If you work in teaching or education, the chances are you’ve come across the phrase ‘CPD’ before. It’s likely you’ve completed some CPD courses if you’ve been working in school for a while, but if not, it’s never too late to start learning.
That’s where Milk Academy comes in!
Our Milk Education educators are dedicated to enhancing their professional knowledge through our wide selection of free CPD courses and discounted training opportunities!
But what even is CPD? And why is it important?
We’re here to explain all there is to know about CPD. If completing CPD sessions feels like a hassle, we explain why it’s important to see them as a crucial part of your teaching career. Milk Academy offers helpful CPD courses for all career stages!
Let’s talk about it!
What is CPD?
CPD stands for ‘Continuing Professional Development.’
This means you will continue to develop your skills and improve your knowledge related to the industry that you’re in.
CPD plays an important role in teaching, and underpins the way that teachers’ improve their practice.
As a teacher, it’s important to complete CPD, but it can be tough to find time with busy schedules and workloads. With many different types of CPD courses,
What Kind of Teaching CPD Courses are Available?
Depending on your schedule and the areas you’d like to improve on, it’s important to choose the right kind of CPD for you.
1. Online CPD Courses
You can take CPD courses online through Milk Academy. We offer a variety of high-quality courses related to teaching and personal development.
Our education courses include topics such as:
· SEND Certification
· Teaching Phonics
· Dyslexia Awareness
· Challenging Behaviour Awareness
· Improving School Attendance
· And more!
We also offer personal development courses, such as:
· Mindfulness
· Managing Your Workload
· Dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and violence in the workplace
· Counselling certification
· And many more.
Online CPD courses can be completed in your own time, or as part of your allocated time for CPD in school.
If you’re a school leader, we can offer you a CPD package when you partner with us. Register with Milk for more information!
Milk Academy is currently running a Summer Sale! We’re highlighting different discounts throughout the Summer, on top of our continuous discount! Keep checking the Milk Academy website for deals.
2. In-Person CPD Courses: Conferences and Workshops
Many CPD courses are held as conferences attended by education professionals. Conferences are typically held by teaching unions, education trusts, or universities.
Conferences are a great opportunity to network with teachers and education leaders, allowing you to gain different perspectives on education whilst developing your skills. They often feature guest speakers with different teaching backgrounds and styles presenting their research about updates in education.
Workshops and seminars are often more interactive than conferences, involving group discussions and mock tasks to help educators develop their skills. This type of CPD can be completed online and in-person. Many schools and universities provide workshops and seminars for their staff or students to attend.
3. CPD Courses in School: Collaborative Planning and Lesson Observations
For many educators, CPD is regularly completed in school, and this can be done in a variety of ways.
· Lesson Observations are one of the most common ways for educators to learn about different assessment techniques and behaviour management skills. Watching your colleagues teach, whether they’re new or experienced educators, is a vital part of professional development in education. You’re always bound to learn something new from a lesson observation!
· Collaborative Planning is an excellent way to absorb your colleagues’ knowledge and share ideas about different teaching strategies. Collaborative planning is often subject-specific and ensures that all educators are involved in the planning process, helping to minimise workload whilst you gain new skills and understanding.
· Working with a mentor or experienced teacher enables you to receive feedback on your teaching, as well as working through concerns you might have or areas you want to work on.
4. Other Ways to Upskill
Although we know that workloads for educators is often high, upskilling outside of the classroom can be an effective way to develop professionally.
Even by keeping up to date with education news, you’ll be able to learn more about issues that affect educators. This will help you to adapt your approach in the classroom and be aware of issues that are affecting young people, too.
There are many education podcasts out there too. Some are informative, but even the more light-hearted podcasts can help you to learn something about teaching and how to handle challenging situations.
YouTube can also be a fantastic resource for teaching advice or insight, and there are lots of videos specific to different roles in education.
If you want a more in-depth insight into particular areas of education, books are an invaluable source of information. Search for books relevant to key areas you want to focus on, and read reviews to see if other educators have found them helpful.
What is Milk Academy?
Milk Academy is our CPD hub, where you can access an extensive array of courses at a discounted price!
When you register with us, you’ll get 2 FREE CPD courses, along with access to CPD discounts throughout the year!
If you’re a school leader and looking for a CPD package for your staff, register with us to learn more about our discounted packages for school staff!
Why is CPD Important for Teachers?
CPD is an important part of any teacher’s career, new or experienced, even if it can often feel like bottom of a busy to-do list.
· Keep pace with current trends and new approaches. CPD courses allow you to stay aware of what’s happening in education at the moment, allowing you to adapt your practice accordingly.
· Develop specific areas of interest. Taking CPD courses enables you to develop specific areas of teaching that interest you and use this to improve your practice.
· Network and learn from other educators. Whether you take online CPD courses or learn in school with colleagues, CPD opens up opportunities for networking and building on the knowledge of other educators.
How Often Should You Focus on CPD
Consistency is key when it comes to CPD!
It’s important not to treat professional development as a one-off task that you complete every few months. CPD courses should be completed regularly for you to reap the full benefits.
The CPD Cycle: Identify > Plan > Act > Reflect
This cycle generally works well when approaching CPD.
· Identify key areas that you need to improve on, following lessons, lesson observations, and feedback from other colleagues.
· Plan what kind of CPD you’re going to do to help you develop, such as online courses. If you are completing in-school CPD, consider asking the member of staff leading the session if they could provide guidance about your particular area of need.
· Act on what you have learned during the session or online course, putting your new skills into practice.
· Reflect on how you implemented your new knowledge, and whether you noticed an impact on your key area of improvement, such as pupil progress or behaviour. It’s important to reflect immediately after the lesson if possible, by writing notes down or meeting with a mentor to discuss.
Professional & Personal Development CPD Courses Available
We know that educators have busy schedules and stacked to-do lists, but it’s essential to make time for CPD. Try out different types of CPD and see what works best for you, to help you grow professionally and personally.
Visit Milk Academy to choose from our wide range of courses!
We have courses available for all education roles, as well as personal development courses, all of which can be completed around your schedule. You can upskill flexibly and on a budget with Milk Academy!