Developing as a professional

Professors Sam Twiselton and Sally Elton-Chalcraft ask the reader about their attitude towards ‘being a teacher’ and their understanding about how to develop as a professional, postulating that excellent teaching involves being aware of the why, what and how in education, for example the organisation of the curriculum; concepts of knowledge; a child’s background, prior learning, aptitude, and so on. They present strategies to inform decision making in the classroom including creative approaches and problem solving and encourage the reader to consider how to choose appropriate continuing professional development activities which fit their particular circumstances at a particular time. The reader’s attention is drawn to different approaches to teaching which have implications for the types of professional development chosen. The chapter ends with a reminder of the importance of quality over quantity and that growing as a teacher can involve top down but also bottom up professional development.