Well that took longer than I thought.

I have just submitted my evidence for professional recognition. The recognition route is a process that enables individuals to demonstrate their experience and receive recognition equivalent to an initial teacher training qualification, such as the Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTTLS) or the Diploma in Education and Training (DET).

Basically qualified to teach without having to complete a teaching qualification because I have been teaching for so long and started before there was a requirement to gain qualifications. This is stage one the next stage is to construct a second portfolio and apply for QTLS.

To be honest at my stage in life to have to go back and do a teaching qualification would be a disappointment, not that I don't think I would learn something but because I have been a practicing teacher for so long. I have also spent a lot of time further my experience and qualifications and basically don't have the time to spend two years confirming I can teach. Instead I have spent three weeks on and off completing this process.

The process is no easy task, I wish I logged the hours I have spent on this and let me say the guidance is very vague. The most important piece of information missing is some idea of the word counts required for each section. Having taught for 25 years and been an active practitioner in both HE and FE I have a lot of evidence to draw on. The compilation of the report headings and structure is arranged below, it looks a mess but this was well worth doing.

The planning and identification of evidence

It was then just a case of compiling all the evidence and uploading to REfLECT on the SET website (SET is The Society for Education and Training and is the new professional membership organisation of the Education and Training Foundation for practitioners working in the post-16 education and training sector).

Then writing six reflections drawing on the evidence and covering the following subjects:

• 1.0 Background Context
• Describe your route into teaching, your roles, context and specialist subject in which you teach.
• 2.0 Professional values and attributes
• Showing your judgement of what works and does not work in your teaching and learning
• 3.0 Professional knowledge and understanding   
• Showing development of deep and critically informed knowledge and understanding in theory and practice
• 4.0 Professional skills: Planning for learning
• Showing the development of your expertise and skills to ensure the best outcomes for your learners
• 5.0 Professional skills Part 2: Assessment for learning 
• Showing development of your expertise and skills to ensure the best outcomes of your learners
• 6.0 Concluding statement 
• Looking back on your journey and achievements

Without the clear guidance it becomes quite difficult to know how much detail is required and it is also possible that the same evidence can be used for several sections. For example a lesson observation may identify components for all of the above sections. 

My end result constituted 156 pieces of evidence and amounted to 9000 words, I hope this isn't too much :-)