Workshop: What makes a good teacher?

1
WorkshopWhat makes a good teacher?

• Competence models, concepts of professionalism
  and conflicts of interest

2
Concepts of professionalisation UK situation

• Low Trust, High Pressure approach to profession.
• Punitive not developmental system of school
  inspection.
• Increasing trend for more external assessment and
  less trust for teacher assessment.
• Professional status of teaching undermined by non
  qualified teachers in teaching posts.
• Government misappropriates the language of
  professional and professionalism to support
  their own reforms to public sector.

3
National College of Teachers the answer?

• General Teaching Council for England abolished on
  31 March 2012 (this organisation does little to
  raise teaching standards or professionalism).
• England is only country in UK with no national
  independent body for teachers and no unifying
  code of professional values.
• Government policy characterised by disempowering
  teachers and prescribing teaching methods.
• Current proposals for National College of
  Teaching cautious welcome by unions.

4
What makes a good teacher?What makes teaching
good?

• Ask the workshop participants to talk in pairs
  for 10minutes about makes a good teacher?
• Round up Each group feed back

5
Teacher Education(Initial Teacher Training)

• Turbulence created by Governments reforms is
  de-stabilising initial teacher training in
  England.
• School Direct introduced with two complex and
  competing routes learning on the job
• Diminution of universities role in educating and
  developing new teachers in England.
• Teaching Schools expected to become centres of
  excellence in training and development.
• NUT survey of Teaching Schools found this
  additional expectation to train teachers was
  distracting from focus on teaching and learning
  and school development.

6
Teacher Education(In-career Teacher Training)

• CPD must be available to ensure practising
  teachers have their knowledge and skills
  regularly updated.
• OECD suggest teachers need to be given agreed
  levels of time release or financial support for
  PD to recognise this is important part of job.
• Important that teachers value professional
  development, as important part of their role, and
  linked to school self evaluation.
• Teachers must have ownership of CPD and it must
  benefit and support their classroom practise.
• Evidence based practice and access to research is
  challenge.

7
Group Task

• What are features of approach to teacher
  education and training in your country which are
  positive? (Groups of 4 for 15minutes discussion)

8
Conflicts of Interest?

• Teachers feel valued by parents in England (64
  in latest NUT poll) but less so by politicians
  (3).
• Teachers believe school inspection system is not
  impartial (only 9 felt free from political
  interference).
• Teacher workload means teachers forced to
  prioritise work over time with own children in
  evenings and weekends.
• Privatisation and competitive ethos within public
  service.

9
Educators are the Experts Valuing Teachers
Professional Judgements

• Year of the Curriculum NUT providing CPD for
  its 300,000 members online (www.teachers.org.uk/ca
  mpaigns/curriculum)
• Breaking the Mould project on gender
  stereotypes based on reading books
  (www.teachers.org.uk/breakingthemould)
• Reading for Pleasure empowering teachers to use
  a range of approaches to teaching reading.