In-house CPD vs external

Along with everyone else, I'm sure I'm finding some of the external compulsory a bit of a drag. The majority of it we have covered at uni, but I do understand that the council is mandated to ensure that we definitely have covered certain subjects regardless of which college we came from.

Out of the council-supplied mandatory/core sessions, I would say that two have been of any real use. Of those, one was excellent. I won't name names or courses, though! Asking around my peers, the concensus has been the same on which were more worthwhile and enjoyable.

The additional CPD outside of school has generally been good. Partly as the classes are smaller and partly as they're more relevant to me - because I get to pick them. Of course, I'm doing tons this term to get as much as I can on my profile, but I honestly think I'll be making the most of these courses right through the year.

What prompted me to put this post up, though, was the in-house CPD being provided to us NQTs. As well as the school-wide focus on CfE, our little group meets once a week. Usually it's with our mentor, but often we have a "guest speaker" - another member of staff with skills or experience in another area. This is a great opportunity to ask questions or be told about some aspect of the school we're in or the system in general.

My personal picks were the staff from Learning Support and a recent mini-lecture from a long-serving teacher with excellent advice on class discipline. Often it's hard to know just how far you can push on the discipline front without overstepping a mark. It's very useful to be instructed on this, knowing that these aren't just general guidelines, but how it works in this school

Although they take up one lunchtime a week, I really look forward to these meetings. If nothing else, than for a chinwag with the other NQTs!

I hope everyone else is getting this kind of support. I really can't fault the system here.