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44. If the tomatoes don’t grow, we don’t blame the plant: A reflection on co-created CPD sessions for staff reimagining education and the impact on their daily practice

  • Mâir Bull (author)
  • Stephanie Aldred (author)
  • Sophie Bessant (author)
  • Sydney Duignan (author)
  • Eileen Pollard (author)
Chapter of: Stories of Hope: Reimagining Education(pp. 529–544)

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Metadata
Title44. If the tomatoes don’t grow, we don’t blame the plant
SubtitleA reflection on co-created CPD sessions for staff reimagining education and the impact on their daily practice
ContributorMâir Bull (author)
Stephanie Aldred (author)
Sophie Bessant (author)
Sydney Duignan (author)
Eileen Pollard (author)
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0462.44
Landing pagehttps://www.openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/obp.0462/chapters/10.11647/obp.0462.44
Licensehttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
CopyrightMâir Bull; Stephanie Aldred; Sophie Bessant; Sydney-Marie Duignan; Eileen Pollar;
PublisherOpen Book Publishers
Published on2025-07-02
Long abstractThis case study reflects on the co-design and delivery of a series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions for teaching staff, aimed at reimagining education and enhancing educator wellbeing. The sessions modelled creative practice and active learning, exploring themes such as creative and playful pedagogies, object-based learning, sensory teaching experiences, and techniques for effective use of voice and body language. Insights from the first workshop were captured in a video animated by recent graduate Kalon Smith (2023). Using the metaphor of Higher Education teachers as tomato plants, the study highlights the need for a nourishing educational ecosystem, with a particular focus on the vital role of educational developers in supporting teacher growth and flourishing.
Page rangepp. 529–544
Print length16 pages
LanguageEnglish (Original)
Contributors

Mâir Bull

(author)

Mâir Bull is an Academic Developer at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Centre for Learning Enhancement and Educational Development (LEED). Mâir leads the Innovation Scholarship Scheme, a cutting-edge provision that enables teaching staff, and those in student-facing professional services roles, to lead our institutional approach to teaching, learning, and student support. Before moving to HE, Mâir was a Drama and English teacher for sixteen years predominately in secondary schools, however she has also taught in Initial Teacher Training, primary, SEND and in a men’s prison. Mâir is the vice-chair of governors at an alternative provision for students with social, emotional and mental health needs, and is passionate about innovation, creative and experiential pedagogies.

Stephanie Aldred

(author)

Stephanie Aldred, now retired, worked as an education developer and had a background in arts-related language learning and teaching. For twelve years she was Education officer of the Animated Culture Exchange project, promoting internationalisation in schools and colleges in UK, Europe, and Japan through arts and language activities. A keen proponent of relational approaches to Continuing Professional Development (CPD), she is currently working on the book Observation for Grownups (Vernon press), exploring the role of professional dialogue in Higher Education teacher development.

Sophie Bessant

(author)
Reader and Assistant Head of the University Teaching Academy at Manchester Metropolitan University

Sophie Bessant has worked in educational and academic development roles in Higher Education for thirteen years, currently Reader and Assistant Head of the University’s University Teaching Academy at Manchester Metropolitan University; before this, she worked at King’s College London, the University of New South Wales, Sydney, and Keele University. Sophie’s PhD and research background is in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Marketisation in Higher Education. Sophie is passionate about curriculum design, active learning, and digital accessibility and is involved with projects driving developments in these areas at Man Met.

Sydney Duignan

(author)

Sydney Duignan is the Lead Mentor for Initial Teacher Training for United Learning, providing Continuing Professional Development (CPD), support, and guidance for teaching trainees. Her role is to quality assure the mentorship across placements and provide training opportunities for mentors across schools. Sydney and has over ten years teaching experience within secondary education specialising in Drama and Performing Arts, and previously worked within the Centre for Learning Enhancement for Educational Development team at Manchester Metropolitan University. Sydney has a passion for creative thinking and active learning within teaching and learning practice to provide learners with a meaningful experience.

Eileen Pollard

(author)

Eileen Pollard previously worked as a Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Chester and then as a Learner Developer at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has over ten years’ experience teaching in Higher Education (HE) and she joined the University Teaching Academy at Manchester Met in February 2022. She has published on teaching and learning practice, including in the THE and Wonkhe, as well as in journal articles, blogs, and podcasts, and she is an Associate Editor at the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. One of her proudest achievements to date is her TEDx on “Teaching English Using Compassion”, which has been viewed over ten thousand times on YouTube. Eileen is a Relational and Critical Pedagogue who is passionate about widening participation in and access to HE, and she is committed to the values of equity, social justice, and anti-racism becoming behaviours across campuses.

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