Coordinators & Administrators: Today’s Challenges

“Unless someone like you cares a whole, awful lot. Things aren't going to get better, they're NOT!”

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel, 1904-1991), American children's author and cartoonist, in The Lorax
 

Whether they are part of or associated with post-secondary institutions, private language schools, non-profit organizations, or public schools or colleges, most English language programs have or need coordinators or administrators. As funding for language education decreases, their main “job” is probably to keep their doors open—not only by maintaining enrollments but also by recruiting new students through program promotion. Even directors without marketing experience may find themselves obligated or eager to develop an attractive image for their program through a presence in the language-education marketplace.  To do so, they can develop and maintain contacts in the neighborhood, community, and even the world.  They can provide useful information and assistance to prospective students.  And they can advertise—in ways that are truthful but still enticing, motivating, and likely to get a positive response.

And the more traditional administrative responsibilities aren’t going to disappear: coordinators and directors may still have to hire, train, supervise, and evaluate instructional staff. (Some will even continue teaching a course or two.)  They might need to help establish, oversee, and/or direct curriculum and methodologies, including changes that are necessary to keep up with the times, fulfill government or community requirements, and meet the needs of their student “clients.”  They may be in charge of student support services, which can include mentoring, problem-solving, and others kinds of assistance and understanding. And in today’s economy, they’re likely to have to budget, cut expenses, and make only cost-effective purchasing decisions.

Authors & Editors  is committed to helping coordinators and administrators in unusual or unique ways:

[1] by offering amazingly motivating concepts, techniques, and materials that will attract enrollees to your programs (once the word gets out) and keep them attending;

[2] by keeping the costs of our purchasable products unusually low--for all kinds of buyers (administrators, teachers, students, independent learners, etc.);

[2] by providing reusable products like Tear-Off Pads, Card Decks, Board Games, Reproducible Masters, A to Z Everything to Know (Now) About . . .Teacher-Resource Books, the smaller-format Activity & Idea Books accompanying classroom-ready materials, and more that need to be purchased only once and can be made available to whole staffs;

[3] by offering free or low-cost teacher-training workshops (with downloadable copies of previously used Teacher-Training Workshop Handouts available soon) in well-tested "best practices" techniques proven effective in student retention; 

[4] by helping staff develop a mutually beneficial “go-giving” attitude with ideas on how to “Use Whatcha Have, Give Whatcha Got, Get Whatcha Need,” and how to keep in touch with one another and us;

[5] by contributing in other ways that we haven't even thought of yet.

You can also link to an Alphabetized Authors & Editors Product List,  the print or Online Authors & Editors Creative Language Teaching & Learning Catalog, the Authors & Editors Online Store, and/or a  list of no-cost immediately useable materials at Teaching Tools, Tips, & Techniques.   There will also be connections to Informational Articles & Resources.