Anila R. Scott-Monkhouse teaches English (general, EAP/ESP) at Parma University (Italy) and is involved in teacher training. She holds a Master’s in languages, and DELTA, CertPT and TKT CLIL teaching qualifications. Her interests lie in analyzing the learners’ needs within and outside the classroom, and bridging the gap through learner training, task-based learning and development of soft skills. She has published several papers, won an IATEFL ESP Scholarship in 2024, and is passionate about lifelong learning and CPD. Email: anila@unipr.it

 

CPD: the pros and cons

As teachers, we realise how essential Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is to enhance our knowledge and understanding in the field, upgrade our teaching skills, spark new ideas, keep up to date with current trends in teaching tools and pedagogy (e.g. using multimedia, integrating technology, etc.), create immersive learning environments, and foster student engagement, confidence and motivation. With in-person events (e.g. workshops and conferences), we are offered the opportunity to network, share ideas and discuss challenges with colleagues and professionals, in order to expand our cultural competency, become more sensitive to our students, develop professional collaborations, and possibly progress in our careers.

CPD undeniably signals a teacher as being proactive, but it does require commitment and dedication as it often adds a burden outside regular working hours, a time generally devoted to extracurricular responsibilities. The pressure to engage in CPD (be it by attending courses or simply reading), the mental energy required and the difficulty to maintain a work-life balance can actually lead to feeling overwhelmed, and lastly to burnout. CPD can also be a cost as opportunities are not always funded, and teachers are often in low-paid positions or in schools with limited resources. Finally, not all CPD is relevant to our specific needs or goals, or the wealth of options available is distracting and might lead to a lack of direction. Other times, the CPD may fit, but the work environment does not support experimentation, or the resources in the school for implementing new practices are not sufficient, all leading to frustration.

 

CPD as personal growth

But what if we looked at it from a different angle, i.e. as a journey of personal development? CPD is about meaningful growth as an educator but above all as a person, in ways that can impact not only how we connect with our students and approach our teaching, but also how we reflect, see ourselves, connect to others, learn, and experience the world as an individual. It’s not just about a job. It’s about learning extending to all aspects of our lives, but also happening everywhere, any time, not just in formal settings but in everyday activities. In other words: it’s about life-wide learning, i.e. learning which is integrated into daily life as it goes beyond the structured boundaries of professional development and isn’t restricted to specific times or places, but rather occurs throughout our everyday lives - not only in the classroom, but also at home, in our communities, or during moments of personal reflection. Basically, CPD feeds into our daily life, and our daily life feeds into CPD. Life-wide learning means that learning stretches across multiple contexts and life areas. Compared to structured courses with assessments and badges or certificates, it is certainly harder to track progress or measure outcomes as the learning that happens in everyday life is more nuanced, and its impact may not always be immediately visible. It does, however, help us break down the walls between our personal life and professional life, turning all our experiences into valuable resources for both. The beauty of life-wide learning lies in its holistic perspective: every experience can contribute to personal and professional development.

 

1. Nurturing a growth mindset

Personal development is an ongoing journey which begins with the mindset we adopt. Life-wide learning isn’t just about accumulating knowledge: it’s about developing a mindset that sees every moment as an opportunity to grow, it’s a path to lifelong growth. CPD encourages us to step outside our comfort zones and embrace new ideas in order to adapt, evolve, and reflect on how we can be/do better. A growth mindset is central to CPD, but also in life: it helps us see mistakes not as failures but as learning opportunities. It’s about asking ourselves: What/How can I improve? What can I learn from this? How does this connect to my teaching/life? In other words, CPD becomes a way of life: it’s blending learning into life itself, making it a natural, ongoing part of what we do as educators and people.

 

2. Building confidence and self-efficacy 

As we engage in CPD and then see positive results from our new strategies, we build confidence and resilience. This doesn’t just affect our teaching: it boosts our belief in our ability to face challenges and succeed. The sense of accomplishment reinforces the idea that we’re constantly growing, not just as teachers, but as individuals with unique talents. This can reignite our passion for teaching and encourage us to start experimenting with new techniques, or accepting new challenges. As teachers we often face complex situations, from motivating discouraged students to finding new ways to teach some boring topic. The skills we develop in our work can spill into our everyday life: how we motivate our children or elderly parents not to give in, how we encourage a sad friend to react to a hard time, and so on.

 

3. Going beyond professional boundaries

Every experience is an opportunity for growth, not just as a teacher but as an individual. It isn’t just about the textbook or syllabus: as (language) teachers we are often passionate about literature, history, art, customs and traditions, communication and personal stories. CPD that extends beyond the classroom is about authentic experiences that transcend the classroom setting: it involves travelling, watching movies, listening to music and tasting dishes from the culture, even taking a cookery or dance class to better understand the context behind the language and engaging with students from various backgrounds and of different ages. When attending international conferences, joining global networks of educators, or exploring cross-cultural teaching strategies, we learn about our profession but also about the world around us. Through CPD, we expose ourselves to new ways of thinking, new cultures, and new perspectives. This can have a profound impact on our worldview, helping us approach challenges with a more open and flexible mindset, and expanding our personal horizons.

 

4. Learning through collaboration and reflection

CPD includes the collaborative aspect of learning from others, by sharing good practices, learning through trial and error, reflecting on our teaching experiences, or engaging with students to discover what they enjoy or feel effective for them. In this way we open ourselves to new perspectives and insights that enrich our own teaching philosophy and our experience of the world. Relying exclusively on structured, external training opportunities can lead to a lack of self-reflection or independent professional growth, and to forgetting the importance of day-to-day experiences in the classroom, which are just as valuable for personal development.

 

5. Developing self-awareness

CPD isn’t just about acquiring new knowledge: it’s also about reflecting on our own mindset and practices, helping us grow both personally and professionally. Self-reflection helps us be more in tune with ourselves by becoming more aware of our own triggers, emotional responses, communication styles, strengths, weaknesses, and habits. This reflective practice encourages intentional changes that benefit our relationships, leading to healthier, more mindful and more fulfilling connections with others as we see how our actions affect others in personal relationships.

 

6. Building empathy and understanding

As teachers, we often work with students from diverse backgrounds or with varied needs. Many CPD courses focus on developing patience and increasing empathy, e.g. managing difficult classroom situations, understanding the difficulties students face, or appreciating different perspectives in a multicultural classroom. Empathy is essential in teaching but also in personal relationships. The same principles apply when dealing with friends, family, or partners, especially when challenges arise. For example, learning how to de-escalate tensions and approach problems collaboratively with a calm, solution-oriented mindset is a skill that can be transferred to our personal life. Making an effort to understand without judgment can foster stronger, more compassionate relationships, with a deeper sense of connection and respect.

 

7. Developing emotional and social intelligence

Teaching is not just conveying knowledge: it’s about building relationships. CPD can help us enhance our communication skills, pay attention to paraverbal and body language, and become better communicators and listeners, with a positive impact on our day-to-day personal lives. We often draw from our personal experiences to connect with students, and in terms of life-wide learning this emphasizes emotional and social development as these experiences shape our understanding of others’ perspectives and improve our ability to teach with sensitivity and depth. CPD offers opportunities to develop our emotional intelligence, which is key to managing classroom dynamics, understanding our students’ needs, approaching diverse cultural backgrounds, and responding to challenges with empathy.  Emotional intelligence helps us become better teachers, better equipped to manage the stress and emotions that arise in the profession, but also better people by raising our (self-)awareness.

 

8. Managing stress

CPD also involves a focus on mental health, self-care, and well-being. Many CPD programs include aspects of work-life balance, stress management, and mindfulness to avoid burnout and stay energized. These strategies are crucial in the classroom but also in maintaining healthy personal lifestyles and relationships by managing our emotional responses more effectively and reducing the negative impact of stress.

 

9. Incorporating technology and personal interests

In the digital age, CPD can be flexible and personalized as it includes anything from face-to-face events to online courses and virtual communities of practice. We can participate in online forums, webinars, or follow social media accounts that provide resources and discussions on (language) teaching, at our own pace and according to our personal interests.

On the other hand, becoming a learner of something we are interested in, even if not related to teaching (e.g. the properties of medicinal plants, ecological ways of cleaning, etc.), allows us to share the feelings and struggles of our students, but also of our own children or elderly parents to master a new skill, or of someone who is making an effort to improve in their life.

 

10. Empowering autonomy and self-directed learning

Following our own passions nurtures a sense of autonomy: if we can choose what to focus on, we feel in control of our development and our learning journey becomes more meaningful and fulfilling because it’s tailored to our unique needs and interests. This empowerment extends beyond the classroom: it encourages us to identify our growth areas and seek out learning opportunities in our personal life too. The skills of self-directed learning become transferable to any area of life, creating a more holistic approach to personal growth.

 

Conclusion

CPD offers both significant advantages and challenges. The key is finding a balance: CPD should complement both our natural development and our passion for (language) education without overwhelming us since personal growth, just like teaching, is a lifelong journey.

When considering a CPD opportunity, we should ask ourselves if it will help us grow (as a teacher? as a person?) by challenging or inspiring us. CPD can be a powerful tool for professional development and a catalyst for personal growth as it’s about investing in ourselves. When we approach CPD with a mindset of personal development, we enhance our teaching but also enrich our lives through a dynamic, ongoing journey that integrates personal, professional, emotional and social experiences. In other words, it’s a life-wide learning process, in which every moment of life becomes an opportunity to evolve. By embracing the concept of life-wide learning, we can cultivate a deeper, more holistic approach to professional development: one that nourishes not only our teaching skills but also our personal growth, our self-awareness, and our connection with the world around us. When we bring the lessons learned through CPD into our personal lives and vice versa, we become more mindful, patient, empathetic, balanced and resilient individuals.

 

References

British Council (2025). Teaching for Success: Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for Teachers. https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/2025-04/CPD%20Framework%20for%20teachers%202025%20-%20Guidance%20Booklet.pdf (accessed 11 January 2026)

Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset. New York, New York: Ballantine Books.

Goleman, D. (2007). Emotional Intelligence (10^th ed.). New York: Bantam Books

Goleman, D. (2007).  Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. New York: Bantam Books

Malloy, A. (2020). A pocket guide to mindfulness. Pearson https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/english/campaigns/Experiences/ mindfulness-pocket-guide.pdf (accessed 11 January 2026)

Scott-Monkhouse, A.R., Rigamonti, E. (2010). Myself, my language and my culture. Who am I? Identity, language and culture through NLP and Multiple Intelligences, in D. Newby, M. Rückl, B. Hinger (eds.), Mehrsprachigkeit: Herausforderung für Wissenschaft und Unterricht. Wien: Praesens Verlag

 

Please check the Pilgrims in Segovia Teacher Training courses 2026 at Pilgrims website.