It happens. There is a very good English teacher who teaches in a small language program. This teacher is competent, grows her skills in pedagogy, and enjoys the classroom atmosphere. Her colleagues see her success in teaching grammar or vocabulary, and they ask her for advice about their lessons. At some point, the director makes a change, and the successful classroom teacher is asked to take on a few administrative tasks. Over time, her competence in managing people becomes evident. The board of the language program hires her as the new program director. Soon this gifted teacher spends her days managing budgets, student registration, and policies instead of writing lesson plans.

This scenario is common. Well organized teachers who easily manage people well are often called upon to take an administrative role, in addition to or in replacement of the job of classroom teaching.

At this point, the teacher-turned-administrator would benefit from training! LCC’s MA TESOL program includes a course entitled Program Administration to meet this exact need.

In our 7-week Program Administration course, our students consider the roles, skills, and challenges of the unique job of managing a language program. Whether the program is small or large, language program administrators benefit from purposeful training and development. We know that our course provides vital skills for our students’ potential careers in teaching and administration.

In the Program Administration course, we begin the session discussing the importance of strategic planning. Today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s outcomes. Administrators hold the role of decision maker. The instructor provides models of successful leadership as we learn about a variety of leadership styles and leadership philosophies.

Our students love the assignment to interview a language program administrator. Not only do they get to know some amazing people, but they also delve into real life questions about the job, the challenges, and the joys.

The next topic of the course is management and human resources. A language program administrator necessarily manages teachers, tutors, volunteers, paid staff, and students. It’s all about people! The course includes topics such as recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and overseeing language teachers. Managing great people is often the most rewarding part of the job but also requires patience and skills in conflict resolution.

In the final week of the course, our students learn the basics of financials and budgets involved in language program administration. We learn about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and aspects of sustainability.

Many of our LCC MA TESOL graduates will likely become language program administrators. Our students love the practicality of this course and the vast number of insights they get into the administration of language programs.

Author: Robin Gingerich, Ph.D., MA TESOL Program Director at LCC International University.