ACTS Conference 2011

1. ACTS Conference 2011 Changing circumstances, changing approaches - the challenges of changing school and council as a chartered teacher.

2. Scottish government’s 2009 introduction to standard for CT • The Chartered Teacher is an accomplished, innovative teacher who demonstrates sustained enhanced expertise in practice. • The Chartered Teacher embraces and actively promotes the values, principles and practices of equality and social justice in all areas of work. • The Chartered Teacher is a critically informed, reflective practitioner who systematically evaluates the nature and extent of impact achieved for learners and learning. • The Chartered Teacher plays a leading role in the professional development of colleagues and makes a recognised contribution to the educational effectiveness of the school and the wider professional community.

3. My claim: challenge in education • Challenging pupils – looking at approaches to teaching Higher English • Challenging pupils – extra curricular activities – debating & outdoor adventure trips • Challenging myself & others – building learning communities

4. What I ended up doing • Secretary of cluster L&T group, introducing Mediated Learning to all cluster schools • Chair of Sharing Good Practice group, running CPD sessions for teachers • Adviser to S6 theatre trips committee • Debating club coach • Member of Teaching & learning, Positive Behaviour & CPD working groups • Departmental mentor • Member of regional ACfE numeracy group • School contact for town twinning with Capella Maggiore in Italy – I set up and ran the school’s twinning club. • I attended regular meetings of the Borders’ CT support group

5. Original code of practice on the role of the CT • “The Chartered Teacher remains primarily a classroom teacher and at no point should the Chartered Teacher be regarded as part of the school’s management structure. Therefore, the contribution which could be made must be consistent with the duties of a teacher as set out in the SNCT Handbook, should maintain the primacy of the teacher’s focus in learning and teaching and must be both realistic and capable of being delivered within the 35 hour working week and a school’s Working Time Agreement. It must also reflect the Chartered Teacher’s own expertise which will take account of their teaching experience, interests, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and programmes of study undertaken.”

6. Reflection: • List all the things you are involved with. • Now star those that you really feel fully committed to.

7. Challenges of a new school • Classroom • Departmental • School • Regional

8. Reflection • What are the things which support you in your current post? • Is there anything you could do to improve your current situation?

9. CHALLENGE

10. What could I do? Classroom: Higher activities Debating Department: Wikispaces ACfE development Cross marking

11. What could I do? School: Assessment & Reporting group Sharing Good Practice sessions Regional: ???

12. Pupil Centred

13. Skills awareness • Genuinely want my pupils to succeed • Willing to give up time for pupils • Presentation • Not afraid to ask questions • Willing to put myself forward

14. Potential de-skills • Sometimes I leap in too fast • I can make assumptions about the value of something without really understanding the context or history • I still say yes too quickly

15. Reflection: • What aspects of your current practice would be easily transferred? • What skills do you have that could help you to adapt? • What potential de-skills are you aware of that you have to overcome?

16. The challenge of the future • What way now for the CT? • Do we need to forge our own path before it’s forged for us? • What are the questions we need to ask ourselves?