At the London Festival of Education last month, Sir Tim Brighouse, of London Challenge fame, urged schools to ensure provision for teacher CPD.

A recent #edchat took a deeper look at why professional learning was important - and why teachers should think about taking control of their own CPD.

@bradmcurrie asked teachers to think of the children: “When educators take control of their own professional learning, they directly impact the success of all students.”

@nicolemeintz made the point that it’s important for teachers to be a model for their students. “How can we create lifelong learners if we aren’t them ourselves?” she asked.

Others had more personal reasons for taking control of their own CPD. @bethhill2829 argued that “taking charge of our own learning requires more self-awareness and reflection, being honest with ourselves about what we need”.

@K_Gaston77 pointed out that some teachers simply didn’t lend themselves to easily defined CPD. “I teach in a specialised area and my district options don’t always apply to my position,” she said.

Finally, @suburbanlion sounded a word of caution: “If you don’t take control of your own professional learning, someone else might just take control for you...”

Sarah Cunnane

Keep up to date with the latest education

chat online by following @tes on Twitter