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
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