Welcome to Newingate School




Module 6: The Teacher as a Professional
Week 1: Being Professional and Being a Professional
This week the ECT focused on exploring the notion of professionalism and explored being professional and being a professional. The ECT firstly, reflected upon individual perceptions of professionals and what defines a profession before exploring the literature around this and models that may support their understanding and application. Finally the ECT considered elements of their own professionalism.
Reflection and Discussion
This week, the ECT started with some reflective activity and considered the following questions:
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Consider the following questions:
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What traits/values/virtues do you hold that you feel makes you align with the professional values of teaching?
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What do characteristics (virtues) do/should teachers typically have?
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What is there that explicitly identifies you as a professional?
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Are teachers professional in the way that practitioners of law and medicine are? (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p80)
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How are teachers different to TAs?
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Are there things that teachers do that are different to other professions?
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Are you professional all of the time? What does that look like?
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What challenges your professionalism?
Discuss these with the ECT.
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The ECT then considered the following questions:
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How do you define what it is to be a professional and also what defines a profession?.
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Is being a professional/a profession related to qualifications, job type, pay, an association to a professional body...? Is a professional teacher the same as a professional cleaner? What might be the differences? Is there an agreed-upon knowledge base? (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012, p81)
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How is being a professional/a profession different to professionalism?
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The ECT then explored character virtues and were asked to identify which of these they felt were important for teachers, using The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues' summary (below).
The ECT also reflected upon their character strengths and areas of focus - invite the ECT to discuss these with you.
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(Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, 2022)
Evidence and Research:
When exploring the research, the ECT was introduced to the nuances of being professional and being a professional. Invite them to explore this with you.
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You may want to frame the conversation using the following questions:
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What do you understand by 'being professional'?
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How is being professional different from being a professional?
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What are the benchmarks for professionalism in teaching? How are these represented in the Teaching Standards? What do you feel about Part 2 of the Standards?
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Invite the ECT to discuss how they interpret the diagrammatic representation of professionalism (below)

Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT produced an action plan identifying three key areas of professionalism they wish to further develop.
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Ask to see their action plan and discuss this with them.
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You may wish to suggest some ways to support them in achieving their aims.
Week 2: Establishing and Building Effective Working Relationships with Colleagues
This week the ECT focused on establishing and building positive and effective working relationships. The learning clarified what workplace relationships are in contrast to personal relationships and explored how they can effectively build positive and effective workplace relationships looking at key elements and behaviours and attitudes associated with such. The ECT reflected upon the working relationships within the school as well as their own behaviours and attitudes based upon their learning.
Evidence and Research:
Within their learning the ECT refreshed the contrast between personal and working relationships and explored the key elements that contribute to effective working relationships and the key behaviours and attitudes that enable them to develop effective working relationships. Invite the ECT to share their learning with you. You may find the following questions useful:
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What are the benefits to the school of establishing positive working relationships?
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Are there any benefits to yourself personally in developing strong working relationships?
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What elements define effective/positive working relationships?
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What skills/qualities/behaviours are important in developing positive working relationships?
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT was asked to observe working relationships around the school over the course of the week and consider these in relation to the elements that define positive working relationships and also the behaviours and attitudes that support positive working relationships.
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These elements and behaviours are within the ECT's learning materials.
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Invite the ECT to share their observations with you.
Reflection and Discussion
Looking at the behaviours and attitudes that enhance positive working relationships, the ECT was asked to reflect on these in relation to themselves.
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Ask them where they have strengths and where they have areas for development.
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You may then want to discuss how they can develop specific behaviours.
Week 3: How to Work Effectively with your TA
This week the TA focused on considering how to work effectively with their TA. The ECT explored recent EEF research and guidance 'Making the Best Use of Teaching Assistants' and considered how they can apply this guidance to enhance their practice and ensure their TA has maximum impact on learning and student progress in their classroom.
Evidence and Research:
The ECT explored recent EEF research and guidance on 'Making the Best Use of your TAs'. The ECT focused on recommendations 2-4 from the summary of recommendations (below).
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Explore with your ECT the key learning they took from the summary but also the guidance document.
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These are both below for your information.
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT was asked to begin to embed some of the recommended practice from the guidance. Explore how they have achieved this. You may want to ask the following questions to support your discussion:
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When have you been meeting to plan learning with your TA?
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How have these sessions been?
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Has your TA used the log of learning?
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How have they found this?
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How helpful have you found this?
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Did you shared and discuss the 'scaffolding framework for teaching assistant-pupil interactions with your TA?'
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Have you seen them try to apply this?
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Have you scheduled a feedback session with your TA?
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What areas of strength will you currently identify? What are the areas for development?
Reflection and Discussion
The ECT has taken time to reflect on the current way they work/have been working with their TA and have considered some key questions to frame their reflection.
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Invite the ECT to share their reflections with you.
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These questions may help frame your discussion:
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How does your current practice align with your learning this week?
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Does your TA have maximum impact on learning and progress within your classroom?
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What have you been doing effectively with regards to working with your TA?
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What do you feel you need to develop further?
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Does your TA know their strengths and areas for development?
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What are your plans moving forward to ensure that your TA is an effective resource in your teaching toolkit?
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Week 4: Working with Other Professionals
This week the ECT focused on working with other professionals. They considered the range of different professionals teachers and schools work with in order to best support their pupils. They explored three key tips to effective collaboration with other professionals and were introduced to the expectations of multi-agency working. They also considered the 'other professionals' that work within Newingate School and the role they play in supporting the best possible educational and pastoral experience for pupils.
Evidence and Research:
The ECT considered the range of 'other professional' that they work, or may work with to support their pupils and considered three key aspects of building effective collaborative relationships with these professionals. They were also asked to read pages 16-18 of the Government guidance 'WorkingTogether to Safeguard Children 2023'. You can find this guidance below.
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Invite the ECT to share their understanding with you.
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You may find the following questions support your conversation:
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Which range of professionals do you work with in order to best support your pupils?
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Who else might work alongside the school in order to support pupils?
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How can you develop positive collaborative relationships with these professionals?
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What are the Government expectations of multi-agency working?
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT considered the 'other professionals' within the school that they work with and alongside.
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They listened to a podcast with the school Therapist and spoke to both the Speech and Language Therapist and Business Manager to understand the role they play in supporting the school and its pupils. They also explored the role of the SENCo and DSL.
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They were asked to think about any other professionals the school may work with and note any questions they may have.
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Invite the ECT to share their learning with you.
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You may find the following questions frame your discussion:
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How do see the roles of our Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist and Business Manager in supporting our pupils?
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Are there any other professionals the school works with the support the educational and pastoral experience and development of our pupils?
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Do you have any questions and any of these professionals and their roles?
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This is also a good opportunity to revisit the expectations around reporting safeguarding concerns.
Invite the ECT to share their understanding of safeguarding with you.
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Reflection and Discussion
The ECT reflected upon the various professionals working together to support the pupils at Newingate School.
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They had the following questions as prompts:
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What role do they play?
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How do you currently work with them in order to best support the pupils in your class?
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Are there ways that you could enhance this working relationship?
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Who else does the school work with? Do you know about the role these people/organisations play? How might you find out more?
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Invite the ECT to share their reflections with you.
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Week 5: Working Effectively with Pupils' Parents and Caregivers
This week the ECT focused on developing effective relationships with parents and caregivers. They explored the importance of developing such relationships and looked at EEF guidance and recommendations relating to this along with exploring ideas for them to develop within their practice. They also identified the barriers to effective parent engagement. They developed a plan to increase and develop your engagement with parents and caregivers.
Evidence and Research:
The ECT explored the importance of effective parent relationships and looked at the EEF (2021) research and recommendations linked to this.
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The ECT was asked to select one of the four EEF recommendations and read about this in more detail within the guidance document.
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Both the recommendations and guidance document can be accessed below:
Invite the ECT to share with you their understanding of the importance of effective parental relationships and the recommendation they focused on.
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You may find the following questions useful to scaffold this conversation:
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Why is it important to develop effective relationship with parents/caregivers as a teacher and school?
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Do these relationships have any impact on a pupils' achievement and experience in school?
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What have you learnt from reading the EEF recommendations?
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Which resonated with you the most, and why? What further information did you glean about this recommendation from the guidance document?
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What are some of the barriers that prevent effective parent relationships from being formed? Have you any ideas of how these may be reduced or overcome?
Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT has developed a plan of action to implement for September that develops and enhances their relationships with parents and caregivers.
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Invite the ECT to share this with you.
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You may want to challenge their thinking about their plan using some of the following questions:
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How do you think your plan will impact the pupils?
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Do you think you will need any support or development to effectively execute this plan?
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What might be the barriers or challenges to embedding this plan? and how will you overcome these?
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How will you ensure your plan is sustained?
Reflection and Discussion
The ECT was invited to reflect on the effectiveness of their relationships with parents and caregivers. Invite them to share their reflections.
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You may find the following questions help to frame any discussion:
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What are your strengths with regards to parent relationships?
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What areas do you need to develop further? How do you plan to do this?
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What evidence have you that you have managed to develop effective relationships with parents?
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How have you managed to build relationships with more challenging parents?
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Use this final element of the meeting to consider how the school aligns with the four EEF (2021) recommendations in an open exploration and discussion. This may be a useful activity to be further explored in a staff for SLT meeting.
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Week 6: Looking After Yourself
This week the ECT focused on managing teacher workload and developing positive wellbeing. They highlighted the challenges faced by the teaching profession with regards to attrition linked to wellbeing and workload before considering how they can begin to more effectively manage their workload. They then acknowledged the responsibility teachers have in managing their own wellbeing before exploring useful approaches to help achieve this. They took time to consider current approaches in their setting before reflecting on their own wellbeing and self-care and considered how they may plan for positive workload and wellbeing for the next academic year.
Evidence and Research:
The ECT explored current data on teacher wellbeing and attrition as well as looking at ways in which they could manage workload and wellbeing.
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Invite them to share their learning and thinking on this. The following may support your discussion:
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What are they key challenges faced by the teaching profession with regards to retaining staff?
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What do you know of how teachers are feeling in terms of their wellbeing as a profession?
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Are there some key approaches that you can take to effectively manage your workload?
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Who has the responsibility for your wellbeing?
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How might you manage self-care and wellbeing for yourself?
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Application and Exploration of Practice and Setting:
The ECT should have talked to a member of SLT and a colleague about their perspectives on how the school supports workload and wellbeing.
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Invite the ECT to share both their own the these staff members' perspectives.
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You may want to share you own thoughts with the ECT on this matter too.
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To help frame the discussion you may want to ask:
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What are your thoughts on how the school supports workload and wellbeing of staff?
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Does this align with the SLT member and colleague you have spoken to? If not, what are the differences in perspective?
Reflection and Discussion
The ECT reflected on how they have managed their workload and wellbeing this year.
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They completed a 'Wheel of Life' and added to this things they will do and things they will stop moving forwards to create a better work-life harmony.
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Invite them to share their 'Wheel of Life' with you and discuss this. It is important to remember that it is not the idea that a person's 'Wheel of Life' is perfectly balanced.
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Your questions will be based on their 'Wheel of Life' but do be sure to pick up on areas that are overly invested in and those where they appear to not devote enough time.
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This is the last mentor meeting of the academic year. You may want to take a moment to congratulate the ECT on being on track to complete their ECT Induction Period and for their work this year.
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It will be useful to put some time aside in this meeting to invite the ECT to reflect upon the year. Ask questions such as:
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What are you most pleased with this year? Why?
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What have you found most challenging this year? Why?
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What are your key targets moving into your 2?
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Is there any specific support you think you will need?
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How has your ECT experience been this year?
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How can I further develop as a mentor? Is there one thing I can do better or more of?
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Is there one thing I do well and you would like me to continue?