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BC TEAL Journal Volume 3 Number 1 (2018): 90–92 

Book Review 

 

The Lazy Teacher Trainer’s Handbook 

 

Magnus Coney 

(n.p.) the round, 2017, 122 pages 

ASIN B078YRHN2W (e-book) 

 

Reviewed by 

 

Ben Naismith 

University of Pittsburgh 

 

Magnus Coney’s first book, The Lazy Teacher Trainer’s Handbook (LTTH), is a collection of 

practical sessions for English language teaching (ELT) teacher trainers which can be used as part 

of continuing professional development (CPD) programs. Easily accessible online in e-book 

format and affordable at $5.99 US, LTTH is a valuable resource for teacher trainers seeking new 

ideas for material-light workshops which promote communication and reflection. 

 

 LTTH is relatively short at 21,780 words, divided into an introduction and five 

“chapters” with different overarching themes. And yet, within this space, there are 52 stand-

alone workshop ideas, each with a brief description of any necessary preparation, groups the 

session may suit, step-by-step procedures, and possible variations. Prior to the sessions in the 

introduction, Coney provides a succinct rationale for what is to follow, and he offers concrete 

steps that trainers can take for maximizing the impact of the sessions before, while, and after 

they take place. It is also here that Coney’s writing style becomes apparent: clear, concise, and 

very approachable, in the tone of one experienced colleague talking to another.  

 

 Overall, the theoretical background of the book is clearly inspired by Dogme ELT, 

adhering to the same core precepts that teaching be conversation-driven, materials-light, and 

focused on emergent language (or in this case emergent needs) (Meddings & Thornbury, 2009). 

Through the application of these principles, Coney advocates for teachers and trainers to co-

construct knowledge together, in the vein of sociocultural learning theory, whereby the trainer 

provides “scaffolding” in the session to allow for learning to be mediated (Thornbury, 2006). 

Ultimately, it is proposed that by giving greater agency to participants, the sessions are more 

likely to be motivating and impactful. Given the combined wealth of experience and expertise of 

teachers in many professional development sessions, such an approach seems well-suited to 

maximizing this human resource, in-line with Meddings and Thornbury’s (2009) belief that 

Dogme’s emphasis on “learner-centred, experiential learning, applies equally to teacher training” 

(p. 101). 

 

 The first chapter, “Sharing and collaboration,” naturally focuses on highly-interactive 

sessions designed to develop new practices or insights. These sessions cover a range of topics, 

from different methodologies, to types of classes, and specific classroom situations. Chapter 2, 

“Feedback and reflection,” then offers ideas for sessions which prompt teacher reflection on their 

existing beliefs and practices, as well as sessions related to reflective practice tools like student 



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questionnaires. In Chapter 3, “Lessons and planning,” the focus shifts to having participants plan 

parts of lessons, thereby combining professional development with actual planning for their 

upcoming lessons. Similarly, Chapter 4, “Materials and resources,” includes elements of real 

material creation, but also looks at how teachers can assess and critically analyze existing 

materials themselves so as to maximize their usefulness. Finally, in Chapter 5, “Planning and 

reflecting on CPD,” the sessions focus on promoting teacher autonomy in terms of their own 

professional development, with ideas relating to action research, lesson observations, and self-

analysis. 

 

 Across all five chapters, what stands out is the breadth and originality of the session 

ideas. Some of the sessions, it is true, are based on more traditional (but still useful) task types 

like consideration of case studies, role plays, and creating/using checklists. However, at least to 

me, there were a number of session ideas I had not previously considered, for example tasks for 

increasing lesson planning speed, creating evidence-based review activities, or having teachers 

create tips for teacher trainers. 

 

 To see for myself one of these sessions in action, I selected a half dozen I thought might 

be useful for the teachers I was working with, who were Certificate in English Language 

Training to Adults (CELTA) trainees in the last week of a four-week pre-service course in 

Vancouver, Canada. After giving them a brief description of each session, they voted on one 

entitled “Devil’s advocate” from the “Sharing and Collaboration” section of the book. In this 

session, “teachers are encouraged to question some of [the] received wisdoms” (Loc 687), the 

kind of “wisdom” which are often dispensed on initial teacher training courses. 

 

 Essentially a reflective session, trainees collaborated to compile slips of papers with 

teacher practices, both widespread and controversial. These practices were then hotly debated in 

groups, forcing trainees to consider possible underlying beliefs and justifications for their 

inclusion in the classroom. Despite many of the trainees having only started teaching three weeks 

prior, based on their limited teaching experience and extensive learning experiences, a natural 

and lively debate ensued, easily taking up the allotted 75 minutes. As the trainer, my role was 

essentially one of moderator, getting the task started, monitoring and providing support, and 

managing the final class feedback. During this final stage, there was greater trainer input, as I 

touched on what research has suggested in relation to the points made.  

 

 What was most apparent from this experiment was the flexible nature of the suggested 

session; in other contexts, with other participants or trainers, the output would have likely been 

drastically different. While some may see this unpredictability as a shortcoming, I appreciated 

the truly personalized and communicative nature of the session’s primary task which promoted 

real trainee interaction with the material and opportunities for responsive trainer input. Based on 

the unanimously positive reaction from the participants, I will be sure to include both this, and 

other, sessions in future courses. 

 

 Considering possible readers of LTTH, it may be true that these particular sessions are not 

ideal for trainers seeking detailed materials, extensive background theory, or convenient answer 

keys. Likewise, the word “lazy” in the title should not be taken literally; though no material 

design or preparation in advance is needed, once in the classroom the trainer must be engaged 



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BC TEAL Journal Volume 3 Number 1 (2018): 90–92 

and an active participant to successfully facilitate the session. With that said, for trainers 

interested in expanding their repertoire of ideas and delivering participant-centred sessions, 

LTTH is a highly worthwhile investment. Based on both the wide variety of session types as well 

as my own experience in testing one in the classroom, I would recommend teacher trainers to 

investigate LTTH for themselves, regardless of whether for in-service or pre-service training 

contexts. My one suggestion for LTTH would be that a hard copy option be made available, 

convenient for staffroom libraries and sharing amongst trainers. 

 

References 

 

Meddings, L., & Thornbury, S. (2009). Teaching unplugged: Dogme in English language 

teaching. Surrey: Delta. 

 

Thornbury, S. (2006). An A–Z of ELT. Oxford: Macmillan Education. 

 

 

 
The BC TEAL Journal is licensed under a 

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. 
Copyright rests with the authors. 

 

 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

