This issue has a focus on professional development. It's more of a minefield than you might think.
For one thing, there's the idea of the ‘bad’ teacher. The one who hasn't changed how they teach their pupils since leaving music college, who welcomes the old favourites on grade syllabuses, who isn't in a professional association, who hasn't had their piano tuned, or had a DBS check, or attended a conference since they considered a timeshare on the Costa Brava in 1996. Still less asked themselves whether they could be doing the job better. Or picked up a copy of Music Teacher.
On the other hand, when was the last time you undertook some genuinely useful CPD? What have you done in the last year? And what does ‘genuinely useful’ actually look like to you?
When we think of CPD we might initially conceive of a structured programme of teaching, practice and reflection: something like the Certificate for Music Educators, or the two programmes for KS3 classroom teachers that led in recent years to Music Excellence London, or perhaps a Master's – such as the RCM's new MEd, (see page 31). Classroom teachers and possibly peri or private teachers employed by music services, hubs, agencies or cooperatives might expect to have an INSET day.
But provision across the UK is certainly variable, and even where CPD is present, it won't necessarily be useful or even available to music teachers if it doesn't take into account their busy lives.
MT readers won't have missed that the magazine is heavily involved in the Music & Drama Education Expo, and its success over six years demonstrates demand for a free event which combines CPD, a trade show, and – perhaps most importantly – a sense of bringing teachers and a whole sector together. Successful as it is, nobody would pretend it's a complete package.
The truth is that today, music teachers have to take responsibility for their own development and skills. That is likely to be from a range of sources: an Expo here, an online course there, joining some Facebook groups and, in the context of an often isolated working environment, maintaining a crucial network of peers. We know it's tough out there, but it's definitely worth it.
