TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Session 24

Overview What is professional development? How can I develop myself? Taking control of development with examples Using Portfolios Working on your career plan Other ideas

What is development? Often called CPD Should be called CPPD What do you think helps you develop?

How you can develop? Developing reflective skills through experience inc. action research Observing other teachers and being observed Discussing learning and teaching Reading about teaching Attending conferences Keeping a record of development activities Rank these ideas in order of importance for you…

Trainers’ view of development Observing other teachers and being observed Developing reflective skills through experience inc. action research Keeping a record of development activities Discussing learning and teaching Attending conferences Reading about teaching

How do you feel about being observed? Observation is so important in teacher learning and it is so often feared by those observed Something is wrong! Observation is not assessment - it’s development

How can you work with observation? Invite an observer in Team up with someone and play observer/observee Plan and teach a class with someone Video yourself – for you Video yourself for others

Trainers’ ideas Another teacher covers a teacher’s class to let you observe another teacher (peer observation) Trainers observed by you first Video yourself for future discussion – if possible in a staff development session Team teach with another teacher / trainer Pop in observations

Tips for setting up Observation Have clear rules for observation How and when to give feedback Make sure feedback is progressive + & - What will be done with the feedback etc. Get something in writing – hot feedback Get final feedback in writing for record

DEVELOPING REFLECTIVE SKILLS Reflection – critical thinking about teaching How can it be developed?

APPRAISAL Formal discussion with a manager Pre-prepared discussion Can be run via a portfolio Formal written feedback after the appraisal to set goals

How is most teacher development organised? Through some form of set system organised by the schools Through set teacher development programmes e.g. British Council seminars, INSET

Other ideas Get involved in the school think of new ideas Future courses Further teaching qualifications (which?) Short courses Attend workshops conferences Run a session at a conference On-demand interactive webinars via Unimenta training support

How can we check this? Take control of our development Make sure that we control what we do in our development Keep a clear copy of what we have done – a CV isn’t enough Look at your CV at least once a year! Link it to your portfolio

Ideas for Portfolio Overview i.e. mission statement Observation – hot feedback + reflections + observer comments + video Lesson plans/tests/materials created Certificates from courses/conferences Needs analyses Communication with sts ( etc) Journal notes Other material? Future plans

Other ideas for teachers Run development sessions - decide how you want to develop Get involved in decision making e.g. Choosing books, when to have meetings Make sure there is good communication Ask for an appraisal Make sure it all goes in your portfolio

Communication and Development Teacher discussion group Shared ideas / reading Taking on new responsibilities Clear idea of future development Linked to school career paths Keep in touch with other teachers/trainers

Summation of CPD ELT methodology (PPP) Personalisation Professionalism Pair work (communication)

Other teaching Work in your free time ETP Volunteer work – happiness! Summer teaching (July) A year abroad