If you want to improve the quality of your teaching but don’t know which areas to focus on, or what is expected of you internationally, this resource could help.
The Education and Training Foundation publish professional standards for teachers and trainers in England.
The standards set out clear expectations of effective practice in education and training. They enable teachers, trainers and other practitioners to identify areas for their own professional development. The standards can be used to support early teacher education and provide a national reference point that organisations can use to support the development of their staff.
The 2014 teaching standards have been designed by teachers and trainers to develop aspirational professional practices that will engage and motivate practitioners and support the development of highly skilled teachers and trainers.
THE STANDARDS BREAK DOWN INTO THREE KEY SECTIONS: PROFESSIONAL VALUES AND ATTRIBUTES; PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING; AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLS.
Firstly, let’s take a look at the values and attributes section. Teachers and trainers should constantly be reflecting on what works for them, as well as challenging their attitudes and taking feedback from peers to be sure they are constantly developing professionally. They should inspire and motivate learners through their innovation, creativity and passion for the subject, while promoting inclusion and respect for diversity, and working in close collaboration with their peers to support professional learning.
The second of the three sections in the standards is professional knowledge and understanding. This section of the standards covers how teachers should maintain and update their knowledge of their subject through research and apply their understanding of theoretical practices in the learning environment. It outlines how teachers should use this understanding to foster and promote positive learning behaviour while evaluating their practices with others to assess impact. Finally, it details that teachers should have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibilities.
The third and final section of the standards covers professional skills. Teachers should plan and deliver effective teaching programmes that cater for the needs of every learner, motivating them to achieve and progress, while building a safe and inclusive learning environment. Teachers should enable learners to share in the responsibility for their own learning and involve them in fair methods of assessment. They should promote the benefits of using technology and support the English and mathematics needs of learners. Teachers should also work collaboratively with each other and employers to update their vocational knowledge and expertise.
We hope this has been a helpful introduction to the 2014 Professional Teaching Standards. For more information please visit http://www.et-foundation.co.uk/
You can access the full professional standards resources in English here.
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