Continued Professional Development: A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians by Trinity Laban

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A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

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CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Continued Professional Development

A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

WHAT IS CPD? The term Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is often used to refer to courses, workshops or INSET. But CPD is much more than that. It is the process by which you continue to learn and develop your skills, knowledge and experience, both formally and informally, over the course of your working life.

CPD is not something that can be done to you.

There are questions around how professional

It is something you do, sometimes unknowingly.

development can be better integrated

Like eating well and keeping fit, it can be difficult

into working practices, what role funded

to prioritise, particularly when you are busy or

organisations can play in supporting the wider

stressed. Sometimes CPD is required of you

workforce, and how networks and ‘communities

by others and feels onerous. But true CPD is

of practice’ could be a way forward.

yours. It is about achieving the results you want to achieve and can help you stay motivated

However, as an individual juggling a variety

and satisfied in your work. It can range from

of roles, navigating a clear trajectory can be

keeping up to date with legislation, technologies

tricky and taking time out for CPD aparticular

or new approaches, through to strategies for

challenge.

personal development that provide you with a sense of direction. Like other healthy habits, the

This tool aims to help you reflect on your own

trick is to find what works for you, your current

professional learning, take stock and consider

circumstances and goals.

next steps in your development.

With freelance employment becoming so prevalent in music education, as a sector we need to think differently about how to support ‘frontline’ practitioners – teachers, workshop leaders, ensemble leaders, community musicians, animateurs and more.

Image credit: JK Photography

Continued Professional Development

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Learning from your mistakes or successes

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Seeking out solutions to a problem or challenge

How are you feeling about your working life now?

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Learning from your personal life that has impacted on your work

Is there anything you would like to change or improve?

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What would you like to do more of?

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What would you like to do less?

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Do you feel under confident or less successful in any aspects of your work?

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Have you any particular strengths you would like to further develop?

Trying something new

Being mentored or mentoring others (formally or informally)

What would you like to achieve in the next phase of your career? This could be in the year ahead, or in the next three to five years if you prefer.

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Your learning may have been formal or informal,

Working with colleagues, observing others or networking

about yourself as well as what works for others.

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FIND YOUR DUE NORTH

you, considering what you have learned

Connections between the different types of activities you are involved in

Step 2:

learned. Include whatever is significant to

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working life. Note how and what you have

about learning that has come about from:

Take a look back over the last year of your

planned or accidental. It might help to think

YOUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

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Step 1:

Attending training, a workshop or a conference

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FINDING YOUR DUE NORTH... LE A

Keeping up to date with legislation or best practice guidelines

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Debating issues online

CA TI

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Reading about new approaches or research

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A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

These prompts may help:

Image credit: Tas Kyprianou

Continued Professional Development

A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

CHANGE OF DIRECTION

Whether you want to do more of what you enjoy

It is not uncommon for musicians to discover a

a professional mentor may be better you for

role, then for you CPD is likely to focus on

best or make a bigger professional move, CPD

vocation in teaching, education or community

depending on your circumstances. Undertaking

deepening your knowledge and understanding

can help you find and achieve new career goals.

music some way into a musical career. If you

action research or setting up your own projects

or continuing to improve at what you do.

While this could involve gaining new knowledge

are ready to take on more, then CPD can

can help you stand out from the crowd and

This may involve seeking out new solutions,

and skills through training, it may equally require

support you to progress into new opportunities

develop areas of specialism. You might like

such as how to best support a student with

building new connections and networks or

or responsibilities. These areas may require

to create a three or five year plan and identify

specific needs or addressing a challenge such

navigating different vocabularies or attitudes.

knowledge and experience, but also â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;people

CPD that will help you to achieve and meet

as motivating students to practice. Taking

You may not be sure what is next for you, in

skillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and an understanding of wider contexts

your goals.

an interest in the work of others can provide

which case meeting with other practitioners or

(political, social and educational). A formal

inspiration, and you may also gain satisfaction

taking an accredited programme of study could

programme of study can be a good option, but

from sharing your skills and experience within

provide inspiration and ideas for a pathway.

less structured routes such as finding

If you are happy and satisfied in your current

FULL STEAM AHEAD

a community of practice. 4

Join a

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Go to a performance by someone else’s students

next one, two or three years. More is not necessarily better in

m ins eon stu pi e w dy re and s y ho sha ou re i t on Fo r m line yo u r o wn co mmun it y of intere st

towards a change in your career. options and plot them over the

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motivated and inspired. Others

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embed professional learning in

Some are simple steps to help

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PLANNING YOUR ROUTE

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A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

Continued Professional Development

A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

" Communities of practice are

groups of professionals who learn from each other "

Step 4:

WHERE NEXT?

Start a learning journal

They can provide support from those

reflect on your own learning. Note down insights

board for advice. They include membership

A Learning Journal is a good way to regularly or learning points from your day to day working life as well as ideas from training activities or events. These notes can be used to review your professional learning annually, and plan next steps.

Connect to a community of practice Freelance musicians can find they are working in isolation with few support mechanisms. Communities of practice are groups of professionals who learn from each other through sharing a common interest or objective.

experiencing similar issues or act as a sounding organisations, networks, online communities and creative collectives, but can also be informal groups of like-minded colleagues or friends. It is worth reviewing your own communities of practice to consider how well they work for you. Who can you talk to about your work? What connections support your learning and development? Do networks exist that would help you achieve your goals? If not, could you start one? There can be much to learn from a community with which you share an interest but which is outside of your own area of practice for example in working with learners with specific needs.

Action research

Action research is research undertaken by

To share or find information on networks

practitioners into their own practice. It has been

and communities of practice, or find

widely used in the world of education since the

further guidance on action research visit:

1980s and places value on the knowledge and

www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/cpdmusic

experience of practitioners. Like other research, it involves asking a question or pursuing a line of enquiry, gathering and analysing a range of evidence (including your own thoughts and feelings) and using this to reflect on what you can learn. You might like to understand how well a specific approach you use is working, or to try out and evaluate something new. Action research does not need to be formal or public â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it can be undertaken purely for your own interest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but you might like to share your experience or findings through a community of practice.

Continued Professional Development

A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

" Mentoring can be particularly

supportive when taking on something new or entering a time of change "

Observing and being observed Observing others can help you to reflect on your own practices as well as how others approach their work. You may learn from the techniques, materials or structures they use and, where possible, get the chance to interrogate why they have used these approaches or how they would develop an activity in future. Having another practitioner observe and discuss your own work can be equally valuable, if challenging if you are not used to it. You may wish to observe /be observed by someone more experienced than you or whose work you are interested in or admire. However, peer-to-peer observations – in which similar colleagues observe and

feedback to each other – can also provide real insight and opportunities for reflection. Informal observations can be organised between friends and colleagues, but you could also make an approach through an organisation, like a music hub, or community of practice. Place limitations on the amount of time you request, be reasonable and be mindful of sensitivities, safeguarding and confidentiality issues in your workplace.

Mentoring Mentoring involves a relationship with another practitioner – usually someone with more experience than you – that supports you to learn and develop your practice. An effective mentor will use techniques of listening, questioning and reframing to help you achieve clarity or make decisions, but may also be a good source of information, signposting and suggestions. Peer mentoring works on the same principles, but takes place between those of similar experience. Mentoring can be particularly supportive when taking on something new or

expertise. Music educators, particularly those in salaried roles, are often willing to mentor others on a voluntary basis, however be mindful that a voluntary mentor will often be balancing limited availability. An alternative is to build allocations for a mentor into your fee or budget when taking on a new project or as part of your business plan. When approaching a mentor, it is important to discuss time commitment and set boundaries, including the option for the mentor or mentee to end the arrangement. Be clear about remuneration where applicable, frequency, mode of mentoring and end point.

entering a time of change. Becoming a mentor yourself can be rewarding and provide a forum to reflect upon and validate your own learning and

Continued Professional Development

Accreditation, qualifications and formal study

Accreditation itself can act as a ‘kite mark’ for potential employers. The process of gaining accreditation can also prove valuable, requiring you to reflect upon your professional practice in relation to key ideas about teaching and learning. This can, in turn, stimulate a sense of direction for the future. •

Certificate for Music Educators (CME) – assesses knowledge and competency in core principles of musical learning and professional practice

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Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – is non subject specific and required of classroom teachers employed in state-maintained

A Navigational Tool for Teaching Musicians

Accreditation itself can act as a ‘kite mark’ for potential employers. Accreditation can be gained through a programme of study such as a PGCE, or through ‘self-accreditation’ routes, where you submit evidence of your knowledge and experience. Training organisations, Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) institutions provide accredited programmes of study in music education and community music practices. Some have an academic or research focus while others combine skills based practical learning with an understanding of underpinning theory and ideas.

For further information please visit www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/cpdmusic

schools •

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), non-subject specific accreditation for teachers in higher education

Image credit: Tas Kyprianou

www.musiciansunion.org.uk/education

www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/musicprofessionals

For further resources, information and professional development opportunities, visit www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/cpdmusic www.musiciansunion.org.uk/teacherstoolkit