Strategies for Staffing and Managing Enrichment Programs

Creating a new set of enrichment classes requires schools to develop a plan for staffing and managing these programs. At ELT schools, enrichment classes are taught by classroom teachers or community-based partners or a combination of both.

Teacher Designed and Led

At some schools, teachers design and lead the enrichment classes. Teachers propose classes they would like to teach and which they think would appeal to students while also meeting curriculum goals. Some examples include robotics, forensics, debate, digital photography, and African drumming. If approved as a class offering, teachers will write course descriptions, syllabi, and lesson plans for this new class and then teach it at specified times, in addition to any other academic classes they may teach. One advantage of this model is that teacher’s have an opportunity to create a class based on their own skills, interests, or hobbies. Another advantage is that students have an opportunity to interact with their teachers in a context other than academic classes, building stronger bonds, greater mutual respect, and understanding.

Partner Designed and Led

Many ELT schools have strong relationships with community-based partners who have experience leading enrichment programs for students both during school and out of school. As part of their redesign, ELT schools invite these partners to offer specific enrichment programs for their students. Teachers from the partner organization work closely with teachers from the school to ensure that the class is integrated and aligned with the school’s goals and curriculum framework. For more on partnerships with community-based organizations see School Partnerships.

While a wide variety of course options and a diverse group of community-based partners generate more choices and greater exposure for students, it also creates new management challenges. Depending on the program model, a staff person may be needed to review proposed class options and syllabi and recruit possible partners and negotiate contracts with them. Someone is also needed to oversee the new programming and ensure that it is meeting the school’s overall goals. Some schools have hired an ELT Coordinator to fulfill this role.