Innovation and Improvement in Teaching, March 2010

last updated:01 Mar 2010

Extracts from a speech by GTC Chair Gail Mortimer given at a GTC Parliamentary Reception on Innovation and Improvement in Teaching, 2 March 2010

Centuries of history, the mother of parliaments, and the crucible in which the laws that shape our education service are forged – it’s easy for us outsiders to be a bit nervous coming to Westminster.

But just a few weeks before an election, I’m not sure we’re the most nervous people in the room (looking pointedly at MPs). Never mind a five-year revalidation scheme, I’m not sure how teachers would cope with five-yearly re-election.

Ian, thank you for hosting this reception, and thank you too to the many Members of both houses that have found the time in their busy diaries to join us today. It’s simply wonderful to have the chance to show you how committed teachers are to innovation and improvement in their daily work.

And I’m especially pleased to do so as Chair of the General Teaching Council for England. I have a firm belief in the inherent professionalism of teachers, and I’m sure that, as Members meet and find out about the varied and day-to-day work of my teacher colleagues here today, they will share my pride in the quality of pedagogy that they show.

What you will hear today is not just isolated anecdote with no grounding beyond a few committed individuals. In our own research, we have found that 84% of teachers believe they have the scope and space to innovate in the classroom.

84%. Five in six. That’s a lot of teachers! And – while not to deny there are many and various pressures bearing down on teachers – it’s something of a counterblast to those who assert that regimentation in teaching has swept away creative practice.

Indeed, teachers tell us they see innovation as the very point of the job, as it is through innovation they produce interesting lessons which help pupils learn. In turn, teachers’ own job satisfaction improves.
 
It’s difficult though for teachers to innovate in isolation. Our research found that strong school leadership, and a whole-school ethos in favour of innovation, makes a huge difference to teachers' willingness to innovate and to share their ideas.

For innovation always brings an element of risk. Teachers need to feel they have the encouragement to innovate, and the support to manage the risk – indeed, there’s a role for government here, in recognising that innovation, for all the attendant risk, is good practice. And some of the teachers here today represent schools that Keith Bartley, our Chief Executive, has visited to celebrate this innovative practice.

Many of today’s teachers come from schools where innovation is encouraged through the Teacher Learning Academy. They will bring you stories of how the Teacher Learning Academy has helped them develop their practice and share it with others, for the benefit of pupils.

The TLA was developed and is led by the GTC. It’s the first national system to offer public and professional recognition for the learning and development that occurs in the daily professional life of teachers. It is a tangible expression of the GTC’s commitment to contributing to improved standards of teaching and learning, and it aligns well with the Government’s commitment to world-class teaching and a Masters-level profession.

The Teacher Learning Academy has attracted widespread partnership support from national organisations and agencies, ranging from subject associations to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. 25 higher education institutions offer Masters-level credits for TLA recognition. To date 20,000 teachers have enrolled in the TLA, and more than 400 teachers act as local TLA leaders. It’s an outstanding example of how teachers can take their own practice, examine it critically, refine and develop it, for the good of pupils.