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September 2023: I decide to survey my classes from the previous year using the Great Teaching Toolkit (GTT). The results are shown in Figure 1 & Figure 2. Instantly, a striking snapshot of my teaching emerges, pinpointing domains 1.3 (Relevant curriculum tasks) and 3.3 (Managing disruptive behaviour) as focal points.
Figure 1: An overview of my teaching
Figure 2: Drilling down into one particular element: Relevant Curriculum Tasks.
The GTT is an online platform that starts with essentially two propositions. Firstly, it challenges the notion that we, as educators, are fully aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Secondly, it acknowledges the diverse needs among teachers in every staff room, highlighting the need for targeted development.
The tool operates through ‘developmental cycles,’ each lasting approximately a term. It forces you to spotlight areas for improvement at the cycle’s inception, utilising surveys, or observation. The survey tool itself is brilliant, being very objective, sidestepping character judgement and drilling down into each domain in detail.
Upon identifying a developmental area, it is time to start on the associated course. The stack of half-finished educational books in my room is quite staggering, as I start with the best intentions before gradually fizzing out. However, with the GTT succinctly presenting insights from meta studies and practically exploring their classroom applications, my motivation has remained.
Once the learning is done it is time to formulate a plan before implementing change in the classroom. This naturally leads to another round of surveys, not only to gauge development, but also to spotlight the next area of focus.
Just as we never expect a student to master a skill after a single exposure, the same holds true for teacher training, a pitfall we often succumb to with one-off inset sessions or day courses. For me, the biggest benefit of the GTT lies in its protracted nature, leading to enduring, positive change.
