Perhaps more than any other profession teaching has long recognised the need for regular upskilling to keep up to speed with new ideas and methodologies. While formal training courses offer subject-specific ways to progress your career, there are a range of other fantastic sources to pursue Continuing Professional Development (CPD) that also enhance personal growth.
Interested? Well, we know the places to go and the people to see.
Improvement as a science
STEM teachers have always been true innovators in education. They have to be: after all, these are specialist and exciting areas in education that never stand still for long. As the science and source material constantly and rapidly evolves, teachers, too, enjoy learning and exploring new ways to inspire the next generation of Scientists, Technologists, Engineers and Mathematicians.
STEM Learning offers a series of programmes that not only aim to promote CPD but also help improve overall learning in schools, colleges and universities. The courses cover a wide variety of subjects – from advice to technicians for maintaining a science prep room to offering lesson strategies and tactical assistance to help the progression of STEM subjects.
Credit where it’s due
When accreditation is the outcome of CPD it can be incredibly rewarding on a personal level, as well as career-boosting. More than this, however, recognition is also a desirable element in that it strengthens the professionalism of teaching, improves the status of teachers in the eyes of the general public and provides a measure and method of standardisation of development opportunities.
There are helpful online resources where you can reap the rewards of engaging in extra courses, such as CPD UK.
Try something new
Learning new skills outside of your comfort zone – and qualified subject – will deepen your enjoyment of education and enhance your professional CV.
Online sites such as Udemy offer training modules in areas of teaching you may not be familiar with, including Classroom Management Courses. Here you can sign up to learn everything from how to create a classroom website without coding to unleashing your ‘new age’ teaching skills.
Become adept online
As online education continues to grow, so do the challenges and opportunities for teachers to embrace digital. This means not only getting up to speed with the tech but also creating online learning experiences that meet the needs of all students.
The Online Educator: People & Pedagogy is a free course, developed by The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology. Using videos, quizzes and discussion with peers, it aims to enhance online teaching skills with strategies from educational technology experts.
Emotional development
Not all CPD for teachers is based on lesson plans and education strategies. In an environment where emotions can run high – the full range of joy, sadness and all points in between – it’s equally important to hone skills that support the wellbeing of students.
Griffith University, in Queensland Australia, runs a fully online course called ‘Supporting Adolescent Learners: Social and Emotional Wellbeing’. This offers the chance to learn to help youngsters develop the soft skills that will help them thrive through school and far beyond. By exploring the application of neuroscience in education it focuses on social, emotional, intellectual and physical development of young people – a shared journey everyone can benefit from.
Take tips from Teacheroo
At Teacheroo we understand that CPD is an integral part of your teaching journey. That’s why we’ve made it easy for teachers to connect, support and learn from each other, enjoy articles written by innovative educators and browse 1000s of free online teaching resources, all in one place.
