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Keith Bartley, chief executive of the GTC, looks at some of the many changes that are facing teachers in today's schools.
Change stimulates such a variety of emotions, ranging from excitement to worry and apprehension, that sometimes it is easy to overlook the benefits that viewing changes positively can bring. Taking a fresh look at how well things are working (or not) offers the possibility to create real improvements, by ironing out the glitches and addressing those elements that irk and frustrate us.
Our work in the GTC brings us into daily contact with teachers who are working within a rapidly changing environment. For instance, the Every Child Matters framework is at the hub of a shifting landscape that calls upon all who work with children and young people to devise different ways of working with their colleagues in other disciplines. For teachers, particularly, there are many benefits to be found through improved liaison with professionals working in health, social care and the voluntary sector. Meanwhile, legislation to tackle inequalities in race, disability and gender will continue to have a profound impact in every school.
In addition to legislative changes, “personalisation” has become a buzzword in education. We know that for many teachers and schools there has long been a strong focus on meeting the needs of the individual.
It is the driving motivation for many teachers. Clearly, tailoring learning opportunities to meet the individual needs of a diverse population of students has the capacity to radically alter how teaching and learning happens in the classroom.
Further, making assessment work remains a hot topic, and the GTCE is taking a leading role in the debate with teachers and with ministers on how assessment can be used intelligently, to promote – not just to measure – learning.
We place great importance on the views and experiences of practising teachers, which we draw on, alongside research evidence, when advising government on teaching and learning. We have held a series of highly informative events recently to discuss proposals for reform of the assessment system with teachers For more information, visit our Events page.
All of these developments are designed to deliver marked improvements in children’s lives – at school, at home and in the community. A crucial element of our role at the GTCE is to offer a wide range of support to help you adapt to and deal effectively with the changes that are happening in your schools.
For example, during recent months we have been hosting a series of events in towns and cities throughout England exploring what steps need to be taken to implement Every Child Matters. Working with our colleagues at the Nursing and Midwifery, and General Social Care councils, we have also drawn up a joint statement of the shared values that underpin work with children and young people. We are now seeking feedback on this statement and we would welcome your thoughts on the NMC consultation website.
Teaching has always been a dynamic profession – and while change can be something that you witness, it can also be at your initiation. In this supplement you’ll find many examples of teachers seizing the momentum, spearheading changes that are creating all kinds of exciting benefits for teaching and learning.
For example, on pages four and five of the 'Teaching for the Future' Sec Ed supplement, Bridget Somekh of Manchester Metropolitan University explores how the imaginative use of technologies is helping many schools rise to the challenges and opportunities presented by change.
Meanwhile, on page eight of the 'Teaching for the Future' Sec Ed supplement, Sara Morgan assesses the significant and rapidly growing contribution of the GTCE’s Teacher Learning Academy (TLA) to teachers’ CPD. Launched in 2004, the TLA is the first national system that both recognises and celebrates the learning that takes place everyday in the professional lives of teachers.
TLA projects are becoming a driving force for positive change in increasing numbers of schools throughout the country, as teachers identify a project of relevance in their school or classroom to work on, through which they wish to bring about improvements. You can also read more about teachers’ experiences of the TLA in this supplement.
Another change on the horizon for teachers is new performance management arrangements, which begin in September.
These will enable teachers to identify their CPD and learning objectives. Sustained,personalised and effective CPD is one of the most useful tools to enable teachers and schools to deal with change successfully.
At its best, relevant and personalised CPD encourages and inspires practice that adapts to an evolving environment.
Many of those who lead CPD in schools find the GTCE’s Connect network a valuable source of support and guidance. Established in 2003, Connect helps teachers leading professional development to link up with and mutually support their colleagues around the country. Read more about CPD and Connect on page 14. Connect is one of three GTCE professional networks, alongside Achieve, set up to promote racial equality and diversity in schools, and Engage, for new teachers and those who support them. Visit our Networks page for more info.
Change may not always be comfortable or easy, but when our starting point is the desire to make things better, each of us can play an integral role in bringing about benefits that will have a lasting impact on the learning and life chances of children and young people. After all, we do what we do to help children to develop and benefit from change.
This article was first published in 'Teaching for the future' supplement magazine in March 2007, produced by SecEd and 5-7 Educator publications and sponsored by the GTCE. For more information download the magazine.
