We can all agree that continued professional development is important to keep us at the top of our game. According to SACE,
“Teachers need to continuously renew their commitment to their profession, to express their pride in its ideals of service, their dedication to our children’s development and their determination to contribute to a just and thriving nation. That is professional development.”
That’s all well and good, but earning 150 Professional Development Points every three years can become an expensive task. There are actually many free or cheap options for earning SACE points.
There are 3 different categories of activities you can do to earn CPTD points. In this blog, we are going to focus on how to earn points through type 1 activities. These are activities that are initiated by a teacher to address his / her needs. A bonus with type 1 activities is that they do not need to be submitted and moderated by SACE. Teachers are simply required to report on the activity in their Professional Development Portfolio.
So, let’s look closer at type 1 activities, specifically ones that are quick, easy and light on the pocket.
1. Reeeeeead
You can earn a nice 12 points by simply reading some educational articles. These don’t have to be heavy, academic articles. These can be education related magazines or blogs, like this one you’re reading right now.
To score these points, you need to record the article’s author, publication and date, and provide a short description of what it’s about. This is an awesome FREE way to earn a decent amount of points.
2. Earn points at home
There is an easier way to earn SACE points than attending workshops on a Saturday morning or after school. You can earn points in the comfort of your own home through various online platforms.
Participating in online professional development activities can score you 8 points a year.
3. Mark Matric papers
Are you a matric teacher? We have great news for you. You automatically earn 5 points a year by being appointed as a matric marker. Easy peasy lemon squeasy.
4. Attend educational meetings
Attending meetings is another free and easy way to rack up points. This can earn up a maximum of 15 points per CPTD cycle. Examples of meetings that fall into type 1 are teacher union meetings and meetings with other government departments.
Remember, anything that is initiated by the education department falls under types 2 or 3.
5. Start a project
You can earn 10 points per year by initiating your own community or school project that learners or teachers can get involved in. This can be as simple as starting a study group or gardening project.
6. Be a mentor
Mentoring and coaching other teachers is something we often do. Well, the great news is that you can earn CPTD points for this. You just need to ensure that you have proof of your sessions. Coaching can be done for other teachers or even student teachers.
7. Join a book club
You can earn 12 points a year by being involved in an educational book club that covers at least 4 books per year. To score these points, you need to record the article’s author, publication and date, and provide a short description of what it’s about.
