In this section you can find useful professional development resources – including articles, webinars, podcast episodes, research and teaching tips and tools – all to help you develop your skills and knowledge of Understanding my professional identity.

What does 'Understanding my professional identity' involve?

This professional practice covers the knowledge, skills, behaviours and attributes that a teacher can develop to enable them to thrive in the profession. It is divided into two key areas: understanding my professional identity and developing my professional identity. The rationale for this is that a teacher continues learning and growing throughout their career.

Understanding my professional identity

Understanding my professional identity involves:

• developing an awareness of your professional identity with reference to your:

  • cultural background and experiences
  • linguistic background and linguistic resources
  • educational background and experiences
  • socio-economic background and experiences
  • learning and communication preferences

• developing an awareness of your professional identity in relation to:

  • other teachers
  • the teaching profession
  • professional networks and communities of practice

• developing an awareness of your values, attitudes and beliefs in relation to your professional practice (for example towards diversity and inclusion in my classroom) and how they affect your levels of motivation

• understanding your behaviour, including an awareness of any bias you may have, and how it affects my professional practice

• being mindful of your own physical and emotional well-being and knowing how to strengthen it

• developing your resilience as a teacher (for example adapting to challenging circumstances).

Developing my professional identity

Developing my professsional identity involves:

• understanding your professional goals, needs, interests and learning preferences in order to identify areas for development

• defining your short-, medium- and long-term career goals in order to plan your professional development

• identifying the developmental pathways available to reach your learning and career goals

• engaging in appropriate professional development opportunities and critically selecting resources to inform your classroom practice, including:

  • reflecting continually on your practice
  • observing other teachers and being observed
  • carrying out classroom research and other kinds of practitioner inquiry
  • reviewing self-access resources (e.g. reading research articles and lesson plans to develop, for example, my language awareness and pedagogical knowledge)
  • collaborating with colleagues and other professionals (e.g. in a community of practice, in a social media network)
  • participating in training, following qualification programmes
  • attending and presenting at conferences
  • writing blogs, publishing in journals
  • joining teacher associations

• staying up to date with developments in language teaching and learning

• developing your technological skills and using your digital literacy and available technology to facilitate your professional development

• reflecting on your identity as a teacher and evaluating the benefit of your continuing professional development and its impact on your classroom practice and your learners' achievements.