or budgeting. Supervision encompasses the day-to-day interactions with employees, but also the technical knowledge of human resources, collective bargaining agreements, labor-management regulations, and employee contracts. This can be a daunting knowledge area. Get involved with your organization’s working committees, shared governance groups, and/or union, read policies carefully, and ask questions.
Financial management is the other area where language teachers moving into administration may not have ready access to developmental opportunities. One way to gain this experience is to ask to shadow the individual responsible for your organizational budget, or to help with the financial planning for a specific area of the budget (e.g., promotions, grant oversight, professional development, events, etc.). Another way to gain this experience is through volunteer opportunities with your professional organizations, in this case CATESOL. Taking on a volunteer leadership role in the local chapters or with organizing regional conferences requires strategic planning, budgeting, promotions, and contract negotiation – all critical skills for LPAs.
Still looking for more opportunities?
Check out the ELT Leadership Management Certificate Program that TESOL International offers. The program runs two times online and again in-person annually at the TESOL International convention. The certificate workshop covers leadership, supervision, strategic planning, budgeting and course costing, hiring essentials, team building and time management. The course offers foundational management skills for ELT positions and can be used to formalize on-the-job experience through a certificate course. As important, the program gives you the opportunity to network with a diverse group of language program administrative professionals from around the world. Learn more here. (http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/certificate-leadership-programs/elt-leadership-management-certificate-program).
Kara Mac Donald is works as an Academic Specialist with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Connect with her on LinkedIn or via Email at kmacd@rocketmail.com
Erin O’Reilly works as an instructional systems specialist with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Connect with her on LinkedIn .
Julius Pañares
Pivot Point is a four-part series on 21st Century Employment Resiliency for ESL teachers marketing their skills beyond the classroom.Have you ever thought of Becoming a Language Program Administrator (LPA)? At some point during your career, you may have witnessed a col...
Pivot Point is a four-part series on 21st Century Employment Resiliency for ESL teachers marketing their skills beyond the classroom.
Have you ever thought of Becoming a Language Program Administrator (LPA)? At some point during your career, you may have witnessed a colleague from the teaching ranks offered an opportunity in program administration. What were the skills that these teachers had that made them stand out as LPA candidates? Equally as important: What skills are needed to be competitive for an LPA position on the open job market?
Defining Language Program Administration
Language Program Administration involves all of the administrative work needed to support language teachers in the classroom: budgeting, course scheduling, hiring, supervision, curricular oversight, teacher training – the list goes on. In the words of one director, “My job is to do whatever needs to get done.” LPAs can wear many hats, which requires a skill set unique from teaching. Here’s a quick list pulled from several job announcements:
Defining Language Program Administration
Language Program Administration involves all of the administrative work needed to support language teachers in the classroom: budgeting, course scheduling, hiring, supervision, curricular oversight, teacher training – the list goes on. In the words of one director, “My job is to do whatever needs to get done.” LPAs can wear many hats, which requires a skill set unique from teaching. Here’s a quick list pulled from several job announcements:
LPA Skill Set
As you can imagine, the demands on LPAs can be quite diverse, and the technical skills can vary depending on the program. That said, time management, attention to detail, and the ability to think analytically are critical when moving into administration. These are often the skills that stand out to managers when looking to promote teachers into administrative positions. Those teachers who pay attention to administrative details (e.g., filing paperwork correctly, meeting departmental deadlines), who consistently present high-quality work, and who find creative solutions for organizational challenges stand out among their peers.
Most LPAs will serve in either a supervisory or team leader role, which means developing soft skills to navigate workplace diversity. Having a genuine interest in people and their needs will help you succeed in administration.
Getting Started
As you can imagine, the demands on LPAs can be quite diverse, and the technical skills can vary depending on the program. That said, time management, attention to detail, and the ability to think analytically are critical when moving into administration. These are often the skills that stand out to managers when looking to promote teachers into administrative positions. Those teachers who pay attention to administrative details (e.g., filing paperwork correctly, meeting departmental deadlines), who consistently present high-quality work, and who find creative solutions for organizational challenges stand out among their peers.
Most LPAs will serve in either a supervisory or team leader role, which means developing soft skills to navigate workplace diversity. Having a genuine interest in people and their needs will help you succeed in administration.
Getting Started
A Handbook for Language Program Administrators, by Fredricka L. Stoller and MaryAnn Christison, has been a long-standing desktop reference for LPAs, and covers the many roles that administrators assume as leaders, decision makers, promoters, and managers, while also exploring the crucial knowledge and skills needed for success. The book can help you identify skill sets and knowledge areas for program administration. Gaining LPA Skills Quickly
Two of the biggest experience hurdles for teachers who are eying administration are supervision and financial management, or budgeting. Supervision encompasses the day-to-day interactions with employees, but also the technical knowledge of human resources, collective bargaining agreements, labor-management regulations, and employee contracts. This can be a daunting knowledge area. Get involved with your organization’s working committees, shared governance groups, and/or union, read policies carefully, and ask questions.
Financial management is the other area where language teachers moving into administration may not have ready access to developmental opportunities. One way to gain this experience is to ask to shadow the individual responsible for your organizational budget, or to help with the financial planning for a specific area of the budget (e.g., promotions, grant oversight, professional development, events, etc.). Another way to gain this experience is through volunteer opportunities with your professional organizations, in this case CATESOL. Taking on a volunteer leadership role in the local chapters or with organizing regional conferences requires strategic planning, budgeting, promotions, and contract negotiation – all critical skills for LPAs.
Still looking for more opportunities?
Check out the ELT Leadership Management Certificate Program that TESOL International offers. The program runs two times online and again in-person annually at the TESOL International convention. The certificate workshop covers leadership, supervision, strategic planning, budgeting and course costing, hiring essentials, team building and time management. The course offers foundational management skills for ELT positions and can be used to formalize on-the-job experience through a certificate course. As important, the program gives you the opportunity to network with a diverse group of language program administrative professionals from around the world. Learn more here. (http://www.tesol.org/attend-and-learn/certificate-leadership-programs/elt-leadership-management-certificate-program).
Kara Mac Donald is works as an Academic Specialist with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Connect with her on LinkedIn or via Email at kmacd@rocketmail.com
Erin O’Reilly works as an instructional systems specialist with the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. Connect with her on LinkedIn .