If you ask a cross section of society how they got into the roles that they do at work, many will say that it happened by chance. One step led to another and here they are doing what they do on a daily basis. There was no specific plan. Just a series of opportunities grasped which led to here and now.
It is easy to fall into this lifestyle. When each day is packed with responsibilities and activities and you are trying to juggle the demands of home life and work, when is there time to sit down and not only think about, but actually plan, where you want to go next?
Proactive continuing professional development (CPD) can be the bridge between where you are now and where you want to be. Opportunities for career development in the teaching profession vary tremendously from school to school. For this reason alone, it is advisable to take a fully proactive approach to the pace and direction of your professional learning. This way, you’re in control of where you want to go and when you want to get there.
Why give time to CPD?
This is perhaps the most important question to ask of CPD. In a busy career that is already bulging at the seams with “must do”, “should do”, and “need to do” items on your task list, when on earth is there time to think beyond all that?
There are two clear reasons for giving time to CPD. First it can help you to be better at the job you already do. Second, it can prepare you for a job you will do in the future. Overarching everything, however, is the fact that it can help you to glean a deeper sense of enjoyment from your work as a teacher or classroom assistant; a true bonus in such a demanding job.
Re-skilling and up-skilling
Whether you are reskilling or upskilling, there will be a CPD opportunity to support you. You may have to self-fund it or part-fund it (check out the free courses link below), but there are courses out there to help your dreams become ambitions and your ambitions become reality. For example, if you want to specialise in SEND, there is the SENCO national professional qualification, which is an 18-month course which will enable participants to coordinate SEND provision in their school. This qualification will be the mandatory qualification for SENCOs from September 2024. The course covers school culture, statutory framework, identification of need, teaching, behaviour, leading and managing provision, professional development, implementation (see link below).
There are also mandatory qualifications for specialist teachers working with pupils with vision impairment and hearing impairment (details below). For those wanting to convert to teaching there are also pathways for teaching assistants (see below).
Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses may be of interest to you if you are moving into teaching from another profession, or perhaps in the process of moving from teaching assistant to teacher. These courses are particularly for people who finished their degree more than 5 years ago, or people who have an A level but not a degree in the subject they want to teach. Initial teacher training providers can give you further information on SKE courses.
It is worth building a personal bank of sources of CPD that will support you in your work. These ideas may help:
- Your union – unions usually offer CPD that is accessible and fully or partly funded as part of member benefits. These courses will be online (webinars are common) or face to face. For example, the National Education Union is currently offering courses on behaviour management, SEND, mental health and wellbeing, teaching and learning, and cultivating creativity in your classroom (among others). Get in touch with your union to see what is available to you.
- Your local authority or academy trust– local authorities and academy trusts often provide training and development opportunities for teachers at their schools. Find out if there are any courses or local networks that you can access.
- Subject associations – this is where genuine expertise in your subject area can be found. Look out for anything and everything offered by your subject association. It is bound to be worth your time!
- Podcasts – there are numerous podcasts out there covering just about every aspect of life as a teacher. Quality varies, as with everything. Dip into what appeals and find ways of weaving listening time into your everyday life; perhaps on your way to and from work, over breakfast, during non-contact time while performing other tasks etc.
- Books – The choice of education books on offer for teachers is impressive. Choose wisely – fads and fashions will pass, but solid, well-researched material will be evergreen. Consider building up a library of books that will support your development as a teacher. Perhaps your school has a CPD library? Or you could share-buy with a colleague.
- Local HEIs – Build up working relationships with those working in your subject area in local higher education institutions. These can be positively fruitful relationships beneficial for all parties. How can you help each other? What can you learn from one another?
- Journaling – Keep a learning journal; it is a great way of keeping track of your goals and ambitions and the steps that you are taking to reach them. Who are your allies? Where are you getting most support? What will you do next in order to develop your work as a teacher? How are you reflecting on your progress?
This is by no means an exhaustive account of the proactive professional learning opportunities available for teachers and those wishing to teach, but it is a call to action to grasp your professional learning and carve a path through your career that supports your goals, dreams and ambitions.
All of that said, perhaps one of the most effective and proactive steps we can take can happen on an ad hoc basis throughout the school day. The passing conversations we have with colleagues about specific issues to do with challenging aspects of teaching and learning are like pearls in the sand. The cumulative effect of these conversations – even better if they happen from a position of mutual vulnerability rather than manager over subordinate – can deepen our experience of teaching and move our professional learning ever closer to where we want to be.
Find out more…
Mandatory qualifications: specialist teachers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)#
Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK (education.gov.uk)
Get Into Teaching | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK (education.gov.uk)
Free Online Courses UK - Free Courses in England
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
