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A doorway to a brighter future
A milestone in the Scottish Education system was reached this time last year. That milestone was that 1,000 teachers in Scotland had achieved Chartered Teacher status through either the modular or accreditation routes. Where are we all now?
Not only are we distributed geographically throughout every educational authority but also in a huge variety of contexts. One of the strengths of the Chartered Teacher status is the hugely diverse nature of the environments in which we work. A lot of people I talk to simply assume that Chartered Teachers work as either primary or secondary classroom teachers. However I have been privileged to meet practitioners whose base, for example, is a portacabin working directly with travelling people and their specific needs through to teachers working within the private sector. These private sector teachers appreciate the value of the CT qualification without the monetary remuneration. Many are still working and contributing to the work of their establishments in the manner which gained them the status in the first place as McCrone envisaged. Others, like myself, have been active in implementing the positive realities of chartered teacher status on national and international levels - through invited visits, talks and writing articles such as this series.
Interest from other countries all over the world has meant that classroom teachers and GTCs staff have been active in promoting the CT programme in countries which see the Scottish Model as a possible route for their own future professional development of teachers. I regard being invited as a participant to promote the Chartered Teacher programme at national and international level, as one of the highest accolades in my teaching career.
Although it has been time consuming, because my commitments have been undertaken outwith the normal working week, the realisation that CT status is valued both at home and abroad has been a personal fillip. The respect that I have been shown by educationalists genuinely interested in the Chartered Teacher initiative has fired my enthusiasm beyond the classroom walls. Initially embarking on the Chartered Teacher programme, I foresaw myself as a good solid practitioner. Encouraged by the focus from different and diverse institutions I now realize that the doors opened to me by the Chartered Teacher programme are not just my classroom doors, but actually doors to a global community. The benefit also extends to the pupils I continue to teach because they are now well aware of a variety of wider educational opportunities.
The role of the Chartered Teacher is fluid at present. Initially, the Chartered Teacher Programme was a means to entice excellent classroom teachers to remain in the classroom with no additional duties. However as can be seen from my own personal experiences of a Chartered Teacher here and now - it is clear that the Chartered Teacher status can open not one door but many. So this is now - what of the future for us all?