I love CPD. I know I may seem a bit odd to some people for saying that but I really do.
I love the incidental chat in the staffroom that sparks an idea; I love the book which encourages me to think differently; I love the Saturday events with their individual approaches and lack of suits.
I even love the big conferences in hotels with the odd free pen thrown in; and I especially love TeachMeets and staff meetings in halls and classrooms long after the children have left and the camaraderie they can build.
Always learning
I’ve never ever left a CPD session with nothing.
Sometimes it’s copious notes scribbled furiously, sometimes it’s rage or frustration at something someone has said that has galvanised my ideas or stance.
Other times it’s been an idea which has come to me during the ennui of a really badly delivered session in an overly hot room.
On the occasions where there have been chances to talk to colleagues over food or coffee, a chance to sit and learn with other educators from contrasting settings or parts of the sector I have left with a broader view of our system and frequently, a really supportive new contact that in time become friends.
I worry we’re going to lose all this.
Teachers need face time, too
Because while we are concerned about the lack of face-to-face contact and the importance of this for our students, we are potentially overlooking its importance for our own professional learning as we sing the praises of remote CPD.
I agree a harried and stressful commute to an unknown location after having to set work and cover for a class is not the ideal precursor to a CPD session and I can fully appreciate the joy of being able to access training remotely at a time convenient
But let’s ensure we’re not losing a key part of our profession in our rush to embrace technology and new ways of working.
Off-grid learning
Having delivered thousands of CPD sessions over the last 20 years, I have seen brilliant professional learning happen in so many ways at real-life events.
Of course, there’s the CPD itself, but it’s so much more than that.
The chance conversations between colleagues; the exchanging of email addresses or the hauling out of a book from a bag to illustrate a point over coffee are also key parts of our professional learning.
The opportunity to focus on-task and to discuss things off-task in smaller groups provides informal support and reassurance that we’re often in the same boat as many of our colleagues.
The chance to spend time away from school with colleagues in a neutral venue without the distractions or competing pulls of school or home often results in innovative thinking or a chance to have the conversations you’ve been meaning to have but never get time for.
The shared car journeys provide time for getting to know each other as people not just as colleagues; the bonding over the comments about terrible coffee or brilliant cakes provide an opportunity to remind us that we are humans first, teachers second.
Technology’s shortcomings
Sitting alone behind a screen doesn’t develop relationships. It doesn’t facilitate the kind of incidental networking or feeling of togetherness in the same way as being together in the same moments in the same room.
So many of us are experiencing digital fatigue as we video chat our ways through each day.
We long for the contact and collegiality of our schools yet we appear to be championing the very thing which may prevent real-life adult face to face contact.
As teachers, we see very few other adults during the day. CPD events enable us to form connections, networks and bonds which are otherwise tricky to make when you are stood in front of a class full of pupils for most of the week.
A role to play
Of course, technology still has great potential to revolutionise and streamline the way in which we access, experience and develop our professional learning and I am excited both by the prospect of a new adventure in CPD delivery but also by the prospect of not sitting in my car, frustrated by traffic and worrying about walking in late to a conference.
However, we must remain mindful of the fact that this digital CPD revolution was fuelled by a lockdown that, by its very nature, prevented us from communicating in the ways we have previously.
Once the doors are open again, we must be mindful not to lock ourselves behind our keyboards just because they are shiny and new.
When the time comes to venture into our new normal, let us not forget that we are a collegiate profession that thrives on the skills of relationship development, support challenge, coaching, mentoring and sharing of ideas.
Emma Turner is the research and CPD lead for Discovery Schools Trust, Leicestershire. She tweets as @Emma_Turner75
