Self-directed learning is a process of self-evaluation or assessment. You should take into account your:

• career aspirations and an analysis of your strengths and areas for development 
• induction review objectives, brought forward, and
• your need to acquire new skills, knowledge, or understanding.

Planning your own learning

These suggestions are not exhaustive but will support you to become a proactive participant in your own early professional development (EPD):

• Identify and take all opportunities to receive mentoring or coaching.
• Read and do plenty of research, including online research and watching Teachers TV.
• You could join the General Teaching Council's Engage network, which supports teachers in the first three years of their career.
• Find out what EPD opportunities are available to you, both in school and beyond.
• Use observation and feedback about your teaching to identify your EPD needs, both formally through performance management and informally (if your school supports observations outside the performance management process).
• Observe your colleagues teaching and discuss with them to identify new strategies or approaches.
• Review and assess yourself against the professional standards.
• Plan and prepare for performance management interviews in advance and know what you want to say, based on your self-review.
• List your development priorities under different headings, for example:
  • professional standards
  • curriculum developments and subject knowledge
  • pupil progress
  • policies and new initiatives
  • awards and qualifications or using resources

Your professional development should be planned through performance management, in discussion with your performance reviewer. You may also find it useful to discuss your performance development with your induction tutor.

Find out about ways of preparing to take on additional responsibility.