CPD
The
right
path?
When thinking
studies curriculum? Alternatively, are your choices will see more clearly just how you are already steering about your career in your next review, answer them
linked to the ways in which you support students or your career, and along which development path you are with confidence. Let your CPD help you to be clear
about where
help groups of students, for example, reluctant learners likely to travel. about your future in teaching, as well as to address
or those with learning difficulties? Are your preferences Long before you decide to apply for academic your present development needs. As a result you will
linked to how to organise your department, or to responsibilities or for pastoral or leadership roles, your get more out of your CPD and more out of your career
your career is
manage a team of people in school, or to the task of CPD interests will show you the types of responsibilities planning activities, too. SecEd
taking responsibility for an aspect of school life? you are likely to want to take up.
heading, one
Look carefully. Is there a trend in your choices? Now that you can be more confident about the • Margaret Adams is the author of How To Take Charge
Have your preferences suggested that your career path development journey you are making, it is time to Of Your Teaching Career (Continuum International
of the key questions to
will follow an academic, subject-based development tell other people. Talk to them about your interests. Publishing, 2008) and Work-Life Balance: A Practical
route? Are your interests more closely linked to student When you are asked those far-reaching questions Guide for Teachers (David Fulton Publishers, 2006).
welfare or to pastoral issues? Are you really interested
ask yourself is academic
in leadership and managing your school, the curriculum
or staff?
or pastoral? Margaret
If you cannot spot a trend, as yet, think about more
CPD activities you would really like to take part in.
Adams offers her advice
Continue with this activity until you begin to see a Planning for change
pattern in your choices. Once you see those patterns you
will have some valuable information to work with.
HY DID you come into
As you start
Create the desire to change
W
teaching? Where do you
What do your CPD preferences reveal?
When you identify the problems that currently exist
want to take your career? Your potential CPD choices give a good indication of
Do you see yourself as a the aspects of your role that you are enthusiastic about.
this new term,
within the school and offer alternatives, you are
highlighting the benefits for change. What other
head of department, a head They will also give you some hints about how you
of year, or as a specialist in would like to develop your career in the future.
Dot Struthers
problems can be solved as a result of this change?
an aspect of teaching? Do If your interests revolve about your subject, then
Desire becomes action
you see yourself moving out of the classroom into a you will probably steer your development, and your shares some If you identify what people are dissatisfied with and
leadership role? career, down the academic route. You may develop what they really feel, you can start to engage them
These are important questions, but they are the sort your abilities in a particular aspect of your subject and
thoughts on how to plan
with the ideas or solutions they have. What sort of
of questions that teachers often struggle to answer. become your department’s expert in that field. things could they do personally and how would this
Without experience in these types of roles, it is difficult In time, your preferences could lead you to become
for them to be sure if they are making the right a head of department, and thus to be in a position to
and manage change
benefit them and their students. What things will
need to stay the same and what things will need to
decisions when they think about how they would like shape the teaching of your subject across a whole be changed?
to develop their careers. school. If your enthusiasm becomes a passion, yours LET’S FACE it, we all hate change – especially
If you are struggling with these questions, you might be a field in which you write books or contribute when it affects us personally. It is often easier to
Reinforce new behaviours
can learn a lot about the development routes that will to developments in the teaching of your subject on the talk about a change once it is over and the pains are All successes should be rewarded and recognised
be most appropriate for you by looking at your CPD larger stage. forgotten rather than when you are caught up in the no matter how small, including any attempts which
choices and aspirations. You may not be aware of it, but When you looked at your CPD choices, you may middle of it. fail. Acknowledge all questions asked because this is
your current CPD interests are almost certainly offering have focused on helping students to learn, or on helping So before you start implementing another change a sign of people wanting to be involved even if the
you insights into how you would like to steer your students to deal with problems that get in the way of this term, you might want to review these seven questions might sound negative to you.
development and your career for the future. their learning. In this case your focus will be different steps and plan a considered approach. Acknowledge the people who resist the change
Look now at the CPD choices you make, and would from that of the subject specialist. Your development and see if you can work through their issues and
like to make, to see where you are actually taking your route will look rather different, too.
Understand the need for change
concerns. For those in denial, keep reinforcing the
career. Your CPD preferences could mean you seek out What is the rationale and why do you need to do this benefits of the change and reasons why change is
pastoral roles and possibly become a head of year. now? What would happen if you did nothing? What necessary.
In which direction are you travelling?
You might become an SEN specialist or a specialist in problems are being solved and how does this benefit
As you begin the task, forget for the moment about the managing students who struggle with aspects of school your students and the school?
Create closure
pressing needs of the term and the CPD you think you life. While it is important to celebrate achievements, it is
need to take part in to help you to fulfil your current If your CPD interests are linked to how you make
Establish rapport
also important to acknowledge the past by creating
responsibilities. Ask yourself instead about the CPD school life function effectively, how to organise When you are in charge of bringing about change in opportunities to talk about the past, as you would at
you would choose if you were following your own departments or how you manage people in school, you a school so often, you might find yourself focusing a funeral. It is a natural thing to want to close and let
interests and enthusiasms. Try to make a list of at least are indicating an enthusiasm for leadership. In this case, all your energies on the people who are negative and things go before moving onto new things and it is
three programmes or CPD activities you would really you may look, in the longer term, at headship or at other resistant rather than the people who are positive and imperative that you get this timing right!
like to take part in. senior leadership roles. with you and can create a ground swell and body of
As you complete the activity there is no need to Given your interest in leadership, at any point in support. How will you get buy-in and create trust?
Conclusion
think about the costs of the programmes or about if you your career you will probably be interested in whole- The new year is a good time to let go of things that
can be spared to attend an event. Just think about your school projects and responsibilities. You may take on
Understand the status quo
have reached their sell-by-date, and not all change
personal choices and how you would shape your CPD, academic or pastoral responsibilities, but your main The key thing here is to get emotional investment has to be painful.
if you had a free hand to do so. interest will be in the management process surrounding by focusing on the pains of the school. How many
Now test your choices. Do these choices deal an activity. people buy into the current model of doing things • Dot Struthers runs workshops and coaching
primarily with your subject and how to teach your and how hard will it be to move people out of their sessions. To find out more about change and to
subject?
What have you learned?
comfort zone. Will the culture of the school work for register for your free monthly CPD newsletter go to
For example, have you decided you would like to Now that you have analysed your CPD interests and or against you? www.merechats.co.uk
learn more about teaching creative writing or the sports considered what they reveal about your aspirations, you
SecEd • January 7 2010 13
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