An innovative approach

published:11 Mar 2010

Teachers don’t often get a chance to tell MPs directly about the work they do in the classroom, but at a GTC sponsored reception on 2 March at the House of Commons, that’s exactly what happened.

The reception, showcasing innovation and improvement in teaching, was attended by over 100 teachers and provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the work and commitment of teachers who have shown excellence and creativity in their practice. 

Many attendees are involved with the GTC led Teacher Learning Academy (TLA) which provides a framework for continuing professional development (CPD) that focuses on achieving impact in the classroom.

Attendees also included Teaching Awards winners, lead participants in the GTC networks and teachers from schools that have demonstrated innovation in teaching and learning.

A teacher perspective
Susan Glover, assistant head at Dartford Technology College, said: ‘It’s crucial for teachers to be able to speak directly to MPs to enable them to understand better the work we do. That's why I was excited to be invited to this event.

‘I introduced the TLA to my school to help teachers carry out and share research into teaching and learning and gain national recognition for work they do on a day to day basis. This type of CPD is key to schools improving teaching and learning.

‘For example, my school is really keen on pupil voice, so when appointing a senior figure like a department head, we now involve pupils in the interview process. By taking into account their views we are giving them a say, and that’s important because they are the reason we are here.’

Recognising great work
Diana Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Children, Schools and Families, was a keynote speaker, and like other MPs at the event had an opportunity to meet a local teacher from her constituency.
 
‘Going into schools is the best bit of my job. There’s some brilliant work being done by teachers, so having the opportunity to meet Andrew Shimmin, head of McMillan Nusery School, was a real pleasure.

‘In a community like Hull North there’s a lot of deprivation so getting through to children isn’t always easy. Using innovative teaching methods in the classroom is important and Andrew told me about his love of music, and how he uses the guitar to help children to engage with learning.’

An innovative approach
For Debbie Forbes, from Tudor Grange School in Solihull, the TLA plays an important role in helping with the CPD of teachers at the school, but she was concerned teaching support staff were missing out on the opportunity.

Debbie said: ‘The TLA has had a significant impact in our school but one section of our staff were not able to benefit as teaching support staff can’t participate formally in the TLA (as the GTC’s remit doesn’t extent beyond registered teachers).

 ‘We felt we needed to address the lack of professional development for teaching support staff so we worked with the local authority alongside Langley, another local training school, plus Meriden, a local primary, to see what could be done, and the result was the creation of the Solihull Learning Academy, based on the TLA framework.

‘Already 14 support staff from primary and secondary schools in the area have benefitted from the Academy, and they’ve produced some outstanding work on everything from pupil motivation to the effect of visual time tables on pupils.’

Find out more
If you’d like to know more about the Teacher Learning Academy please use the link provided. There’s also a link to a speech made by GTC Chair Gail Mortimer at the event, recognising the important role of the TLA in supporting teachers to innovate in the classroom.