CT Remit
5 03 2007Colleagues
I’ve been wondering how present or potential CT’s are using their skills in their schools or establishments over and above the work they do anyway. There is a debate on these issues on John Connell’s blog. Let’s start one here!
Here’s the remit (from TP21) which pertains to all teachers including CT’s - it’s all a question of degree perhaps:
- teaching assigned classes together with associated preparation and correction;
- developing the school curriculum;
- assessing, recording and reporting on the work of pupils;
- preparing pupils for examinations and assisting with their administration;
- providing advice and guidance to pupils on issues related to their education;
- promoting and safeguarding the health, welfare and safety of pupils;
- working in partnership with parents, support staff and other professionals;
- undertaking appropriate and agreed continuing professional development;
- participating in issues related to school planning, raising achievement and individual review;
- contributing towards good order and the wider needs of the school.
The key distinction made between CT’s and PT’s is the fact that the former don’t take on management of other staff.
CT’s in East Lothian, as well as other unpromoted staff, can take opportunities to mentor NQT’s, become Glow mentors, (and, of course mentor colleagues informally), facilitate inservice courses, liaise with other professionals, participate in working parties both within school and across the region…
What else are we all up to? What is the cross-over between management and leadership? Are there circumstances in which we feel unappreciated and vulnerable because of our ’status’?
Hilery
It’s only fair, I guess, that I should add my tuppence-worth here, since I started it!
The TP21 outline has always bothered me slightly (and I mean just slightly) because, while it’s a reasonable, factual description of what a CT should be doing in their professional role, it misses out, I believe, on one or two absolutely key aspects of the role.
The most important for me is the professional collegiate role (I’m sure there must be a better way to describe it in 2 or 3 words) - I think that CTs do have a ‘management’ responsibility, even if it is not a line-management role as such (ie direct responsibility for staff) - that responsibility should be seen in an explicit recognition of the mentor/guidance/experienced-professional/educational-thinker role that every chartered teacher should take on as a matter of course.
I just don’t see this in TP21 anywhere. I remember some of the very early discussion around the CT role, before it was crystallised in legislation, etc, and this, for me was the crux of the role. It was also, I think, a key part of the whole McCrone move away from the outmoded subject department structures of secondary schooling - which so many have worked to undermine over the years since TP21. They undermine this at the risk of pushing Scottish education ever further behind the educational and employment realities faced by young people in today’s world. The relationship between teacher and student is changing, but you would not know it from the ‘hold the line’ mentality that has sought to break the spirit of TP21 over the past 6 years.
I agree John often the roles Chartered Teachers develop within a school become less valued because they are not explicit.
In some ways the job sizing completed as a result of McCrone has resulted in a tick box mentality of what job belongs to who in a school.
I would be curious how many CT out there would like to become NQT mentors for example but haven’t even been considered since it is written into the remit of a DHT or PT.
It is interesting to note too how much is written about the ’school’ structure with reference to PTs and CTs. What about outreach staff within small ‘departments’? The opportunity for us to mentor NQT is limited but I spend some of my working week supporting colleagues in the field of deaf education. Since we are peripatetic our roles are slightly different as we do a lot of support work within schools. Who supports us.? Understanding of deafness and the issues surrounding that makes it difficult. Our jobs are often isolating and we deal with small spread numbers of children. As a CT I do support my colleagues and put in extra hours to accomadate this. Staff must feel supported and valued. As a CT I feel I have a valuablr role.