For the L5 DIT course, learners need to be confident about working within the Further Education Teaching Standards; ‘The Professional Standards for Teachers and Trainers’. Let’s have a closer look of what they consist of and ways in which they can be met, explored and developed.
Grouped Standards
There are three groups: Professional Values and Attributes, Professional Knowledge and Understanding and Professional Skills.
Professional Values and Attributes: this consists of 7 standards focusing on the actions of teachers/trainers; promoting professionalism and understanding of what works best for their learners.
1. Critically reflect on and evaluate your practices, values, and beliefs to improve learner outcomes
2. Promote and embed education for sustainable development (ESD) across learning and working practices.
3. Inspire, motivate, and raise aspirations of learners by communicating high expectations and a passion for learning.
4. Support and develop learners’ confidence, autonomy and thinking skills, taking account of their needs and starting points.
5. Value and champion diversity, equality of opportunity, inclusion and social equity.
6. Develop collaborative and respectful relationships with learners, colleagues and external stakeholders.
7. Engage with and promote a culture of continuous learning and quality improvement.
How can you work on these standards?
The learners and their outcomes are at the heart of these standards. You may wish to reflect on some of these questions:
How well do you reflect on your teaching? Do you take on feedback from the learners and how can they give this to you?
How do you communicate your expectations from day one of meeting a new cohort? Do you feel this could be adapted or improved for better outcomes?
How do you involve them in the planning process – or how could you?
Do you feel that equality and diversity is fully embedded or could this still be improved – are you making tokenistic gestures or are you fully inclusive of all protected characteristics?
Could you improve your relationships with other staff, stakeholders and learners? How do you intend to do this?
When you do CPD, how do you disseminate information or take new practices forward?
Professional Knowledge and Understanding: this consists of 5 standards that focus on learner needs and subject specialist knowledge, including ongoing professional development.
8. Develop and update knowledge of your subject specialism, taking account of new practices, research and/ or industry requirements
9. Critically review and apply your knowledge of educational research, pedagogy, and assessment to develop evidence-informed practice.
10. Share and update knowledge of effective practice with colleagues, networks and/or research communities to support improvement.
11. Develop and apply your knowledge of special educational needs and disabilities to create inclusive learning experiences.
12. Understand your teaching role and responsibilities and how these are influenced by legal, regulatory, institutional and ethical contexts.
How can you work on these standards?
What kind of activities do you currently do to stay on top of your specialist area? What could you do more of?
How do you share any specific knowledge you have at staff meetings/INSET etc
When planning and assessing, how do you consider specific learning needs when it comes to SEND? Do you feel that you can meet all learners’ needs? Which are the most difficult to meet and do you feel you would benefit from further training or peer observations?
When do you review policies in your setting and are you confident that you are applying them correctly?
Professional Skills: this consists of 8 standards that look at planning, assessment and creating great learning experiences.
13. Promote and support positive learner behaviour, attitudes and wellbeing.
14. Apply motivational, coaching and skill development strategies to help learners progress and achieve.
15. Plan and deliver learning programmes that are safe, inclusive, stretching and relevant to learners’ needs.
16. Select and use digital technologies safely and effectively to promote learning.
17. Develop learners’ mathematics, English, digital and wider employability skills.
18. Provide access to up-to-date information, advice and guidance so that learners can take ownership of their learning and make informed progression choices.
19. Apply appropriate and fair methods of assessment and provide constructive and timely feedback to support learning and achievement.
20. Develop enrichment and progression opportunities for learners through collaboration with employers, higher education and/or community groups.
How can you work on these standards?
What kind of strategies do you use for motivation and behaviour management? Do they align with the policy in your setting? Do you feel this could be improved?
Would you say that your planning is effective, including the use of digital technology?
How do you meet the needs of the learners in the elements of the minimum core?
How do you set targets for learners and talk about their future opportunities?
Do you have enrichment and progression opportunities for learners and do they benefit from these?
Where next?
Having read through all of the questions and considered them, it’s then a good idea to select one key standard from each area. Teaching is busy and time-consuming and there is little enough time to reflect as it is without taking on all 20 standards at once! You may want to rank the standards in order of importance for your development and that will make it very obvious which ones you must choose as your targets. It is important to remember that no teachers are perfect day-in, day-out at all 20 of these – you are working with unpredictable humans! However, focusing on 3 of them gives you some very targeted reflection throughout your teaching day. You may find that it leads to you adapting planning, updating resources or changing assessment procedures. It may be an activity that you would like to do with the whole staff, for professional development.
Whatever direction you choose to take with the professional standards, it is always a good idea to review and reflect on practice in order to develop and learn – good luck!
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