When I first started teaching, professional development was not something about which we debated or insisted on having 'time off in lieu'.  We didn't need to apply for a grant or get special permission to use the school's premises.  It was just something we did for the sheer joy of learning new ideas or skills.  Often, for a couple of hours after school, colleagues from other schools would join us and we would move round from school to school, discussing each other's problems and looking at how different colleagues coped.  Usually, about once a month, we would meet up on a Saturday morning and really get stuck into something productive - or occasionally we would even meet up for a whole day during a half-term holiday.

After some years of this self-indulgence, we noticed a chill blast of legalism entering upon our activities.  Part of this was due to the Health & Safety at Work Act and part the growing powers of local Subject Advisors who were telling us what we were allowed to learn (or not learn) in our own spare time. What was voluntary had now become mandatory and a backlash set in with the attitude of "If they want it they can pay for it!".  In retrospect, much of their advice and new initiatives were quite correct.   Risk Assessments, Laboratory Procedures, Abrasive Wheels Regulations etc etc are all accepted as normal practice in schools today.

So, how DO we go about getting the professional guidance and support that we need or would like?  Obviously the first line of support is through our line-manager and in particular the annual Performance Management Review.  This is not something to be feared but should be seen as a constructive 2-way process.  Most schools now have in place a structured staff development plan  for whole-school delivery.  How we, as individuals, take advantage of these meetings is often a matter of personal motivation.

For those who really have got the personal motivation, stamina and a supportive family there are obviously a range of distance-learning or full time courses - both approaches being replete with frustrations galore.  The main problem with non-workplace courses of study being whether there is sufficient relevance to the workplace skills that you need.

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