‘Every educator needs to improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better’ – Dylan Wiliam
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As a tutor, juggling admin, networking, marketing – the time-guzzling trial and error of social media – planning and delivering new teaching content, where is the time to keep moving forward with our own development? Standing still is often exhausting enough.
When I started my working life in education, as a teacher, nearly eighteen years ago, I thought once I had gained QTS and passed my NQT year, I had ‘done it’.
‘Just get a GCSE cohort through and you’ll have your schemes of learning sorted. All you’ll then need to do is tinker with them’, I was told.
- Then the curriculum changed
- SATs disappeared
- Exam gradings changed
- Learning styles were binned
- Aims of lessons were replaced with outcomes, then learning questions
- Assessment for learning became feedback
- Coursework became controlled assessment
- And …
- And …
- Now the most disruptive change of all: a world-wide pandemic.
In short: when it comes to education, the goalposts move quicker than a government u-turn.
So, amid all of this educational plate-spinning, it would seem that engaging in CPD is the only tether we have to steer ourselves through such a chaotic circus.
As a teacher I gain enormous reassurance and enjoyment from quality CPD – both that which I self-direct as well as development provided by my school.
Yet, as a tutor, organised and high-quality CPD is as consistent as a feather in the wind, so when I joined the amazing Qualified Tutor Community, it seemed like a developmental rudder for tutors had been created.
Tutoring can be a lonely road – but this community provides a ‘tribe’ of like-minded individuals who are passionate about educating young people ‘their’ way. CPD in this environment is more important than ever before as the field of tuition becomes more sought after. We need to unify and develop a group of such talented, yet disparate educators.
Teachers and tutors are a hard-working bunch, but I have been knocked sideways by the creativity, dedication and support of the growing QT Community. We are a collective with a wide range of experience and talents. We need to ensure we harness this potential for the benefit of ourselves and the young people we teach.
But don’t just take it from me, here are just some of the proven benefits of CPD for educators:
- CPD ensures educators keep pace with current standards of others in their profession.
- Knowledge and skills are kept current so tutors can deliver high-quality teaching that impacts positively on student outcomes.
- You can uncover gaps in skills, knowledge and capabilities.
- Increase confidence and satisfaction in your role as an educator.
- Be open to new possibilities, knowledge and skills.
- Prepare for and react to changes in Education*.
The QT training qualifications (which you can discover here) are just the beginning of a raft of ambitious and highly-effective CPD opportunities that Qualified Tutor wants to encourage. Created by people who want to reward the tutoring community with the rigour and development we all deserve. Let’s keep moving forward, together.
*www.besa.org.uk (British Educational Suppliers Association – 2017)