Craft : it is an activity that involves making something in a skillful way or a job that requires special skills. The Craft Model is the oldest form of professional education, it's still used today in ESL teacher education. Its conceptual basis,however, is widely utilized in practicum courses in which students work with classroom teachers. Its conceptual basis,however, is widely utilized in practicum courses in which students work with classroom teachers. The wisdom of the profession resides in an experienced professional practitioner. The practitioner is someone who is expert in the practice of the Craft.

The craft metaphor, as a model, for building new teacher education programs is being studied by policy makers such as Fullan, Connelly, Heller and Watson (1987). The underlying educational philosophy of such craft notions imply conceptions of training and skill acquisition. They included ideas of production and a belief that teaching skills can be predetermined. Teacher s are seen as executor or delivers of codified effective teaching principles. In its most basic form, the Craft Model consists of the trainee or beginner working closely with the expert teacher. The practitioner is supposed to learn by imitating all the teaching techniques used by the experienced teacher. Knowledge is acquired as a result of observation,instructions and practice.

The basic assumptions underlying this model are as follows : 1-In its most basic form,Craft Model,consists of the trainee and the expert teacher. 2-Imitating is a crucial element during the teaching process. 3-The basic elements are : Observation, Instruction,and Practice. How did students learn? The master teacher told the students what to do, showed them how to do it,and the students imitated the master. Another name of the Craft Model was " Sitting with Nellie ". Nellie was an experienced worker who had been doing routine tasks for years.

The positive sides of this model are as follows: 1-The Craft Model of second language teaching allows the learner to develop an experiential knowledge, since the primary responsibilities of the learner are in the classroom. 2- It is one of the quickest model of ESL teacher education. Researchers prove that students can imitate their teachers very quickly.

This model of ESL teacher education program suffers from several shortcomings : 1-The most relevant strategies of training are provided by experts, thus the student teachers play a passive role. 2-The Craft Model is essentially conservative, it doesn’t account for any kind of change, it depends merely on imitation. 3-It does not handle the relevant scientific knowledge. 4-In this model,there is no scope for developing ones creativity since it does not allow suggesting new theories.

There is one question arises from the above: Is teaching a craft or a science? 1- Teaching as a science is: Testable,reproducible,explanatory,predictive, and tentative. 2- Teaching as a craft is: Goal oriented,structured,consists of a process and a product,skill building, and depends on thinking relating and coordinating. Discussion: * What do you think?