NZPF Forum 27 August 2011 Peter Lind

Key Questions Are we a profession? What are the hallmarks of a profession? What are the requirements for entry into the profession? How should we set these benchmarks?

Are we a profession? Teaching is largely learned on the job: “Why do I need to do one of these teacher training programmes if I have a good degree, relate well to others and have good communication skills?” What do we expect teachers to know? Be able to do? Care about?

The obligation of service to others as in a “calling” Understanding of a scholarly or theoretical kind A domain of skilled performance or practice The need for learning from experience as theory & practice interact A professional community to monitor quality and aggregate knowledge Professor Shulman

As a profession we need to Move from Contractual accountability Imposed by external regulation Move to Responsive accountability Profession developed & managed Self regulation

What are the requirements for entering the profession? Examining the existing requirements – are they adequate - readiness for change Consult the profession – how do we mobilise teachers around issues of mutual interest collective & connected action

We need to learn from our experiences - commitment to on-going professional learning Teaching is NOT a private activity – need to improve practice through peer observation & reflection. Have confidence in our practice Need to make explicit good practice – develop a scholarship of practice Professor Judyth Sachs

Registered Teacher Criteria Phased in from 2011 to 2014 By 2014 all teachers now using the Registered Teacher Criteria

What are they for? The test for ‘satisfactory’ recent teaching experience (Education Act 1989) for registration – affirms competence (hurdle) Criteria to guide professional learning of teachers (compass) To promote status of the profession by describing complex nature of teachers’ work (beacon) Provide public confidence in registered teachers (quality assurance)

Appraisal Who appraises teachers? How do we conduct this appraisal? What evidence is gathered? What skills are needed by an appraiser? How are they acquired? How do we gain consistency in judgments about teachers?

At the centre of accountability [& informed debate] is the commitment to making practice transparent, developing confidence in the teaching profession and improving student outcomes. This is the way for the teaching profession to shape the future agenda for education & schooling. (Sachs, p.10, 2011)