1. what difference can it make?
GTCS Webinar
Professional Update:
what difference can it make?
David Graham
Avril Wilson
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

2. Aims of the webinar
What is Professional Update and its intended purpose?
What counts as effective Professional Learning?
How should I engage with Professional Standards?
How do I evaluate or evidence impact, and why bother?
Professional Learning Records – needless bureaucracy?
The PRD experience – quality or tickbox exercise?
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

3. Every 5th year to include PU confirmation

4. Professional Learning – the Windygoul PS Experience
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

5. Professional Learning – the Windygoul PS Experience
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

6. Professional Standards
In practice, teachers as learners should be informed by Professional Standards to:
Frame & support their thinking and practice
As a way to signpost and plan their learning
Develop their teacher agency
Self evaluate & engage in critically reflective dialogue about practice as part of ongoing PRD process
Challenge and consider their beliefs, values and professional actions
Interpret educational policies in action (e.g. GIRFEC, HGIOS 4, NIF)
reflect on your professional practice
Professional Standards
Professional values & personal commitments
The teacher as learner – Standards as provocation and catalyst for learning

7. Teachers As Learners
Critical friend – Home Team challenge of ideas – Professional Dialogue – Content and Policy
Evidence of impact – So what?
Professional Reading – Built into CAT to ensure engagement of all
Professional Enquiry – Involvement and sharing of practice
Training Opportunities – In house, Authority, University
PRD – Support and Challenge
Life Long Learners in action – Exit passes
Pedagogy influencing change
Leaders demonstrating passion and commitment to personal development
Change initiatives criteria linked to research

8. Professional Judgement & Critical Stance
Moderation of process as key rather than product
Planning & Attainment Meetings – Collective and Individual to support and challenge
Accountability and Professional Dialogue
Professional Judgement of CfE Levels
Moderation across stage/school/cluster
PRD – Support and Challenge
Collaborative decision making and trust

9. Development of collaborative professionalism – Social Capital
Inclusion of school community within leadership opportunities
Multi-agency recognition of good practice and involvement in development of strong inter-agency working
Increased opportunities for parental engagement
Leadership opportunities for Support Staff
Development of approaches to enhance the collective working knowledge of practice and appropriate use of data analysis
Recognising strengths in others
Home Team challenges to develop and consolidate expertise within the wider educational issues
Coaching CAT Scenarios for self evaluation and next steps
Pupil Voice

11. Poll and discussion @gtcs #gtcsPL
Do you use the Professional Standards to support you as a learner?
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

12. Professional Learning – the Windygoul PS Experience
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

13. But what counts as evidence?
Some examples:
Reflections on professional dialogue with peers, parents, colleagues and learners
Individual critical reflections on practice, including reflective journals
Analysis of pupil work, individual or group focused
Analysed teacher talk (from audio and/ or video recording)
Analysed pupil talk (individual, group and pair)
Analysis of surveys taking account the views of children and young people, parents and colleagues
Reflection on and analysis of lessons and/ or discussions with learners
Analysis of visual data, artefacts
Analysed pupil interviews/ group discussion
Analysed quantitative or statistical data sets
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

14. Professional Learning – the Windygoul PS Experience
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

15. Reviewer came with an agenda so I felt that it was not about my needs
Coaching and mentoring – the approach of the reviewer makes a big difference
Reviewer came with an agenda so I felt that it was not about my needs
[My PRD was] Very formal, it felt like an interview, was not a conversation but questioning, very little coaching
I had ownership, the PRD was very helpful – when I left I was chuffed with myself
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

16. Look back over your learning journey:
What did you choose to learn about?
Why did you choose this?
How does it relate to the Professional Standards? Your context? Your needs? Learners’ needs?
What kind of learning opportunities did you experience?
What did you learn?
How did you put the learning into action?
Did this change things for you and your children/young people?
How do you know?
What are you planning to learn next ?
What Standard/s do you intend to focus on and why ?
And so we begin the cycle again!
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

17. Poll and discussion @gtcs #gtcsPL
My experience of PRD has been positive, with a clear focus on professional learning
Yes/No
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

18. Systems for PL records and confirming Professional Update
Systems and PL record is the area which seems to cause the highest levels of frustration and anxiety
DG/AW discuss how best to use recording system to avoid overly bureaucratic process
Does GTCS or reviewer check our record each year? Discuss professional trust etc/ brief and concise/record only your most significant PL
How many entries? word count? Exemplars?
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

19. Coming soon……….
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

20. Myths and Legends:
You have to record everything that you do and keep a huge portfolio
You have to have at least 20 pieces of evidence
Only certain types of evidence are acceptable
Evidence is there to prove you have been learning
I have to keep evidence for every strand of the standard(s) I have chosen to focus on
I have to copy any evidence I have into the LA system and then put it into MYGTCS
You have to have the same amount of evidence every year
Line managers will be checking the system to make sure you are recording evidence
GTCS will be checking my PL record and evidence
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018

21. Professional learning & PU Evaluation Wheel10
I use and critically reflect on literature, research and policy as part of the learning process
Dialogue and collaboration are important parts of my learning and development (including PRD dialogue)
I reflect on my learning and development and my assumptions/values (and record key aspects of this)
I know what the focus of my professional learning is and why that is important (and record the main aspects of this)
I use the Standards to inform and stimulate thinking about my practice
I know what approaches to my learning and development will be most effective for me
I make critically informed judgements about next steps for my learning/practice and about progress of learners
I use a range of sources to examine what is happening in terms of my learning & development and learning/progress of students (and record key aspects)

22. Thank you Contacts www.gtcs.org.uk @gtcs_david @AvrilWilson6
GTC Scotland
18 September 2018