The idea of a new Chartered College of Teaching was of little interest to me until recently. I reckoned it was unnecessary, out of touch and probably designed to further the careers of those involved rather than serve as an active agent within the educational community, particularly given the wobble it had in structuring trustees and premature attempts at crowdfunding.

With such a start, I had given up thinking about it and took no interest in buying into what I felt was an ideal without substance; it was a sinking ship before it had left the harbour.

What is the point of it? The profession already has unions, Department for Education expert groups and a variety of events across its fragmented landscape, offering much choice for teacher engagement and further professional fulfilment. It’s hard to see what the Chartered College of Teaching would add to this, except another layer of thought to the collection.

Haunted by the ghost of the General Teaching Council and the smarts of broken trust, I was averse to engaging with the organisation that was often accused of being absent of clear vision - especially since to participate you needed to sign over hard-earned cash without inspecting the goods first. It seemed to be building its foundations on blind faith and goodwill, something that I had run out of. In addition to this, I was weighed by the expectation that this collective, currently funded by the DfE, would become a structure to impart a political agenda rather than support educators in their roles long term.

These concerns amounted to a feeling of pessimism that wanted to reject the idea of trusting that, yet again, a change was going to come.

It was the free lunch that won it

And so it was, as a cynic, that I attended the launch of the college last month in Sheffield. My motivation, as it is for most outings, was fuelled largely by the promise of after-show chatter and the lure of a free lunch. But I was pleasantly surprised by what I heard at this gathering and of the potential support it would be able to provide, particularly with regard to professional knowledge.

I want not only to do a good job when I’m in the classroom, but also to feel confident that I am. There are never enough hours in the day, are there? I found the college to be keen on networking with the numerous sub-groups of specialists that are working under the educational umbrella, which would give me access to advice and support from experts in specific fields - an attractive thought for someone who sometimes feels at sea with regards to subject knowledge! There seemed to be undertones of dialogue, dialogue, dialogue; the college isn’t just about connecting educators, but about connecting with you as a member serving the profession. For me, part of the lure was the power of feeling listened to.

I want to be reading more and keeping up to date with the differing perspectives and developments that affect the teaching profession, but don’t really know where to begin. Until now, the only way I’ve managed to try and keep abreast has been via CPD organised by my schools or through various discussions on Twitter in my spare time, which while highly valuable, can be time-consuming and confusing with regard to what is relevant to me and my practice. With membership giving me access to others within the profession at events and via forums, I am able to continue reflecting upon concepts and discussing ideas generally. I can also connect with those in my locality or more streamlined to my focus. This provides space to grow as an educator without expectation of promotion or added responsibility within a role.

Support, support, support

As much as it is important for teachers to think critically and be able to assess the ideas that influence their work, it must also be recognised that while these skills can be present in individuals, the time to read through papers is simply not available. I wanted to see a support to positive working practices and increased wellbeing, not feel I should isolate myself in dedicated study to keep up with the latest trend. Thankfully, the chartered college appears to have considered these issues and has a genuine interest in developing a long-term support structure.

I got the impression that the college’s leadership holds a long-term vision of me as an educator and, more importantly, values me as one. As a result, I left the event feeling more positive than I have in a long time - and with a pleasant daydream of what the future of teaching might look like. 

Ezzy Moon is an educational writer and consultant based in Milton Keynes

The Chartered College of Teaching’s chief executive, Alison Peacock, writes exclusively in this Friday’s Tes magazine. To subscribe, click here. To download the digital edition, Android users can click here and iOS users can click here. Tes magazine is available at all good newsagents.

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook