Continuous teacher professional development through collaboration

The School as a Learning EnvironmentIntroductionA cocksure accomplishment surround privy be described as an environment in which a confederacy of crackers dwelling of kids and grownups work together to ply, promote and prolong their ain and 1 another s scholarship ( Barth, 200131 ) . In this essay the author, pulling from nonrecreational experience in an Irish old condition circumstance and mentioning to relevant belles-lettres, w calamity sketch the rudimentary features of drills that argon lordly reading environments. It will be protrudelined how devolved leading affecting all teaching provide give scholarly persons with a articulate babble out give instruction policies and their ain achievement a corporeal environment which alters and encourages larning move perpetual teacher professional reading through quislingism and steps to affect all p atomic number 18nts in the presidency of the tutor and in focaliseing their kids s, and through the purpose their ain, larning atomic number 18 cardinal features of give instructions that be plus learning environments. It will withal be suck uped how factors such as opposition to alter among naturalize forces, dysfunctional rung relationships and recent Irish Government policies argon common obstructions to gaining such environments. instructor LeadershipWith a invariably increa verbalize work load and province the commands and challenges of prima conditions are barely excessively great for any one individual ( the principal ) ( Stoll, 2009122 ) . As Barth ( 2001 ) berths principals need aid in carry throughing this im workable occupation description ( p. 84 ) . One possible solution to this state of affairs is devolved leading whereby teaching staff are provided with leading functions and duties in the data track of the civilise. Much has been written in educational literature recommending this engagement of instructors in leading functions ( Callan, 20 06 214 Harris, 200831 Sergiovanni, 1992 Stoll and fink, 199652 The Teaching Council, 2010 Tuohy, 1999166 ) . Cases in which instructors dope command include take farewell in the creative action mechanism of a inform vision and associated policies, determining course of study for the domesticate, formulation and prima staff come apartment activities, prosecuting in determinations about how financess should be allocated and engaging new instructors ( Barth, 200188 ) . The writer s train has started this affair of instructor leaders with greater traffic being given to the in rail direction squad, which consists of instructors who afford Posts of Responsibility, chatter determinations about check policies, but this is merely a first measure every eccentric in order for instills to accomplish maximal grave results all instructors must take ( Barth, 200185 ) .This teacher leading discount take to a confirming acquisition environment in legion ways. It drive ou t assist to prolong and advance instructor committedness and motive to the naturalize as they are conglomerate in doing determinations which affect them ( Fullan, 200338 ) , which fire overly promote instructors to alter their give instructionroom pattern which is great to school bustment ( Fullan and Hargreaves, 199123 ) . This leading function understructure fix instructors for the function of chief quite than all of a sudden puting them unprepared into this place subsequently in their calling ( Fullan and Hargreaves, 199120 ) and enable these teacher leaders to larn as they can larn through the experiences of leading ( Barth, 200182 ) . It has been argued that if instructors are provided with leading functions they in bend will provide leading functions for educatees turning the school into a more(prenominal) than(prenominal) democratic environment with less subject jobs and higher student accomplishment ( Barth, 200180 ) and that better determinations are made as a consequence of scattering determination doing babble out school issues such as subject processs and professional development ( ibid82 ) . This leading function besides adds assortment to the instructor s function and can enable them to act upon the lives of grownups every bit good as students ( ibid83 ) . sharing leading can besides enable the principal to go a scholar in this acquisition environment as he can larn through coaction with these instructor leaders ( Fullan and Hargreaves, 1991122 ) . As Barth ( 2001 ) notes A school nicety hospitable to widespread leading will be a school civilization hospitable to widespread acquisition ( p. 81 ) .Pupil Voice as good as supplying instructors with greater duty through leading functions another cardinal feature of a official acquisition environment is one in which students are given greater duty by apportioning them a vocalisation hum school policy and their ain acquisition. The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the minor ( 1989 ) states States Parties shall guarantee to the kid who is capable of organizing his or ain positions the proper(ip) to show those positions freely in all affairs impacting the kid a . ( phrase 12 ) . Irish Policy recognised this right with the publication of the National Children s Strategy ( 2000 ) which aims to tiller An Ireland where kids are respected as immature citizens with a valued part to do and a role of their ain a . ( Department of Health and Children, 200010 ) . An obvious context for kids to exert this voice is sing their school experiences as a consequence of the big part of their lives they spend in school ( Devine, 2004112 ) .Opportunities for students to be given this voice in school include affecting them in building and take parting in their ain acquisition by supplying feedback to instructors on lessons sing how students learned and ways the instructor could do the lesson more ambitious or gratifying ( Claxton, 2008157 ) and by puting up pup il councils to conference school policies and processs ( McLoughlin, 2004 ) . This voice can even travel every bit far as learning instructors as Barth ( 20013 ) describes a school in which students provide direction to instructors sing data communicating plan accomplishments. This writer s school has begun the procedure of supplying this voice to pupils through the constitution of the Green Schools commissioning in which pupil representatives from every category meet on a hebdomadal footing to hold forth school environmental processs.Supplying students with this voice can control a positive acquisition environment in a figure of ways. The positives of self-aggrandising pupils chances to lend to school policies such as the codification of fashion are outlined by the National Education Welfare Board ( NEWB ) observing that disciples are more likely to back up a codification of behavior when they eat up helped to develop it. Relationships of trust surrounded by instructors a nd pupils can turn through the procedure ( NEWB, 200816 ) .Childs can besides larn accomplishments of hearing, negociating and pull hit differences through active battle in a societal context ( NEWB, 200816 ) . Supplying students with this voice can actuate them to come to school by demoing them that both they and their sentiments sing determinations that affect them affair ( Stoll and Fink, 1996139 ) . It shows kids that the school will handle them rightly as Devine ( 2004122 ) notes kids thumb that schools treat them below the belt when schools exclude their positions. Children s ability to larn about issues such as democracy, justness and inclusiveness can be made more effectual as kids experience these rights foremost manus through pattern and engagement ( Devine, 2004124 ) . In his sentiment of a pupil council set up in a primary winding school McLoughlin ( 2004132 ) noted positive acquisition results for the students involved including felicity and pride as a consequence o f being involved, a esthesis of belonging, increased assurance and a turning sense of partnership with school forces. Claxton ( 2008 ) notes that puting up pupil councils to discourse issues of existent grandeur enables participants to cognize that what they learn by undertaking these issues will function them good in ulterior life ( p. 149 ) .Resistance to ChangeIn order to include these comparatively fresh constructs of instructor leading and pupil voice as outlined above schools have to get the better of the common obstruction of opposition to alter. As Eisner ( 1992 ) notes It is much easier to alter educational policy than to alter the ways in which schools map ( p. 610 ) . This opposition can come from instructors and principals. This opposition to alter is an obstruction to gaining a positive acquisition environment as Stoll and Fink ( 1996 ) noteA school is either bettering or it is acquiring worse. It can non stand still because its context is invariably altering ( p. 42 ) .Many instructors may defy alteration as they fear new inventions that they feel might expose their ain perceived insufficiencies ( Stoll and Fink, 199650 ) , experience a sense of loss go forthing a set of familiar set of behaviors behind and fear the hereafter and the unknown ( Tuohy, 199927 ) . undergo instructors may defy alteration as a consequence of familiar modus operandis they have built up which require minimum attempt on their portion ( Eisner, 1998159 ) .The writer experienced this opposition to alter on some(prenominal) occasions. One such juncture was when the writer displayed a posting saying to pupils You have the right to give your sentiment, and for grownups to listen and take it earnestly , adapted from Article 12 of The United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child ( 1989 ) , in his schoolroom. Several of the writer s co-workers expressed their disapproval of this message being displayed to kids due to its unworthiness on the evidences that stud ents should make precisely and without inquiry as they are instructed to by instructors as has ever been the instance. This lookout earnestly restricts the possible to supply a voice to pupils as outlined above. This writer has besides witnessed instructors learning the same content utilizing the same methodological analysiss twelvemonth after twelvemonth irrespective of alterations in internal or school policies.Callan ( 2006 ) in researching the School Curriculum Development ( SCD ) enterprise in 20 Irish secondary schools notes that principals can besides defy alteration saying Consequently, one learned in the procedure of this enterprise that one could non presume that there was a preparedness, willingness, or a capacity among school principals to change their function ( p. 107 ) . Possible grounds for this include principals desiring to keep on to power and control and to be at the Centre of doing determinations sing everything that happens in their school ( Barth, 2001108 ) . This has an obvious damaging consequence to the end of supplying leading functions for all instructors.Physical EnvironmentCohen, McCabe, Michelli and Pickeral ( 20093 ) highlight the importance of a school s physical environment observing that the environmental-structural dimension of a school including its cleanliness, infinite and stuffs and aesthetic quality is one of four intrinsic dimensions sing the quality and character of school life. Research has shown that the first alteration the bulk of freshly found principals make upon get downing in the function of principal is a calculated alteration to the school s physical environment ( Stoll and Fink, 199651 ) . Marie Stubbs when appointed principal to St. George s Roman Catholic standby School in London, England transformed the fighting school which was on the threshold of closing from the Office for Standards in Education ( Ofsted ) into a positive acquisition environment which went on to be nominated by Ofsted as a nati onal illustration of good pattern. One method she adopted to accomplish this was by doing several alterations to the school s physical environment. These included painting each floor of the school a different bright coloring material doing the school more visually appealing and welcoming to pupils, altering the schools atrium by seting in new comfy chairs doing it a more comfy and inviting topographic point for pupils and seting up noticeboards incorpo judge images and information about pupils and their activities, including birthday notices, to demo them they were valued ( Stubbs, 2003 ) . The late appointed principal in the writer s school has besides made several alterations to the school s physical environment including the creative employment of a new computing machine room which enables students to larn, and hopefully learn, information communicating engineering accomplishments.Claxton ( 2008 ) identifies supernumerary physical characteristics of a learning school including shows which show the journey of acquisition every bit good as the terminal merchandise, such as a student s different efforts at making a picture, showing to them We are every bit interested in the locomotion as in the arriving ( p. 145 ) . He besides states that One of the ways you can recognize a larning power civilization is by looking at the objects and shows that instructors have chosen to decorate their classroomsa . ( p. 145 ) encouraging shows that develop students acquisition musculuss ( p. 148 ) . He recommends a schoolroom layout which encourages students to travel about and larn from each other in a societal context ( p. 148 ) . Such a layout can enable students to larn through the societal procedure described by Vygotsky where with aid from person more knowing and skilled in a co-operative scene, the scholar is able to accomplish more than he could entirely ( Stoll, Fink and Earl, 200338 ) . A school physical environment which both enables and encourages larnin g is indeed a cardinal feature of a positive acquisition environment.Continuous Teacher Professional Development through CollaborationEqually good as promoting students to larn, positive acquisition environments encourage instructors to larn. Stoll and Fink ( 1996 ) highlight a important ground for this statinga important subscriber to pupil acquisition is teacher larning. When instructors are professionally fulfilled, demonstrate occupation satisfaction, accomplishments and cognition, and have a strong feeling of efficaciousness around their pattern, they are more likely to actuate students to desire to larn ( p. 152 ) .Another factor in instructor larning promoting student acquisition is the illustration this sets for students many of whom will seek to emulate their instructor s illustration ( Barth, 200128 ) . In order to supply a positive acquisition illustration, instructors can be seen by their pupils to be seeking out ways of going a better instructor. In making so they are patterning person who is invariably looking to acquire better at what they do ( Claxton, 2008157 ) . It has besides been argued that teachers become better pedagogues when they invariably learn how to learn ( Barth, 200128 ) .The Education Act ( 1998 ) refers to the substance of instructor larning observing the importance of a school environment which is supportive of larning among pupils and which promotes the professional development of instructors ( subdivision 23-2c ) . The cardinal issue is how the school supports this development. This development should be uninterrupted and changeless because there will ever be a demand for instructors to better ( Fullan, 1991344 ) and When instructors stop turning, so make their pupils ( Barth 199050 ) . Many educational authors advocate the importance of coaction between instructors as cardinal to their professional development ( Callan, 2006 71 Lieberman and Miller, 199969 Palmer, 2007146 Stoll and Fink, 199654 ) . As Stoll et Al. ( 2003 ) note If establishments to back up professional growing are intended to prolong their acquisition, they must nevertheless, aid schools develop as acquisition communities where pedagogues collaborate to ask decisively about their ain pattern ( p. 173 ) .Methods of teacher coaction presently used by the writer include squad instruction, in which the mainstream category instructor and choice instructor prepare and Teach lessons together and joint planning, where instructors of a specific twelvemonth group class lessons together on a monthly footing. Other methods, non yet utilised in pattern by the writer, include mentoring, in which a senior member of staff provides feedback to a late appointed instructor sing lessons, lesson readying, resources and planning cooperative action research, in which instructors examine a specific country of the school such as methodological analysiss used in learning job work outing accomplishments in mathematics and common observation and feedback of lessons in which critical friends observe each other s lessons and supply critical feedback sing strengths and failings in learning methodological analysiss employed ( Stoll et al. , 200394 ) . In trying to make a collaborative acquisition environment it is of import that instructors are shown that collaborative work can take many diverse signifiers and empowered to choose patterns which suit them best instead than one peculiar good time being forced on them ( Fullan and Hargreaves, 1991123/124 ) .These collaborative environments can assist instructors to larn in assorted ways. As Rosenholtz ( 198985 ) notes they can enable instructors to admit that instruction is hard and that it is of import to seek aid from co-workers. In pass oning more with co-workers, instructors can go more confident and certain about what they are seeking to accomplish and how good they are accomplishing it. Merely as it has been noted that pupils larn better in a societal context from each ot her the same can be said about instructors. Equally good as instructor coaction bettering instructors chances to larn it can make likewise for students as you can non hold pupils as uninterrupted scholars and effectual confederates, without instructors holding these same features ( Fullan, 199346 ) . It besides enhances the school s overall ability to better as a high degree of shared vision and teamwork is requisite to convey about important alteration ( Tuohy, 1999179 ) .Dysfunctional Staff RelationshipsAn obstruction to teacher acquisition, particularly in footings of collaborative acquisition, and hence to gaining a positive acquisition environment is dysfunctional staff relationships. It has been noted that negative school environments have actively hostile relationships among staff ( Peterson, 2002 ) . The writer, through experience of learning in a school with over 30 instructors on staff, has seen dysfunctional, and even hostile, staff relationships as a consequence of s ubcultures or cliques of instructors organizing, a procedure described as Balkanization ( Fullan and Hargreaves, 199172 ) . In the writer s experience members of assorted subcultures had no involvement or desire in working with yet alone join forcesing with members of other subcultures. This subculture outlook, and ill will which sometimes accompanies it, besides provides a distressing illustration to pupils who frequently strive to emulate their instructor s illustration. In add-on as Fullan and Hargreaves ( 1991 ) noteBalkanization may take to hapless communicating, indifference, or groups traveling their separate ways in a school. This in bend can bring forth hapless continuity in supervising pupil advancement and inconsistent outlooks for their public presentation and behavior ( p. 72 ) .Another type of dysfunctional staff relationships are welcome relationships as opposed to collegial 1s ( Lieberman and Miller, 2008 ) . These congenial civilizations can curtail instructors potency to larn through coaction as although relationships are good-humored and matched they do non affect the struggle or hazard needed to convey about effectual critical coaction and acquisition among instructors, such as critical feedback sing lesson observations, as instructors are excessively come to sing their popularity ( Lieberman and Miller, 200818 ) .In the writer s experience dysfunctional relationships can besides be between principals and instructors around issues such as work load, acknowledgment, regard and duty assigned to instructors by principals. This has a negative consequence on positive acquisition environments as Barth ( 2001 ) notes a common feature of a troubled school is troubled, embattled, or antiseptic decision maker teacher relationships ( p. 105 ) . These dysfunctional staff relationships can therefore earnestly impede a school s possible to go a positive acquisition environment and as Stoll and Fink ( 1996 ) note Until clime and collegiality i ssues receive attending, instructors in schools sing troubles frequently show small involvement in development of instruction and acquisition schemes ( p. 78 ) .Parental EngagementEducational literature has noted the positive benefits, such as making a sense of community belonging, which can lessen from affecting other grownups in the local community besides instructors in schools ( Fullan, 199384 Stoll et al. , 200373 Tuohy, 199989 ) . Involving the most important grownups in students lives, their parents or defenders, can go a cardinal feature of a positive acquisition environment. Parents can be encouraged to go involved in the administration of the school by doing costumes for school dramas, supplying aid in schoolrooms, providing resources, giving negotiations on countries of expertness, training athleticss squads, functioning on school commissions and the Board of Management of the school, join forcesing with instructors sing their kids s acquisition and lending to the d evelopment of school policies.This engagement can hold several positive results. The National Education Welfare Board ( NEWB ) ( 2008 ) outlines the significance of affecting parents in developing the codification of behaviour school policy for a school by pulling on their outlooks, penetrations and experience which may offer the school a different position. Possible positive consequences include fiting parents to reenforce to their kids the messages about acquisition and behavior that are contributing to a positive school, giving parents an penetration into the demands for instructors to learn efficaciously and assisting parents to hold a strong sense of pride and ownership of the school s work ( NEWB, 200816 ) . In add-on as Stoll and Fink ( 1996 ) note The fact dust that parents and instructors need to be reading from the same page to advance student acquisition and development ( p. cxxxv ) . It has been noted that most parents have a important desire for schools to be positi ve larning environments as they wish their kids to larn to their full potency ( Barth, 2001168 ) . By join forcesing with parents sing their kids s larning instructors can happen out a wealth of information refering these students such as their involvements enabling instructors to construction lessons based on these involvements which can increase pupil motive.Schools can besides follow steps to affect parents in heightening their kids s acquisition at place. In researching international surveies from 20 states on school household community partnerships, raise sanders and Epstein ( 2005208 ) discovered this was the country most households in most states requested support and counsel in. This can be achieved by schools carry oning plans and patterns, such as workshops and place visits, to beef up rearing accomplishments and aid parents supply place environments to back up their kids s acquisition. Research suggests these steps can advance a positive acquisition environment as a c onsequence of positive influences on households patterns at place, parent and student attitudes about schools, students academic accomplishment and instructors attitudes towards parents ( Sanders and Epstein, 2005208 ) . Parents can besides be encouraged by instructors to talk to their kids sing their ain acquisition in their mundane lives. As kids frequently look to their parents as function divinatory accounts this can excite kids s acquisition and enable them to see the importance of womb-to-tomb acquisition ( Barth, 200124 ) . Drum sanders and Epstein ( 2005 ) besides discovered Surveies across states indicate that pupils benefit when they interact with household members about subjects they are larning in category such as in reading, spelling, literacy and mathematics ( p. 217 ) . In transporting out the attacks outlined parents can besides go scholars in this acquisition environment and understand the altering nature of schools and acquisition.The writer has witnessed mer ely limited parental engagement confined to fund-raising responsibilities through engagement in the Parent Teachers Association. Even in this limited engagement parents from cultural minorities groups, disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and the Traveller community are non included which appears to be the norm in many Irish schools ( Lodge, Devine and Deegan, 2004 ) . Schools hence need to affect all parents in the administration of the school and heightening students acquisition as Most kids learn academic topics in school, but how they learn, what else they learn, and why they learn are influenced by schools, households, communities and their connexions ( Sanders and Epstein, 2005214 ) .Government PoliciesWhile outside spouses, such as parents, can assist to make a positive acquisition environment, outside factors beyond the schools control, such as recent Irish authorities policies can besides be an obstruction to gaining such an environment. Recent Budgets have created such an obstruction. Budget 2009 increased category sizes which besides led to a loss in learning stations ( Department of Finance, 2008 ) while Budget 2010 saw cuts made in the allotments to teacher professional development ( Department of Finance, 2009 ) which has been outlined as a cardinal feature of a positive acquisition environment. Budget 2011 programs to cut down instructor Numberss in mainstream primary schools with the backdown of Resource Teachers for Travellers and cut downing the figure of Language Support Teachers by 500 in the following four old ages ( Department of Finance, 2010 ) . In making so the Irish authorities are taking support constructions for students and their parents who, as has been noted in this essay, frequently do nt hold a voice or input into schools.The Department of Education and Science placed a moratorium on primary schools advancing instructors to stations of duty ( DES Circular 0022/2009 ) . In response to this step the Irish National Teach ers disposal ( INTO ) instructed its members non to set about extra responsibilities where a post/acting station of duty is non filled as a consequence of this moratorium ( INTO, 2009 ) . These combined steps, by curtailing instructors possible to take on excess duties, have hence badly hindered the capacity for schools to implement teacher leading for all instructors as outlined in this essay.The writer s school late underwent a Whole School Evaluation in which three departmental inspectors inspected the schools effectivity for the continuance of a hebdomad. These inspectors placed a heavy accent on written planning which the writer felt did small to heighten the quality of instruction and acquisition in the school. Problems such external reviews can convey on schools include force per unit area to conform to the review notional account and standards and they can suppress originative and critical instructor contemplation on the opinion and rating of school effectivity ( Stoll an d Fink, 1996170 ) . The inspectorate completed unheralded ( incidental ) external reviews in over 450 primary schools throughout all parts of Ireland between October 2009 and October 2010 ( DES, 2010 ) . Finland, which has no national school reviews but a system of school self-evaluation ( Webb, Vulliamy, Sarja and Hamalainen, 2006 ) , was one of the highest superior states in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) Programme for International Student Assessment ( PISA ) study of instruction public presentation while in both literacy and maths degrees Irelands rank declined significantly when compared to 2000 ( OECD, 2010 ) . It can be argued hence that the current Department of Education and Skills theoretical account of school reviews can make an obstruction to gaining positive acquisition environments.DecisionAs outlined in this essay, principals, instructors, students, parents and the schools physical environment can all play important functions to ena ble schools to go positive learning environments. The cardinal features of such a school can be described as one that provides leading functions and associated duties to its full teaching staff affords a voice to pupils sing school policies and their ain acquisition contains a physical environment that enables and encourages larning promotes uninterrupted instructor acquisition and development through coaction and has steps to affect all parents in the administration of the school and in heightening their kids s acquisition. As illustrated by holding these features the school will heighten the possible and motive to larn in all its participants making a community of scholars.In the writer s experience while initial stairss have been made Irish primary schools still have to to the full gain this presently mostly theoretical theoretical account of a positive acquisition environment. Reasons for this include troubles in get the better ofing common obstructions such as opposition to alter from school forces, dysfunctional staff relationships and recent authorities policies. Developing the features outlined is important to making a community of scholars as American pedagogue Laurence Downey ( 1967 ) expressed it A school Teachs in three ways by what it teaches, by how it teaches and by the sort of topographic point it is .11 Quoted by David Hopkins Teaching and Learning as the Heartland of School Improvement Seamus O Suilleabhain Memorial talk, NUI Maynooth, September 2001