As part of our countdown to next year's elections Penny Cottee interviews current Council members to discover what's involved.
Next year the GTC will hold elections for teachers to represent the profession as Council members. As a registered teacher, you can vote for your chosen candidates – but why not stand for election yourself?
Gail Mortimer is an advanced skills teacher at St Cuthbert’s RC school in Rochdale, Lancashire.
'I stood for Council election because,throughout my career, I’ve felt that teaching should be a self-regulating profession, with its own representative body.
'I’m Chair of the Audit,Monitoring and Review Committee, which was a new area to me. I’ve learnt a considerable amount from the auditors – and hopefully they’ve learnt something about teaching from me. It’s been great to work with professionals from diverse backgrounds. I’ve also been out and about speaking to NQTs about the GTC and its remit. I think that there’s still a lack of awareness about what the GTC does.
'The disciplinary hearings are challenging, sometimes disturbing, but it’s important that the profession polices itself. In terms of helping to uphold professional standards, the work on hearings has been rewarding.
'I’ve been elected twice, and in my last stint I was involved in development work. I’ve long felt that teachers were denied good professional development and advice. I feel deeply honoured to have been elected by my peers to represent them.'
Anthony Handley is a modern languages teacher and head of Year 13 at Coloma Convent girls’ school in Croydon, Surrey.
'In my eight years on the Council I’ve broadened my understanding of all aspects of education and many friendships have grown. Through the Council, I wanted to make a contribution, highlighting issues such as the difficulties I see ahead if the Government pursues its policies for modern language teaching.
'I was part of the committee which drafted the GTC’s Statement of Professional Values and Practice – a high point for me. I’m delighted to have played an instrumental role in ensuring our values include a commitment to respect for everyone, regardless of their minority status. Disciplinary hearings are rewarding, but humbling. You see how easily any of us can fall into difficulties in life, and how this impacts on a teaching career.We spend a long time assessing each case. It’s right and proper that the Council has a role in determining these issues.
'Striking a balance between the interests of the Council and those of your students can be a worry sometimes. You have to be an education enthusiast – it’s not something you can do lightly.'
Barbara Hibbert is head of history at Harrogate grammar school,Harrogate,Yorkshire.
'Funnily enough, it was an NQT colleague in my department who first interested me in becoming involved in the Council. She returned from a GTC advocacy talk and said, "You’d enjoy doing that." And she was right – I’ve found it fascinating being a Council member.
'I’ve been able to contribute to the development of education policy, having an input at a high level, and yet still carry on teaching history, which is what I enjoy. Classroom teachers don’t normally get that opportunity. I’ve met a wide range of teachers working in different contexts around the country, which has given me greater insight into our profession. And as my knowledge of education has expanded, so has my confidence in my judgement as a teacher.
'I’ve been on various committees, and sat on many conduct and competence hearings. Cases are often very sad. Sometimes one is shocked by what teachers have done, but equally one can be shocked by the way a teacher has been treated by the school. It’s a huge responsibility, as you are dealing with people’s lives. You have to consider the children’s lives as well though, and try to achieve a balance.'
