We are pleased to host a new blog from Rhian Webb, Professional Development Expert at Britannica Education.

I would like to highlight how professional development has helped me to advance my competencies as an educator during my career in teaching English as a foreign language.

Make The Jump From Teaching English

I have selected highlights from my professional development journey to illustrate how professional development initiatives have helped me to expand my horizons as an educator, and also, have paved the way for me to make the jump from teaching English as a foreign language to my new role, working as a Professional Development Expert with Britannica Education.

In 2017, two very nice professional development trainers came to the university where I was teaching to show us how to conduct educational research in our classroom settings. They introduced us to a classroom research framework called ‘Exploratory Practice’.

I really enjoyed the training sessions and immediately saw the value in them because I’d always wanted to do some research studies where I could involve my students but didn’t know how to get started. After an intense yet rewarding experience of carrying out my own study and learning the research ropes, my colleagues, I was invited to include our research in a book published by Palgrave Macmillan.

My First Foray Into Writing

This was my first foray into writing a book chapter and I was slightly worried my writing wouldn’t make the grade! The PD trainers were so supportive, as they guided me through the editorial process, providing excellent feedback on my writing.

I have really benefited from this experience because now in my new role with Britannica, I have researched and written an online training course for secondary-school educators on the topic of Critical Media Literacy. The research skills, writing skills and experience of the editorial process meant that I was able to rise to the challenge of developing my first asynchronous training course with my colleagues at Britannica.

Teacher Training In Democracy & Human Rights

Another highlight of my professional development journey was attending a training programme for teacher trainers for democracy and human rights, funded by the Council of Europe and hosted by the Ministry of Education in Montenegro in Southeastern Europe.

For six days in September 2017, we covered many areas related to democratic citizenship & human rights, where we received training on how to run classroom activities with our students to discuss controversial and sensitive issues, such as, hate speech on the Internet. Our trainers were amazing and the training materials too!

Our days were action packed with plenty of stimulating immersive training experiences that have stayed with me long after I left Montenegro.

The training I received was a beneficial step in my career because it helped me to advance towards my aspiration of becoming a Professional Development Expert. Upon my return to the university where I was working as a teacher trainer, I wrote and delivered a 16-hour professional training course on developing students’ democratic competencies for teachers teaching English as a foreign language.

In one of the more light-hearted training activities, I asked the teachers to write one word on a balloon which most signified a democratic value for education. For over 15 minutes, they had to keep all the balloons in the air; demonstrating how we all need to uphold our democratic values; both in and outside of the classroom. The sound of laughter emanating from the training room caught the Rector’s attention, and after some playful coaxing he joined in with us!

It proved to me that professional development activities should involve playful moments as well as the serious side.

I Felt More Confident

From the experience of running the professional development course, I felt much more confident and knowledgeable about writing, designing, and running professional development courses for educators and support staff. This has stood me in good stead for my current role writing professional development proposals for tenders submitted by Britannica Education to various Ministries of Education around the globe.

Peace Education in Formal Schools

Three years later, while working as a Senior Teacher for the British Council in Sri Lanka, I couldn’t believe it when I was asked to contribute to a thought leadership report commissioned by International Alert on the theme of Peace Education.

I had been working in Northern Cyprus and Sri Lanka, where both countries had had civil wars. I accumulated first-hand experience of teaching students who were receiving their education during the fallout of those turbulent and violent times. In January 2021, I was invited to speak as a panel member at a webinar to launch the report: ‘Peace Education in Formal Schools’ (Brooks & Hajir, 2020).

I was quite nervous because I had never spoken at a webinar before, which attracted around 600 online attendees. The experience turned out to be a very enjoyable one because I had the opportunity to share my teaching experiences with educators from many different parts of the world, where wars had left their mark.

Their comments in the chat box helped me to realise that initiatives in peace education can be truly transformative.

Build Momentum In Your Career

I hope my highlights have provided you with a flavour of how professional development can assist educators to explore, discover and pursue new areas of teaching & learning and build momentum in your career and advance yourselves in a professional capacity.

Nine months later after joining the Britannica team, I have fully grasped the significance of my professional development journey in preparing me for my dream job as a Professional Development Expert.

So, enjoy your own unique PD journeys, as you never know where they might take you!

Reference: Peace education in formal schools: Why is it important and how can it be done? / Brooks, Caroline; Hajir, Basma. International Alert Report. International Alert, 2020.

About Rhian

After a varied career as a EFL teacher and teacher trainer spanning many foreign destinations, Rhian joined Britannica Education in January 2023 to take up the role of Professional Development Expert. She is currently developing a training course for secondary-based educators: Critical Media Literacy Skills.

The 3-hour access on demand course takes an illuminating deep dive into the types of misleading information on the Internet, with the aim of encouraging teachers to embrace fact-checking skills and inquiry-led teaching & learning practices to counter against the risks and harms associated with misinformation & disinformation.

Covering all key stages of diverse curricula in international schools, Britannica Education has led the development of digital publishing solutions and resources which enable transformation in educational settings in international arenas. Educational resources include Britannica Library, Britannica Schools, Britannica Academic, and the brand-new resource, Expedition Learn! For casual and lifelong learners, Encyclopaedia

Britannica, considered by many as a bastion of encyclopaedic knowledge, and Merriam-Webster, a trusted and well-respected online dictionary, brings together interactive experiences that serve to educate, challenge, spark curiosity, and delight audiences around the globe.

Thank you so much for your time Rhian and we wish you well in developing your training course for Britannica Education.

If you would like to connect with Rhian, you can find her on LinkedIn: Rhian Webb