Those Who Can.

We all got a bit of a reality check this week.

Although most folks were well aware of the requirement to submit a couple of chunky assignments across the year as well as do loads of teaching practice (with all the associated lesson plans and evaluations) we've now had our obligations explained to us regarding our Professional Portfolios.

A Professional Portfolio does what it says on the tin - it is your written record of how you learn (and, subsequently, continuously develop) as a teaching professional. Note the use of the term "continuously develop" there - this is a career-long requirement. If you fail to develop and enhance your skills (and - importantly - provide the evidence) you're out.

What this means for the trainee teacher is to demonstrate - in your portfolio - that you have come to understand the following:

• Professional Knowledge & Understanding (massive)
• Professional Skills & Abilities (massive)
• Classroom Organisation & Management (massive)
• Professional Values & Personal Commitment (massive)

Additionally you have to document that you have covered all health and safety policies, first aid procedures, emergency procedures, multi-agency working policies, child protection policies, primary school liaison policies, communication policies, management structure, assessment procedures, accident reporting policies, additional support needs policies, knowledge of school catchment area..........for each school you visit.

And this is just the first version of the portfolio. It needs to be added to and kept up to date year on year in order to demonstrate how you are developing.

This simply outstrips anything I experienced in 20-odd years of corporate life.

Essentially, in the corporate world, you can trundle along, year after year doing a reasonable job and unless you really (like, really) mess up your future is reasonably well assured. Learn the politics, who to have as an ally, what those in positions of authority are looking for and it's a scoosh. Now of course, those many folks in corporate-world who work hard, strive to do a great job and perform honourably get rewarded and recognised (as they should). But for an employer to offload those at the other end of the scale is actually quite difficult. It either costs a wad of cash or requires a tortuous disciplinary process in order to avoid a messy employment tribunal. Essentially then, a haven for the smart-but-lazy. Or the smart-but-disillusioned. Or the earnest-but-hopeless. And I should know, I've been all of these things at some stage. OK - we could debate the "smart" bit.

Teaching ? Well, unless you demonstrate continued professional development, year on year, the General Teaching Council can revoke your licence to teach. And they're not actually your employer. But your employer (the local authority) can't continue to employ you if you don't have your licence. So you're out on your ear - how cool is that ? No-one actually has to sack you for you to lose your job.

Now I know what you're thinking: "aye right, I've known loads of moany-faced crap teachers". Indeed, but things are a-changing. Continuing professional development is the current hot issue - and I guess there's a fair few long standing teachers keeching themselves.

However, there is also a much bigger number of experienced, dedicated teachers - along with the influx of mature enthusiastic postgrads - who are now in a prime position to demonstrate that the professionalism of teachers is at least the match of their corporate counterparts.

Hard work ? You bet. I fired up the new Vista laptop (grrr) this morning (Saturday) at 9:15am. I'm still doing stuff at the moment (pay no attention to the timestamp below - it's around 7pm just now). Today I have written a mini-lesson plan; written my ICT assignment due for January (500 words on howstuffworks.com); written up three lectures and a tutorial, planned out my initial tasks for my portfolio and set up a Wiki for our group assignment on Climate Change (Outdoor Learning Opportunities).

My smug meter is still on full 'cos I've enjoyed every minute.