careerFOCUS Keeping CPD stimulating


It used to be said that continuing professional development (CPD) was something that was done to teachers and trainers, often based on pre-set learning tasks that bore little relation to the actual development needs of staff. Fortunately, things have changed in recent years as practitioners have taken more control over the development of their own careers and professional practice. Employers too have recognised the benefits of practitioner-led CPD. But how do teachers and trainers keep their professional


development fresh and stimulating, as well as guarding against the risk of tokenistic tick-box CPD? inTuition invited SET members to share their ideas for


keeping professional development engaging, challenging and, above all, relevant. Why not email us with your own CPD ideas at membership.communications@etfoundation.co.uk


Joint practice development


By Patricia Odell As teachers, we are very familiar with the traditional ‘expert to novice’ model of professional development that usually involves attending external events or staff training days.


Practitioners often come away from these type of


events brimming with new ideas, but the problem with this approach is that once back in the workplace, teachers often do not have the time and space needed to be able to try out new strategies. Joint practice development (JPD) is different. First


REFERENCE


• Fielding, M., Bragg, S., Craig, J., Cunningham, I., Eraut, M., Gillinson, S., Horne, M., Robinson, C. and Thorp, J. (2005). Factors influencing the transfer of good practice. London: DfES Goodson.


proposed by Fielding et al (2005), this model involves teachers working together to develop their practice. It differs from conventional methods in three ways as teachers are: • empowered to take ownership of their professional development, identifying areas of their practice they wish to improve;


• provided with time and space to improve their practice, enabling them to share, discuss and reflect on their practice with others;


• able to experiment with new strategies and take risks without fear of being judged. JPD is a ‘slow burn’ rather than a ‘quick fix’. Leaders


have a key role to play in creating the conditions in which this approach can thrive. Patricia Odell is head of professional status at the Education and Training Foundation. She has recently submitted her doctoral thesis exploring the benefits and challenges of a JPD approach in FE institutions.


28 ISSUE 37 • AUTUMN 2019 inTUITION


Blending digital and face-to-face development


Taking on responsibility for CPD By Ann Gravells


CPD is not always about attending courses or gaining qualifications, but about taking responsibility for aspects you need to know more about or improve on. Here are a few ideas:


• become a moderator, examiner or quality assurer; • take part in collaborative working, observations and sharing ideas with colleagues and others;


• create or update a reading list in your subject area; • follow the relevant Professional Standards and/or Code of Practice;


• do industrial and workplace visits and/or secondments, or part-time work;


• take up membership of professional and trade associations, committees and/or organisations;


• mentor and coach new staff; • network (online and in person); • take part in relevant events, webinars, conferences and training programmes;


• read, write and/or review textbooks and journal articles;


• research relevant developments and changes; • update your English, maths and digital skills. Always reflect about what you have done and what impact it has had. Ann Gravells is an author and expert on professional development. She is a Fellow of SET. www.anngravells.com


By Joyce I-Hui Chen We are living in an era of all things exciting, creative and digital! The same applies to CPD activities, which do not always have to happen within the four walls. I have recently participated in a range of digital CPD


events through the Society for Education and Training (SET). For example, a webchat session on Facebook with Geoff Petty and Marcin Lewandowski (head of learning at Action West London) on how to motivate learners by setting goals in the classroom. There is also an abundant choice of blogs, from


The Teaching Space by Martine Ellis, author and professional development lead at Guernsey College, to FurtherEdagogy by Dan Williams, who is a lecturer in post-14 initial teacher education at the University of Derby and also chairs the SET Management Board. However, social interaction can make CPD so much


more effective and enjoyable and it is believed that teachers learn better through collaboration. Check out the Professional Exchange Networks and Practitioner


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