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As existentialists may ask, when is CPD not CPD?
By Margaret Alcorn, National CPD Coordinator
I was invited recently to do a keynote at a 'family' of schools in a central Scotland authority. The day was built round workshops led by teachers round the Curriculum for Excellence theme. It was a great day and my own keynote on 'Teachers for Excellence' seemed to go down well. It gave me a chance to repeat again my core belief that the educational reform in which we are all engaged can only succeed if all educators are given the right opportunities to become confident, competent, informed and engaged professionals.
As I often do on such occasions, I asked the audience to talk to each other about the best CPD they have ever had. When I asked for feedback, the first reply was "a pottery workshop". The two teachers explained that the workshop had been organised on an in-service day and had given them an opportunity to work collaboratively - and laugh - with colleagues that they normally didn't get a chance to meet.
Clearly events where school communities are brought together to take part in yoga, or Mediterranean cookery, or gorge-walking have a very positive and powerful impact on the school ethos. They can promote a shared understanding and improved relationships between individuals and teams. They can certainly contribute to a sense of wellbeing for those taking part. But can they be described as Continuing Professional Development?
The definition of CPD given by the Scottish Executive was "anything that has progressed a teacher's existing skills or enhanced her or his professionalism". So does pottery or salsa dancing count?
Well that question is really one that can only be answered by individuals. The key question in every discussion about CPD is not "What have you done?" but rather "What have you learned from what you've done?". Good learning can adopt a number of disguises; I learned a lot about learning when I foolishly accepted a challenge to take up tap-dancing at 50. But perhaps "what counts?" needs to take account of the 'professional' in CPD. How does what I learn relate to new understanding or improved practice where it matters, in the classroom? With this as our focus we can all find the right CPD to help us be 'Teachers for Excellence'.