A CHARTERED TEACHER, WHAT’S ONE OF THOSE THEN?
One of the first teachers in the country to graduate as a Chartered Teacher looks back on the course and shares their experiences.
Saturday 20th July was the graduation ceremony for the first cohort of Chartered Teachers. As the first to become Chartered Teachers, it is pretty much down to us to define exactly what that means. Throughout the programme whenever I’ve been asked what a Chartered Teacher is I’ve responded with words to the effect of ‘you know, there are Chartered surveyors, engineers etc, this is the teacher version’. Not really a satisfactory definition though, is it?
The website says this:
Successful completion of the programme confers participants with Chartered Teacher Status, which recognises the knowledge, skills and behaviours of excellent teachers, highlights the importance of their expertise in supporting the learning of children and young people and represents the first step in the development of a career pathway focused on effective classroom practice, not leadership.
But that still doesn’t completely answer the question. Comments from new Chartered Teachers note things such as feeling empowered, a change in their relationship with research, becoming informed and engaged. They note new confidence in challenging themselves and the things they see/hear and a desire to read more widely and more frequently.
What does Chartered Teacher status show about a teacher? As far as I see it, it shows a teacher who is committed to the aims of the Chartered College of Teaching. Those with Chartered Teacher status want to shape the future of the profession, they engage with research to help make decisions when it comes to their teaching, they connect with other teachers both to seek and to give support.
I can’t wait to see where this year’s Chartered Teachers end up in a year or more. More than that, I’m looking forward to seeing the next cohort come through and what they make of it. If Chartered Teacher Status is going to really take off, it needs many more teachers to get behind the Chartered College. The Chartered College is there for teachers in all stages of their career. To celebrate and recognise us, to support us through sharing research and insight, to connect us and to empower us.
I started this post by mentioning other professions with Chartered status, they’ve all had professional bodies for years. If we want teaching to be considered as a high-status profession, then why don’t we give it a try? The Chartered College has the potential to be the professional body we need, it just needs to be given the chance.
Rebecca Nobes, Head of Spanish, Chartered Teacher and Council Member.