360-degree Feedback 33

(Ibid., p. 32) These are what will make the long-term difference. School performance and pupil performance will improve when we concentrate on these central professional learning processes.

Consider one example of each of professional development, staff development and personal development that you have been involved in recently.

It is recommended that you keep a personal journal and develop a professional portfolio. These might provide an opportunity for developing skills in online recording and presentation. The personal journal is based on the reflective practitioner model of professional development which allows you to explore your feelings, your thoughts and ideas and your action-tendencies, but linked to research and theory. The professional portfolio encapsulates the most significant elements of that journey in a way representing who you are personally and professionally; essentially it is an elaborated and sophisticated CV. It can be anticipated that the professional portfolio will provide the most appropriate evidence you can present when you are seeking to further your development or a new appointment.

CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL AND DEVELOPMENT Depending on your career aspirations, and your focus on people development, you may wish to consider membership of an organization such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which provides its members with a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Record and Development Plan. Their essential CPD principles are:

● Development should be continuous in the sense that the professional should always be actively seeking improved performance. ● Development should be owned and managed by the individual learner. ● CPD is a personal matter and the effective learner knows best what he or she needs to learn. Development should be from the individual’s current learning state. ● Learning objectives should be clear and wherever possible should serve organizational or client needs as well as individual goals. ● Regular investment of time in learning should be seen as an essential part of professional life, not as an option (IPD, 1998).

This changing perception of what it means to be a professional is now becoming central for the teaching profession for all teachers but also for all other staff. The CIPD has only recently attained chartered status and in Scotland there are explorations of the Chartered Teacher approach. There is no prescribed formula for the CIPD development plan but it is recommended that there should be clear development objectives, which in turn can be divided into short-term requirements, and long-term career and development needs. There should be a clear action plan – exactly what is planned to do to meet the development objectives, with suggested headings including on-the-job opportunities, formal training and informal/self-directed learning.