The importance of Teacher Development

Teachers who love learning – and continue to do so throughout their careers – are better educators.

Education is a never-ending process after all.

No-one’s education stops – or should stop – after earning a degree or diploma and starting their career.

If you continue to educate yourself you will:

  • Be more career-minded.
  • Constantly improve your skills.
  • Become more proficient and efficient at what you do.
  • Be better organised and your planning skills will improve.
  • Become a better educator.

There are various reasons why professional development is important for teachers:

Teachers with a love of / passion for learning inspire their learners to cultivate a love of learning as well

If you as a teacher are enthusiastic about continuing your own education, this will spill over to the learners in your class. They will develop a love of learning too and they will strive towards knowing more, and learning more.

The best educators keep learning

All over the world – in education and in most other fields of work – it is an accepted fact that “Learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change”.

Teachers should endeavour to push themselves to learn more about new research in their subject(s) as well as going above and beyond their subject knowledge.

You can learn more by attending conferences or workshops; you can learn on your own; you can spend sufficient time reading up on your subject and you can join collaborative learning communities.

If you do this on a regular basis, you will be providing quality education to the learners in your class as a direct result.

Teachers who continue to learn improve learner outcomes

As you undoubtedly know teaching is a career field that continuously evolves. As teaching techniques evolve and become more creative and allow for more engagement (when applicable), more effective ways to reach learners are discovered.

Outdated teaching and assessment methods are, to a large extent, ineffective.

New, more effective teaching techniques and approaches help learners to develop the necessary skills to succeed in a global environment.

Life as a teacher means that you realise that you are also / always a learner

No one understands or knows the challenges a teacher faces as much as another teacher.

When teachers collaborate and learn from each other, it leads to shared experiences, shared research and an opportunity to find more creative and innovative teaching styles and ways to ensure that learners fully understand the subject matter. Collaborating is also an excellent way to determine what actually works in the classroom.

Learning from a fellow educator also means that you break the routine of primarily functioning as a teacher as you step into the role of ‘learner’.

Focus on humanity… AND technology

You will not succeed in preparing your learners to use the tools of the future if you continue to use the technology of the past.

Don’t use technology for the sake of technology. Know how to use technology well enough in the classroom, where applicable, to use it as part of your teaching style so that it enhances your teaching.

Incorporating technology as part of your teaching style, will enhance the overall teaching experience.

TAS Teacher Support Programmes

TAS has launched two FET Teacher Support Programmes (TSPs) for Analytical Geometry and Calculus respectively. Each TSP consists of an introductory webinar, online micro-course and in-class materials. Click here to view these webinar recordings on our YouTube channel. Watch this space for future courses and be sure to book your spot next time!