Early in 2011, Mike Russell, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, will be talking and listening to a group of teachers in Edinburgh. The occasion is the first of several support sessions for a crucial, but sometimes forgotten, group of teachers – the supply teachers.

As they move from school to school and authority to authority, it can be difficult for colleagues on the supply lists to continue their own learning (or CPD as it’s known in the trade).

Recognising these challenges, Mike Russell asked the National CPD Team to set up an online community for them on Glow.

The result is CPDStepin. I have the privilege of facilitating the community, and with the support of the CPD and Glow Teams, CPDStepin already has a number of useful features all of which are free:

  1. access to a regular programme of webconferences – CPDMeets
  2. recommended CPD from CPDFind
  3. contact,  sharing and discussion areas
  4. direct support from the CPDStepin Mentors (skilled teachers from many parts of Scottish education giving freely of their services)

Get involved

  1. Registered supply teachers who are not members of this community should contact stepin@ltscotland.org.uk as soon as possible. Glow usernames will be provided if needed.
  2. If you have an idea to help improve the CPD for supply teachers, why not drop me line or leave a comment below?
  3. You can keep up-to-date with CPDStepin and other CPD communities on Glow via the National CPD Team blog

Thanks for reading

Anne McGhee

Anne McGhee is an associate of the National CPD Team and has worked on several online projects including CPDFind and CPD communities on Glow