Optimising Your Potential Through Professional Learning Opportunities

June Evans-Caulfield, Head of Teaching and Learning - Middle Years, Workshop Leader, Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia

Our journey in the education sector often involves having multiple skills and being flexible and adaptable to change. As Head of Teaching and Learning, I wear multiple hats and play many roles under that umbrella, but it always comes down to what is the best thing for those we are educating. Self-reflection on our practice should play a big part here because how we approach how we educate changes depending on the needs, wants, and desires of individuals and the collective group.

Teaching and learning encompasses the holistic development of a person in ways that can be designed to encourage lifelong learning, not only for our young people but also for those educating them. Best practice optimises performance, not only in a learning space but beyond walls and buildings too.

From my experience of leading workshops and designing programs to build classroom performance, the key is encouraging creativity in practice and developing or delivering programs that value transferable skills and higher-order thinking. This is even more apparent in the light of emerging technologies like AI.

What is so unique about the field of education is that it is and can continually be utilised as a catalyst for positive change. Learning and developing as professionals are the keys to unlocking our full potential and, as such, our young people's full potential.

It may be true to say that the least successful professional learning experience is allowing your participants to be passive receivers of information. This most likely will result in disengagement from the very start as the participants are not an active part of the learning experience.

"What excites me is seeing people being active participants and creative in their thinking during professional learning opportunities"

What excites me is seeing people being active participants and creative in their thinking during professional learning opportunities. When people are given the time and opportunity to connect with others and learn authentically, they see environments full of energy. Professional learning and development modeled on constructivist approaches to teaching provide the participants with tools and strategies that will inevitably encourage and challenge them to perform better. This takes place in environments where they can also gain insights by sharing ideas with the other participants in the room. This, however, does need to happen in ways that they feel safe to step out of their comfort zone, so creating the right environment for this is a key factor.

Professional Learning opportunities can also be rich and productive when participants have opportunities to reflect on how they best learn and improve their teaching. This allows the participants to think about how those they teach can improve through opportunities to reflect on how they best learn.

The key is providing professional learning experiences that provide tools and model strategies that participants can use and reuse and create collaborative environments that encourage everyone to share and grow.

Ultimately, Professional Learning optimises your potential to perform and build effective and efficient environments. It can also enhance and build your profile and provide networking opportunities and advancement.