Course Outline

Where this course fits into your CPD

This is one of the eight modular course units that build on the Foundation unit ‘Behaviour, what behaviour’ and that together will form a complete CPD course in ‘Building effective learning relationships’ within the challenges and demands you face in the education landscape.

You have the flexibility to opt to take each module separately or decide to take the complete CPD course package allowing you to stay in control of your CPD throughout.

In relation to the time that you allocate to taking each module or the complete CPD course package, you should expect to allocate time to reading, reflecting and planning active research as well as to discussing topics with colleagues. I would hope that you will see each module as a learning journey for that is the way I have planned it.

The eight modules

The eight module courses that go together to make up the complete CPD package are:   Managing professional challenges when making changes

Exploring learner relationships.

Learner needs.

Meeting the four learner engagement needs.

Teaching practices that include rather than exclude learners.

Managing your time effectively and dealing with the issue of personal capacity.

John’s 12 rules. A list of 13 (no, that is not a mistake) rules to follow in your teaching from my mentor John.

Learning Intelligence, our ability to manage our learning environment to meet our learning needs.

Course content, the lessons

1)      Thriving or surviving – where are you now?

2)      Exploring and reflecting on a challenge

3)      How your behaviour says a lot about your readiness for change

4)      Exploring your vocational drive

5)     A strategy for change. Deciding to monitor, improve or make changes.

Course outline

It may appear obvious, but we do not always consider that making a change means doing something different, taking a different path or course of action. In physics, if we want a moving body to change direction then we must apply a force, energy if you like, to make that change of direction happen and overcome the existing force. The amount of energy we will apply will depend on how we want the body in motion to react. If we want it to stop it or reverse the direction then we must apply a considerable amount of energy, much more than just deflecting it slightly. Think of a footballer nudging another player off the ball as opposed to tackling.  Or if you want something more dynamic think of an ice hockey game, it can get quite explosive at times.

What has all this talk of energy and physics got to do with teaching?

Teaching is a full-on job so in order to make changes in your teaching you need to be in the best place both mentally and physically and you have to be prepared for the impact of change. You don’t just make changes you have to manage change within the challenges and resources you have and that needs planning and contingencies. This course is all about making change happen successfully and making sure you enjoy both the challenge and the outcome.