Essential skills for Teachers for Excellence - Margaret Alcorn

Elmore contends that to address any of these in isolation is an error, as all three are fully interdependent and action in one area results in change in the others.

Traditionally, Scottish curricular reform has been built round content and this has at times resulted in insufficient attention being paid to teacher and pupil engagement. Most teachers’ past experience was that the first indication of changed expectations came in glossy packs giving detailed requirements of how to 'deliver' the new curriculum. Teachers worked hard to respond positively to directives, but there was little sense of ownership. Teachers want us to learn from this, to ensure an appropriate focus on teacher and pupil preparation in the plans to implement A Curriculum for Excellence.

So what is the new context in which teachers will learn? What kind of professional development will have the biggest impact in changing practice in the service of improved pupil learning? How can we design CPD to support and develop the capacity of teachers and pupils to commit to the excellence agenda at a deep level within their schools?

I believe there are five - interdependent - essential elements present in excellent teaching. Taken together, they describe a possible model for developing teachers for excellence.

Good teachers have:

• A positive attitude to pupil learning
  
  Successful implementation of A Curriculum for Excellence requires teachers to adapt teaching practice to meet pupils’ needs.
  
  Teachers need professional development that builds on good practice in areas such as Assessment is for Learning and Determined to Succeed, where schools introduced teaching approaches which minimise disruptive and disengaged behaviour. These initiatives help teachers maintain a consistent focus on pupil learning, internalising accountability for every learner. The programmes have worked by offering a clear strategy and good leadership -creating a culture where staff feel supported and valued as they deliver the curriculum in new ways, supported by creative and relevant CPD.

• An ability to communicate value to pupils
  
  Pupils learn best when they understand the value of their learning. Studies of pupils’ views of what makes a good teacher reinforce this - they interpret the curriculum in a way that makes sense, and deliver content that takes pupils’ interests and contexts into account.
  
  Teachers who have a negative view of their own efficacy may believe that problems are the result of things happening outside the school and outwith their control. Good CPD challenges this view, as it can lead to a lack of focus on learning, and may become an alibi for failure.

• Good content knowledge and understanding
  
  Currently there is a focus on developing descriptors, and teachers must have good knowledge of the relevant content and curriculum areas. Strategies should engage teachers in reflection on how practice could change, and what the implications are for how children learn.
  
  As well as having content knowledge, good teachers use evidence to improve learning. CPD can support teachers’ understanding of good practice, using a range of approaches such as classroom observation records, research digests, online seminars, case studies and self-evaluation tools.

• A teaching repertoire of many ways to impart content
  
  Teachers must develop enhanced expertise in teaching practices, learning new skills and increasing knowledge. All teachers must analyse their practice and reflect on how they help young people cultivate knowledge and skill to improve their own work and develop higher order learning (as Bloom’s Taxonomy (see diagram)).
  
  To achieve this, teachers must know, understand and take account of children’s learning styles, and this presents a rich area for professional development activity.
  
  CPD works when teachers observe excellent practice, are observed and receive peer feedback. The focus on building a coaching culture also helps to promote good practice. The induction programme and initiatives developed to support AifL have shown the transformational power of teacher leaders working with teachers in their classrooms as they master new skills and adapt them to pupil responses.

• Knowledge and understanding of connections across curricular areas
  
  A Curriculum for Excellence invites innovative approaches to interdisciplinary work. While many schools already have excellent practice in creating connections, it is a significant area for development for many teachers, particularly in secondary. Implicit in A Curriculum for Excellence is the need to move from delivering subject content to pupils, towards developing ways to pass ownership of the learning to them.

Conclusion

In his speech, the Minister made clear his respect for 'inspiring, committed and effective teachers . . . who would stand comparison with the best anywhere in the world'. He also noted the new sense of professionalism that has emerged across the education system. This reflects the experience that members of the CPD team have had, that CPD is fully acknowledged as a key part of teachers’ professional commitment.

We now know better than ever before what makes for good teacher CPD:

• it is essentially collaborative rather than individual
• it takes account of research evidence which indicates that the strongest influence on teacher choice of content and approach is the guidance and support of other teachers
• it acknowledges that the capacity to lead learning and develop improved practice already exists in most schools
• everyone understands and accepts that there is no magic fairy dust, all-knowing expert or simple solution.

As we drive forward with curricular reform, it is important to place teacher development at the heart of our plans. The best curriculum architecture, the most generous provision of resources, the clearest statements of policies and principles - these alone cannot deliver success without real and significant investment in the preparation and support of teachers. I believe we already have in place many building blocks to help us achieve success; the challenge is to move forward in key areas, for example:

• The Executive and councils must build leadership capacity at all levels and lead schools and teachers in seeking new ways of engaging young people who are not currently benefiting from their education.

• Schools and teachers must improve professional review and development processes to ensure they become genuine coaching interventions.

• We must all learn to use the opportunity offered by technology to enhance teachers’ experience in support of improved pupil learning. This includes building collaborative networks for groups such as curriculum managers, headteachers, chartered teachers, principal teachers, early years specialists, CPD co-ordinators, probationer mentors, etc.

Peter Peacock said, 'Quality teaching is at the heart of future success. It may sound ridiculous to make this point - the most obvious point that could be made about education. But too often in the past it is the central insight that has been lost sight of.' The challenge is to maintain a balance between the three aspects of Elmore’s curricular core, and give teacher development a key place in our implementation strategy. If we can achieve this, I believe we are in a strong position to see the emergence of teachers for excellence in all of our educational communities.