Some whole-school CPD can be misjudged, irrelevant and, often passive. Teachmeet provides the perfect antidote…

Teachmeet comes in many guises. The first I attended was a gathering of 10 teachers in a classroom. At the second there were 60, this time on board HMS Victory in Portsmouth. However, both gatherings were defined by the very simple concept of teachers sharing ideas and simultaneously building a professional learning network.

Presenters sign up to give a two, five or seven-minute presentation, usually on a subject associated with classroom practice. It is much the same as the TED model, where speakers must distil an idea into a defined timeframe. It is a challenge to engage and communicate in a short time but thrilling when someone gets it spot on.

Teachmeets are also radical, eschewing the “top down” model of continuing professional development (CPD). They’ve even been labelled as “unconferences” as there is no apparent hierarchy, no detailed agenda or materials and not a whisper about a school improvement plan. The idea derived from Harrison Owen’s idea in 2008 of “open space”, which argues there is greater productivity and creativity if a meeting is organic, fluid and offers space for reflection and spontaneous collaboration. The atmosphere is unstintingly positive and anything seems possible

Why are they so popular? Teachers catch the Teachmeet bug. You can see the sparkle in their eyes during the coffee break and hear it in the conversations.

In some schools, teaching can be isolating. Recently, I moved back to the classroom after stints in middle leadership, naively thinking it would be easier to balance my work with other commitments. With six lessons a day and the usual marking and preparation, I felt very lonely.

As a leader, it’s your job to talk to your staff all day. As a teacher, you talk to the students, but can miss the stimulation of talking about your profession. So my first Teachmeet oxygenated my drive to explore the possibilities of education and connect with brilliant people. There can be an inertia in some whole-school CPD. It might be misjudged, irrelevant and, often passive. Here was the antidote. I could follow my own path was propelled by my own motivation. And I could participate.

So what impact do they have? As the evidence is mainly anecdotal, here are some observations supported by input from fellow Teachmeet facilitators.
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1. There is a tangible impact on well-being, or “the Teachmeet bounce”. The atmosphere is unstintingly positive and anything seems possible.
2. Teachers leave armed with two or three practical ideas, some of which I have tried the next day: high order questions written on paper aeroplanes, “Poundland” pedagogy and flipped learning.
3. Teachmeet-style presentations are used increasingly in whole-school CPD.
4. They allow individuals to build a professional or knowledge network (or staffroom) that provides a new route to career development and promotion.
5. Collaborative projects can evolve. Where local authorities may have facilitated links between schools in the past, Teachmeet now provides this space. At Teachmeet Pompey, I met a museum educator and went on to collaborate on a six-week project to improve boys’ engagement with writing.

The future for Teachmeet looks bright. Already, the movement has influenced the development of more ambitious conferences such as Pedagoo London, Pedagoo Southwest, Northern Rocks, ResearchED and the Teaching and Learning Takeover. Arguably, these events are a different breed, so what lies ahead for the “pure” Teachmeet?

I think that they will proliferate and influence CPD in schools. More teachers will get involved and they will become a mainstream part of CPD instead of an obscure club. They will likely also attract more sponsorship as corporations realise the power of reaching this audience.

There is also potential to connect teachers with other sectors such as museums and heritage, business and enterprise, and community organisations. In the spaces between those compelling presentations, projects can develop to improve educational outcomes for young people, and build strong links in our communities.

So find out where your next local Teachmeet is. I bet you catch the bug.

                                                                                                          
14th June 2018, 10 am- 4:15 pm
BMECP Centre, Brighton
 
“I can’t see how arts and cultural organisations can afford not to attend this course. The information is invaluable!”
(Course participant, June 2017)

The Course:
This workshop aims to support arts and cultural organisations and practitioners to develop and build partnerships with schools.  Facilitated by Artswork Education Development Managers’, the day will focus on recent changes and developments in the formal education sector
 
Offering strategies for gaining access to decision makers in schools, a refreshed awareness on the value of partnerships, key education language and a focus on Arts Council England’s Quality Principles, this day will leave you equipped to build on and develop your offering for both primary and secondary schools.
 
Ideal for:

• Any arts and cultural organisation that wants to build their knowledge of working with schools
  You will gain:
• An update on Progress 8 and the latest curriculum reforms
• Information on how you can support schools in developing their pupil’s Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development
• Practical ideas for developing your offering to primary and secondary schools
• Q&A session with senior leaders working in schools
  Trainers:

Chris Holmwood, Senior Deputy Headteacher and Principal, Leadership and Training Centre
Shenley Brook End School
Artswork Education Development Managers

•  
  Course cost: £150 per person, or £90 subsidy rate* including lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance for each delegate. Limited bursaries available.
   
  *This subsidy is available to individuals and organisations working in the south east region**, as part of Artswork’s South East Bridge Programme and are charged at the subsidised rate of £90 per person. 
   
  To book your place please contact Rosie Cooke via rosiecooke@artswork.org.uk / 02380 332491
   
  **The South East region is defined as covering Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Surry, East & West Sussex, Brighton & Hove and Kent (excluding Medway and the districts of Gravesham, Dartford and Swale)
  
  

14th June 2018, 10 am- 4:15 pm
BMECP Centre, Brighton
 
“I can’t see how arts and cultural organisations can afford not to attend this course. The information is invaluable!”
(Course participant, June 2017)

The Course:
This workshop aims to support arts and cultural organisations and practitioners to develop and build partnerships with schools.  Facilitated by Artswork Education Development Managers’, the day will focus on recent changes and developments in the formal education sector
 
Offering strategies for gaining access to decision makers in schools, a refreshed awareness on the value of partnerships, key education language and a focus on Arts Council England’s Quality Principles, this day will leave you equipped to build on and develop your offering for both primary and secondary schools.
 
Ideal for:

• Any arts and cultural organisation that wants to build their knowledge of working with schools
  

You will gain:

• An update on Progress 8 and the latest curriculum reforms
• Information on how you can support schools in developing their pupil’s Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural development
• Practical ideas for developing your offering to primary and secondary schools
• Q&A session with senior leaders working in schools
  

Trainers:

Chris Holmwood, Senior Deputy Headteacher and Principal, Leadership and Training Centre
Shenley Brook End School
Artswork Education Development Managers

Course cost: £150 per person, or £90 subsidy rate* including lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance for each delegate. Limited bursaries available.
 
*This subsidy is available to individuals and organisations working in the south east region**, as part of Artswork’s South East Bridge Programme and are charged at the subsidised rate of £90 per person. 
 
Book your place please contact Rosie Cooke via rosiecooke@artswork.org.uk / 02380 332491