Guidance for Group Leaders

Being a successful group leader for TIPD is not significantly different from leading groups in any other professional education context. Group leaders need to empathize with participants, support them and guide them in achieving new understanding.

We have produced a Guidance Booklet for Group Leaders (which can be downloaded here). Most LAs have a nominated TIPD co-ordinator, who can provide further advice and support. Once the visit begins to be planned and developed, HTI-Merganser will also provide full support.

From past experience there are some areas which TIPD group leaders need to focus on:

• Managing expectations
  It is important that group leaders review objectives with group members. Participants are unlikely to have any prior experience of the country that is to be visited. So, objectives will have been written probably based mostly on a UK focussed model. It is important that participants are flexible and open to unexpected experiences: it may be that these form more significant learning points than the expected ones.
• Ensuring you know participants’ strengths
  Because the TIPD group is short term, particular effort needs to go into getting to know participants in the early stages. This can pay significant dividends in the course of the visit.
• Recognising cultural dimensions
  Some cultural differences between societies, and between educational communities, are more obvious than others. But don’t be misled! Every country works in a different cultural context. Just because your host speaks perfect English doesn’t mean that they don’t look at things in quite a different way. Group members may need support in recognising the cultural context of their school visits.
• Keeping an eye on logistics!
  Group leaders will be focused mainly on the professional aspects of the visit, but given a group of ten or more free-thinking, independently minded people there is always the possibility of arrangements being interpreted in slightly different ways! Early intervention can make life easier in the long term. We will be able to give you full advice and support should any difficulties arise.
• Encouraging Reflection
  One of the most valuable parts of the TIPD experience is the chance to see a different context, and the way in which it can help teachers to reflect on their own practice.