I enjoy my trips up to greater Manchester where I work as a College Improvement Partner with a great 6th form college. Over the years I have got to know them well and I am impressed with their principled approach to trust in their teachers, one key example being their philosophy around performance management and the inclusion of continuous professional development (CPD).
They have, for a number of years now, used a propriety platform for videoing their teachers teach in their classrooms and workshops and then the individual teacher uses that video as a resource for self analysis and self reflection, identifying changes they can make to their professional practice. Used extensively in FE colleges and 6th form settings across the UK, this dynamic platform has features like guided reflection, collaborative professional dialogue, and time‐stamped feedback. This comparatively low level tech, a bunch of webcams and a software platform, has proven both effective and cost efficient in improving teaching and learning at the college.
My most recent visit, just last week, got me thinking – thinking, because they have just introduced an AI element to this process. The latest innovation comes in the form of AI-powered insights which are used to analyse the teachers’ videos. Now, the college’s teachers can interact with their lesson videos as AI evaluates key teaching criteria – such as, questioning techniques, feedback quality, and assessment methods. For example, the platform’s “Questioning Assistant” pinpoints when and how effectively a teacher poses higher-order questions, while other AI tools provide a detailed breakdowns of feedback delivery and student engagement. In addition, the platform has a bank of good practice resources which support teacher development by providing step-by-step guidance and modeled teaching strategies. These resources enable teachers to benchmark their own methods and clearly identify areas where further development is needed. The sixth form college I mentioned earlier intends to develop a coaching model where their coaches can – seize on areas for development and actively contribute to teacher development through live sessions that can then be ‘tested’ through further AI reflections. They regard this as “Zero risk, high expectations, high impact, professionalising activities”, as a senior leader there told me.
Now here’s where it started to get me thinking more laterally! Much like how footballers are assessed by precise metrics – yards run, tackles made, shots on target, effective passing rate, and much much more – could our teachers be evaluated using similar objective standards? Imagine if a teacher’s performance could be reviewed with the same rigour as that of a professional athlete. It could provide a clear breakdown of what works, what needs improving, and specific areas where targeted feedback could enhance their skills. The downside is the headline “AI bots performance manage the teaching workforce” by using AI tools to make an evaluation (grade?) which then is used by senior leadership teams to performance manage (even discipline?) their staff.
This parallel is provocative but worth the debate. When some doom mongers are hailing the death of the teaching profession with the introduction of AI, why not seize the mantle and actually utilise AI to make teachers better at their jobs? Use it as this 6th form college is currently doing – with trust in their teachers.
The comparison may be controversial but I bet most teachers wouldn’t mind the comparators’ (ie footballers’) pay!!!
LAST UPDATED
March 27, 2025