For busy educators, teacher training can easily slip down the list of priorities. When teachers do find time for professional development, many choose to learn something new.
But going back to basics has value too. Foundational teacher training helps experienced teachers refresh their approach and let go of outdated habits. It also sharpens those core skills that help students learn, grow and succeed.
After all, a good teacher never stops improving. Research shows that teachers keep getting better well into their second, and often third, decade in the classroom. They also improve faster when they have structured support, making effective Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers an essential part of ongoing development.
So why revisit the basics, and how can teachers fit it around a full timetable?
Foundational teacher training typically covers classroom management, planning, assessment and meeting diverse learner needs. Experienced teachers know these areas well. A fresh look, however, can help them refine core techniques, break unhelpful habits and adapt to modern classrooms.
For experienced teachers, one of the strongest reasons to revisit the basics is that the research behind them keeps evolving. Findings from cognitive psychology and related fields continue to refine our understanding of how students learn. Two ideas in particular have gained prominence in recent years: cognitive load theory, which explains the limits of working memory, and Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, which turn research on learning into practical classroom strategies. Many teachers may know these ideas only in outline, or may not have come across them at all. A refresher is a good opportunity to catch up with these developments, see how the ideas work in practice and try them out in the classroom.
There is also value in testing beliefs against classroom recommendations. Beliefs form over years in the classroom, and some serve students and teachers well, but not all. A structured review lets teachers check what they do against current best practice and be more intentional about their classroom decisions and actions.
Finally, revisiting the basics puts names and reasons to techniques teachers use by instinct. Research on professional development suggests this kind of understanding is an essential part of effective CPD. Without it, teachers can end up applying new approaches in ways that miss the point. With it, they can use techniques more deliberately, evaluate the results, and share the results with their colleagues.
New staff learn from what they see. Experienced teachers and heads of department set the standard through mentoring, observation and shared planning, and when their teaching draws on current research, that standard spreads across the school. Mentoring can sharpen the mentor’s own teaching too. An evaluation of England’s early career framework found that its first cohort of mentors, mostly experienced teachers, valued working with up-to-date evidence that could improve their own practice.
Foundational training that is revisited often is especially important in international schools, where staff turnover can be high and where colleagues have often trained in different countries and systems. Common terms for routines, planning and assessment mean everyone is working in the same way, making it easier to set teaching standards and keep them consistent from year to year. For leaders, this consistency simplifies lesson observations and feedback, so discussions can focus on what helps students most.
For ideas on building this kind of shared culture, read Learning together: Collective professional development for teachers.
There’s no getting away from it: teachers are busy. Workloads are high, and a full foundation course can feel like repeating initial training.
Teaching Essentials, our Online Support for Schools (OSS) course, offers a flexible solution. Its seven self-contained modules let experienced teachers skip topics they’re confident in, focus on the areas that matter most to them, and study in short blocks around their timetable.
Each module combines short readings with activities like reflections, scenarios, and knowledge checks, finishing with a quick quiz. Teachers can study independently or as part of a school-wide initiative. Leaders can build it into a structured programme of professional development, giving staff a shared frame of reference and a consistent approach across subjects and age ranges.
Anyone who completes all seven modules earns a completion certificate. The modules cover:
Teaching Essentials offers a flexible route back to foundational teacher training, built for teachers who already know the job. Partner Schools staff can access the course now through OSS. Log in to OSS to get started, or find out how teachers can make the most of British Council Partner Schools support.