In education, we often talk about reforms, programmes, examinations, or curriculum. Far less often do we speak about teachers as professionals — about what it truly means to build a strong profession around teaching.
In Romania, continuous professional development for teachers is often associated with accumulating credits or attending courses and conferences. For many, it has become an administrative obligation rather than an authentic process of growth — not due to a lack of willingness, but because of limited time, coherence, or practical relevance.
And yet, the essential question remains: what does it actually mean to be a well-prepared teacher today?
In a constantly changing educational landscape, the professionalisation of teaching can no longer be an individual endeavour. Teachers need mentorship, collaboration, and schools that function themselves as learning environments for adults. At Avenor, we are working to build such a model.
What Does a Well-Prepared Teacher Mean Today?
Being a well-prepared teacher does not simply mean mastering subject knowledge; it means transforming complex concepts into meaningful learning experiences and supporting the development of students’ critical thinking and autonomy.
Today’s teacher continuously adjusts their practice according to students’ real needs, through an ongoing process of reflection, collaboration, and professional learning that includes curriculum design, authentic assessment, and the responsible integration of technology.
Induction, Mentorship, and Continuous Development
At Avenor, teacher preparation begins during the recruitment process, with particular attention paid both to professional competencies and alignment with the school’s values.
“During recruitment, beyond the rigorous evaluation of professional competencies, we also focus on the deeper dimension of alignment with Avenor College. We share Avenor’s story with candidates and seek to understand whether we share the same vision of education and the same professional standards.
For us, excellence in teaching goes hand in hand with responsibility — including a strong commitment to safeguarding principles and the ability to create a safe environment in which every child is protected, respected, and supported to reach their potential. Professionalisation begins with competence but is strengthened through values and through responsibility for the impact we have, every day, on each student.” – Cristina Willows, Director of People & Operations, Deputy Executive Director, Avenor.
The onboarding process before the start of each academic year includes dedicated days for joint training, planning, and pedagogical alignment. Newly appointed teachers take part in an extended induction programme centred on school culture, student safety, and professional expectations.
Annual feedback collected from participants contributes to the continuous refinement of the process, following an approach based on reflection rather than assumptions.
Teachers for Teachers: Investing in the Future of the Profession
At a time when education needs well-supported early-career teachers, the Teachers for Teachers programme represents one of the ways Avenor actively contributes to the professionalisation of teaching.
The two-year programme provides mentorship and practical training for graduates and early-career teachers, helping them build a strong professional foundation. To date, seven teachers have benefited from the programme, contributing to the development of a new generation of educators prepared for the challenges of contemporary education.
Performance Management: Development, Not Formal Evaluation
At Avenor, performance evaluation is designed as a process of professional growth. Each teacher sets annual individual objectives, including one dedicated to continuous professional development, supported through internal courses, external training, conferences, and team collaboration.
The impact of this process becomes directly visible in the classroom, in the way teachers adapt their practices and relationships with students.
“Being in my first year at Avenor College, I discovered that professional development is not just a theoretical concept but a real driver of daily activity. The Performance Management process and setting Professional Learning and Development (PLD) objectives helped me define a clear direction from the very beginning.
I feel that this system provides practical support in the lessons I observe; I have learned enormously by monitoring my progress and adapting my working methods. The impact is visible directly in the classroom, in my interaction with students from Reception to Year 4, where I can apply new techniques that keep them engaged, active, and curious. It is a continuous learning process that gives me confidence that I can genuinely contribute to each child’s development.” – Ovidiu Mirăuță, Learning Assistant
“For me, professional development is a deliberate process that helps me maintain high standards in my daily work. In a school that places such strong emphasis on the balanced development and wellbeing of the entire community, I constantly seek to integrate courses that refine my skills.
I have participated in programmes from the school’s professional development offer, such as Teaching with Love and Logic and From Values to Action: Making SMSC Visible in Secondary.
This year, I also chose the course AI Unplugged: Teaching Smarter, Not Harder, which is already helping me reduce part of my administrative workload, giving me more time for the other important aspects of my role as a teacher and counsellor.”- Anda Costache, School Counsellor, Form Tutor 8 Omega
Communities of Practice: Learning Does Not Happen in Isolation
Authentic professional development requires dialogue and shared reflection. At Avenor, teachers are part of a community of practice where feedback is natural and collaboration becomes part of everyday work.
“The beginning of my experience at Avenor was marked by enthusiasm, emotion, and curiosity. Everything felt intense and new, and my mind was full of questions. Gradually, through a sustained professional development process adapted to my needs, I found direction and clarity.
Performance Management became a space for honest reflection, where I organised my achievements, challenges, and growth steps. In the classroom, I see how my involvement transforms into students’ courage to try, their joy in learning, and their desire to seek answers. And I feel, perhaps more strongly than ever, that I belong to a community that shapes not only well-prepared students but balanced individuals with open hearts and minds.” – Ancuța Floreanu, Primary Teacher, Year 1 Delta
The PLD Programme (Professional Learning & Development): Sustained and Practical Learning
Teachers regularly participate in Professional Learning & Development sessions dedicated to sharing best practices and pedagogical reflection. At Avenor, time for professional learning is considered an integral part of the teaching role, not an additional activity.
“Because continuous learning and the quality of relationships within the community are essential ingredients in the cognitive, social, and emotional development of all its members, at Avenor we seek to create professional growth opportunities for teachers.
Our development programme is aligned with the school’s strategic objectives and guided by adult learning principles, fostering a culture of learning that enables collaboration both within and across departments.
We aim to create a learning environment in which colleagues feel safe to experiment with new teaching strategies that they can later integrate into their classrooms. Teachers therefore have autonomy to choose relevant internal courses, sessions, conferences, or external training aligned with their individual interests and needs.
Because classroom impact is built over time and reflection is an essential tool in this process, our courses include moments where teachers evaluate how they have interacted with different types of content and observe changes in their own lessons or those of colleagues through peer lesson observation.”- Cristina Bumboiu, Curriculum Development & Teacher Training Lead
School Culture: The Environment That Supports Professional Growth
At Avenor, professional development is not a reaction to external requirements but an integral part of the school’s organisational culture. Teachers belong to a community of practice where professional dialogue is encouraged, feedback is natural, and learning becomes a collective process.
Support for teachers includes both pedagogical and technological development — through practical courses dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence and new technologies in education — as well as initiatives that promote personal balance and wellbeing.
The wellbeing strategy “Be Well in Order to Do Well” is based on the belief that teachers’ wellbeing directly influences the quality of students’ learning experiences. The school therefore creates diverse opportunities for reconnection and balance, including cultural activities, exhibition and theatre tickets, nature trips, community sports challenges, and access to services or consultations at preferential or partially subsidised rates.
Through this combination of professional development and wellbeing support, teachers gain the space and energy needed to experiment, collaborate, and transform lessons into authentic learning experiences.
Beyond an Internal Model
In the 2024–2025 Annual Report, we detail how these programmes are implemented across the school, alongside the results achieved and the impact we aim to create — not as a universal model, but as an example of how investing in teachers and strong professional communities directly contributes to educational quality.
Regardless of school or system, one thing remains constant: the quality of education depends directly on the level of preparation, support, and professionalisation of those who enter the classroom every day.
