What do I hope CPD will be?

The start of this school year sees a new challenge. While I continue to lead Priory Geography, I have also taken up the role of Professional Tutor. Basically this involves looking after the learning needs of adults, NQTs and PGCE students. It’s very much a ‘put you money where you mouth is’ moment as I’ve often been quite vocal and critical of school based CPD in the past.

The photograph at the top of this post was taken in Gibraltar during an Air Cadet summer camp. I’ve used this here as, when a 15 year old Cadet Sergeant, I was often involved in delivering training. The new role though will require a step back – to allow others to do the training.

The presentation below was shared with staff and tries to encapsulate what we are aiming CPD to become.

CPD at Priory from David Rogers

We are a mixed ability group of learners

CPD should be contextualised and personalised for individual teachers. CPD should be delivered in a style that models the teaching and learning that we are aiming for. Teachers should take the responsibility to manage their own CPD and identify their needs, communicating this. So far this has meant creating a range of workshops that teachers choose from. In addition, I’ve tried to improve the induction process for new staff and NQTs.

Use what we have but better

Quite often it can seem that CPD involves new initiatives. Learning should use what school’s have but better. This may be software, existing structures and most of all the existing school development plan. We have an excellent plan at my school, and it’s important that what we do is linked to it.

If we don’t use it, it’s not CPD

This is vital. If what we do doesn’t impact upon our dealings with young people, what’s the point?

If you’re not creating trouble, you’re not creating much

This relates to challenging the status quo as much as it does to using guerrilla tactics.

Staff and teachers as agents of change

This is something that I came across on Simon Renshaw’s blog. It relates to the fact the real work of school improvement is completed by teachers and young people in partnership with support staff. For me, this means that any member of staff or young person should be able to develop and deliver training. During the first couple of inset days I was really pleased that we had some Year 9 students running a workshop as well as a range of teaching and support staff.

Anyway, it’s a start.

High Impact, Low effort

This month is the start of the #29daysofwriting challenge. I enjoyed this last year and will be using my Staffrm account to post. I'll also be reporting here, both to give a little more detail and to keep a log of what I have written. The challenge developed a great sense of community last year, which is why I'm choosing to write on Staffrm. What I would say to those who are new to writing or don't want to run out of ideas is: Write for yourself. Clarify an idea, write something out loud. The process of distilling thoughts into writing is immensely beneficial to your practice. If other read, comment and respond, that's a bonus. Ignore the muppets who know nothing of your context, style or students. Mix it up - I like to read about real stuff from real classrooms and schools and also about other stuff. If we always write about school, how does that work for workload? If you've nothing nice to say, don't say it. So, the following has been

What makes a learning experience profound? Personal reflections and possible implications for classroom practice.

I have recently begun a Leadership Pathways journey. As part of the first core day, we were asked to reflect on a profound learning experience. This got me thinking about how many profound learning experiences I have both been involved in, and how many I have been able to give to others. Our group came up with a huge long list, but these are my five. Emotional Connected Demanding Reflective Collaborative As always, these are personal thoughts and quite mixed up. I put them here so that I can look back on them (plus they’d get lost inside my world-cup-free brain) 1. Emotional I can’t think of a time where deep learning hasn’t engaged my emotions. From being awe inspired to that tingle feeling when a student gets a light bulb moment. From this-is-the-happiest-day-ever, to I-think-I’m-about-to die. How often do we engage the emotions of those we teach? Here, I would argue that having a safe learning environment is not always conducive to profound

The danger of Teaching and Twitter conversations: poorly formed bipolar arguments.

Sometimes in life, there really are only two options. Get the wrong one and you can look like a muppet. Take this useful sign for the toilets in Morocco. I successfully navigated it, choosing the right option. The result? No egg on my face. As a mountain leader, there are many right or wrong decisions that I’ve faced, as there are all over life. It’s not a good idea to let inexperienced young people walk themselves down Snowdon. They may die or be seriously injured. If someone is showing the signs and symptoms of hyperthermia, you need to treat it fast in a specified way. There is no real arguing with this sign: Other options are less obvious. Take this sign recently spotted near to where I live: Now, I wouldn’t consider sleeping in a bin. However, faced with a sub-zero night, I could see the appeal. The danger? Being tipped into one of those huge lorries with a compactor. (by the way, I only really considered all of this thanks to questions from my four year old boy).

David Rogers

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