Teachers for Excellence

The debate

At the Scottish Learning Festival in 2006, Peter Peacock, the then Minister for Education, challenged Scottish teachers to consider what a teacher for excellence might look like. He reminded delegates that good teaching lies at the heart of our future success as a nation, and that if we want to see our children and young people gain maximum benefit from Curriculum for Excellence, we need a profession whose members are valued and who feel trusted and empowered to practise their professional craft, and in consequence display the highest professional standards. The key to this lies in CPD which is relevant and which challenges, stimulates and excites every Scottish teacher.

The subsequent web-based debate, which included articles by leading educationalists and contributions from a wide range of interested parties, confirmed the need to place high quality professional development for all educators at the centre of our planning for Curriculum for Excellence. In particular, contributors confirmed the need for opportunities for teachers to learn and grow together, and to work in collegial and collaborative ways to share practice, building on some of the excellent models developed through initiatives such as AifL - Assessment is for Learning, and Determined to Succeed. You can see a summary of the Teachers for Excellence discussion. This summary captures the essence of the discussion as it developed.