‘You don’t learn from experience but from reflecting on experiences’.

OK, I know this is to slightly misquote John Dewey but it is pertinent given the unprecedented experiences we are going through and, I would argue, also the unprecedented opportunities to reflect and make positive changes for the future. 

Amidst the chaos, confusion and tragedy, many colleagues have responded with incredible flexibility and remarkable dedication: I have the utmost respect and I am in awe at the work of so many and would like to believe that their efforts could have some positive outcomes in the future. 

There has been an helter-skelter of innovation and ad-hoc innovation to support both pupils and student teachers. There has been little time to pause and think more constructively but now, maybe, is the time to pause from doing the urgent and focus on building a positive future.

The ongoing challenges for ITT, not just in the current crisis, are significant.

Connect your teachers wherever they are; review and refine teaching however it’s delivered; provide effective CPD, whenever your teachers need it. 

In the last couple of months, it’s become evident that we are experiencing educational disruption likely to last for the foreseeable future. With schools largely closed to most learners, teachers have been forced to think quickly on their feet, and adapt to new ways of communicating with colleagues and students alike. With some teachers remaining in open schools and others exploring their options online, schools are facing unprecedented times.

The education system is becoming more collaborative. Arguably the profession has always been more open than most, but there is now an explicit expectation for organisations like Teaching Schools and academy chains to foster inter-school collaboration and for school leaders to drive high quality professional learning networks.

Teachers themselves have also been drivers of change. From spontaneous connections via social media to the more formal links via the Chartered College of Teaching, more teachers than ever before are working together to develop professionally and improve outcomes for learners.