The growth of Sociology as a subject in recent years – it is currently the eight most popular A level in the UK (take that Geography!) – and the lack of funding for training in the subject has led to many teachers being asked to take on sociology as a non-subject specialist. I started teaching Sociology having trained as an English specialist (albeit one with qualifications in Social Sciences and Literature) and found that as a subject the scope for teaching students about the world they live in was a far more exciting prospect than teaching hairdressing students how to write a flyer for their future salons.
But this raises a big problem in the Sociology community. There are a large number of teachers for whom teaching Sociology does not come naturally. Even for those who are specialists, the recent changes to a linear specification have meant changes to the TLA of students at A level. CPD for Sociology teachers is often neglected by schools in favour of generic TLA strategies, yet John Hattie (the guru of evidence based practice and sweetheart of SLT/SMT across the country) suggests that teacher efficacy and subject specialism is vital in improving the attainment of students.
As a result, I have collected a range of CPD services that I think would be useful to NQT, non-subject specialists and specialist teachers looking for a refresher alike. The recommendations I am making are based on my experiences alone:
AQA:
Most of this site is dedicated to the AQA specification as the majority of schools and colleges use this board for A level and GCSE Sociology. For me, this is the first point of call for NQTs and non-subject specialists. There is a range of CPD offered by AQA, usually in Manchester, Birmingham or London, so it’s a day out! These conferences can be quite large and even though the presenters offer plenty of opportunities to ask questions, it can be a little intimidating as an NQT or non-subject specialist to raise questions or ask for clarification.
AQA also offer online training via webinars, which means you can sit in the comfort of your own home (or classroom/staff room) and are able to pose questions via chat forums which the presenters will answer. It doesn’t have the networking possibilities or the away day appeal of a conference, but it is an alternative.
Details of AQA Sociology CPD for AQA can be found here.
A third option with AQA for CPD is to become an examiner. My experience of examining is that it really does help to develop your practice and would recommend this as being one of the most important pieces of CPD. Yes, it is hectic and for 3-4 weeks in June and July you are non-stop. The financial benefits really are secondary to the knowledge, skills and awareness of the specification your students require. AQA do still have some examiner vacancies for GCSE and A level for Summer 2019 and you can find out more here
TUTOR 2 U
Full disclosure: I have a professional interest in Tutor 2 U so obviously I am going to pitch their services to teachers. There are a range of CPD options that Tutor 2 U offer for teachers of sociology that build upon their successful models for Business and Psychology and even more CPD opportunities that are on the horizon.
WOW Sociology builds upon the massive success of WOW Business and WOW Economics and is aimed at Sociology teachers of all levels, from NQTs, non-specialists to experienced teachers looking for a refresh and new ideas.
National Sociology Teachers Conference – June 21st 2019 – this is a great opportunity to mix with other teachers, hear keynote speakers (last year it was Laurie Taylor and Anthony Giddens) and get some really useful ideas, resources and experience from Duncan and his team. You never know, you may even meet me there! (what more reason do you need to book?)
Of course Tutor 2 U is best known for it’s student conferences – The Grade-Booster and Strong Foundations. I’ve had the pleasure of being at some of these and students really enjoy them, but so do teachers. The resources are first class and many teachers have commented on how it gives them new ideas for the classroom. Plus, Duncan and his team are on hand to ask for expert advice on exam preparation and there is the opportunity to network with other teachers over lunch. Or you could just drop the kids off and go shopping, but why would you want to do that?
There are also more developments for CPD in the pipeline with Tutor 2 U, with marking masterclasses, Essential Sociology for teachers new to sociology and online CPD in the future. To keep up to date with Tutor 2 U Sociology either follow them on:
Twitter @tutor2usoc
Or via website: tuto2u.net/sociology
SOCIOLOGY SUPPORT
A relatively new company (at least to me) but not lacking in experience. They offer a variety of services to sociology teachers and have a wealth of experience in examining and teaching. In my formative years as a sociology teacher, Andy from Sociology Support gave me some training which I still rate as one of the biggest influences on getting to grips with the understanding the AQA specification and gave me so many ideas on how to teach A level Sociology.
They are also hosting a regular Sociology teachers chat on Twitter using #socsup on the first Tuesday of each month.
Whilst I have not attended any of their sessions, I can vouch for the knowledge and experience the Sociology Support team have and would recommend at least checking out what they have to offer.
Of course there are many other CPD opportunities and this is becoming a growth area in Sociology. There are many Sociology teachers sharing their best practice on Twitter and in the A level Sociology teachers Facebook page and I shall be updating some of these in due course.
Still under Construction – follow @thesociologyguy on Twitter for more updates
The Sociology Guy 