Chapter 8: Your Professional Development
Chapter 8 is about your professional development. It has five units, on getting your first post, preparing for interview, developing further as a teacher, developing your resilience, and accountability.
The explainer video provides an overview some of these areas.
Your Professional Development
8.1 Getting your first post
Unit 8.1 provides some useful downloads written by the unit authors, as well as a digital footprint link. We also provide links useful websites where you can see job listings, find advice, school inspection reports and further information.
Downloads
Weblinks
Digital Footprint
We advise that you check your digital footprint so that your online presence is professional and you reduce the chance of employers and pupils accessing information about you that you would rather keep private.
Use the CPNI materials to review your digital footprint: https://www.cpni.gov.uk/security-campaigns/my-digital-footprint
Job websites:
Guardian Education: https://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/schools/
eTeach: https://www.eteach.com
Education jobs: http://www.education-jobs.co.uk
Jobsgopublic: www.jobsgopublic.com/
Local government: www.lgjobs.com/
Information about obtaining your first post is available from teaching unions; for example:
Irish National Teachers’ Organisation, Northern Ireland: www.into.ie/NI/
National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales: NASUWT www.nasuwt.org.uk/
National Education Union (NEU): https://neu.org.uk
Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, Scotland: www.ssta.org.uk
The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scotland: www.eis.org.uk/
Ulster Teachers Union, Northern Ireland: www.utu.edu/
Voice, England, Northern Ireland and Wales: www.voicetheunion.org.uk/
Chartered College: https://my.chartered.college/?s=job
School inspection reports and further information about education can be obtained from:
England: Ofsted: www.ofsted.gov.uk; and Department for Education: www.education.gov.uk/
Northern Ireland: The Education and Training Inspectorate Northern Ireland: https://www.etini.gov.uk/ and the Department of Education Northern Ireland: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/
Scotland: Education Scotland: https://education.gov.scot/
Wales: Estyn (The Office of His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales): www.estyn.gov.uk/ and the Welsh Government: https://www.gov.wales/education-skills
8.2 Preparing for Interview
To support this unit we have collated some possible questions you might be asked at interview, to help you practice and prepare.
Download
8.3 Developing further as a teacher
Unit 8.3 is supported with a number of weblinks to help you reflect on how you might develop further.
Developing further as a teacher
England’s system of teacher development is changing – use the DfE report to explore what’s on the horizon: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1059686/Delivering_world_class_teacher_development_policy_paper.pdf
Another step may be a Master’s degree relating to education – a web search with keywords MA Education will return a range of providers
The Chartered College of Teaching: free membership for ITE students: https://chartered.college/membership/student-membership/
ResearchEd Videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uPEgDH3pAhQe06533Zebw/videos
8.4 Developing Your Resilience
To support this unit, we have embedded Task 8.4.1 Building your resilience. You’ll be watching a YouTube video and reflecting on your interactions with pupils and then developing your own growth zone diagram. We have also included a downloadable table to help you complete Task 8.4.5 – Reviewing your use of time during term time.
Task 8.4.1 Building your resilience
- Watch neurologist Dr. Daniel Siegel presenting the hand model of the brain on YouTube.
- Reflect on how the hand model may explain why you or a pupil may feel stupid or unable to think when confronted with something that relates to a prior bad experience.
- Identify times you have been in your comfort, growth and danger zones. Create your own growth zone diagram. Add in key words that help you notice what you experience in each zone. See example in figure 8.4.2 below.
An example of a growth zone diagram
- Select some ways to build your resilience from the previous list. For each, reflect on your own situation and how you might improve it. If you select devising challenging targets, what are your current targets for development? Are they sufficiently challenging or could the challenge be increased but still be attainable?
- Store your reflections, work on them and review your progress in a month.
Stress Coping Strategies
Quiz coming soon
Feedback
Please download your feedback report below for support and advice.
Task 8.4.5 Reviewing Your Use of Time
8.5 Accountability
To support unit 8.5, we provide an exclusive downloadable PDF from the authors covering accountability in education in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We also provide several links based around the personal and professional standards from the UK Teachers’ Standards including free Online Prevent training.
Download
Accountability
Many schools and ITE providers will provide CPD and elearning but there are also child protection and safeguarding online courses you can access so that you are up to date with Keeping Children Safe in Education:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education–2
Online Prevent Training (free):
https://www.elearning.prevent.homeoffice.gov.uk/edu/screen1.html
Virtual college:
In England, Ofsted inspects schools:
The Bristol Guide (2020/21 edition, updated regularly) Professional Responsibilities and Statutory Frameworks for Teachers and Others in Schools, Bristol: School of Education, University of Bristol, viewed 6 March 2021, http://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/expertiseandresources/bristolguide/. The Bristol Guide is crucial reading for everyone who works with children and young people in school settings. It provides up-to-date guidance on teachers’ statutory frameworks and the law that governs professional responsibilities and duties.