As I start my new role within the Education Scotland Professional Learning and Leadership Team I thought it would be a good idea to share some of my thoughts around professional learning and why even in these most challenging of times, it’s so important.

I started to get into road cycling around eight years ago which was inspired by my brother-in-law who suddenly became obsessed and encouraged me to get involved. Let me stress first of all that although it is something that I enjoy, it hasn’t taken over my life but it is something which gives me a way of keeping (relatively) fit and healthy both physically and mentally. In the winter months it’s incredibly difficult to get out on the road and so as a result I invested in a turbo (a stationary trainer which you attach your bike to) and set it up in the garage. Initially I was enthusiastic and found some YouTube videos designed for turbo use to encourage me, but after a while the lonely garage and lack of interaction saw my interest wane. Last year (after my first turbo broke) I decided to invest in a smart turbo, which automatically adjusts resistance and links to an app which sets your targets, has routes through places such as New York and London (amongst others) and also shows you the other riders who are taking part. You get likes and comments from other riders and you can sign up for training programmes, tailored to your own level of fitness and set manageable goals. The difference this has made has been noticeable as I now regularly commit to heading out to the garage knowing that I’m not alone and that I have clear targets of what I need to do.

Recently when reading a report about uptake of professional learning, it struck me that the work of the Professional Learning and Leadership team mirrors the approach of my smart turbo and app. Whilst there has always been a plethora of ‘professional learning’ available across many different settings from many different organisations, our team has worked hard to look at the research and approaches of effective professional learning. In the same way as my app and smart turbo support me in my attempts to keep fit, our approach to professional learning tries to ensure that everyone can engage in professional learning at any stage and in any way they are able. Whether it's through the professional learning activities, events or within the programmes, a key element is that participants identify what is important to them and have the opportunity to explore this.

As I also identified my own fitness targets, our professional learning offer is directly linked to the relevant standards from GTCS ensuring that there is self-evaluation and reflection against these to support participants identify where their strengths are and what they would like to develop. By having the standards embedded in our work, we support participants to bring these to life and ensure that they play a key role in their development. We encourage participants to set their baseline by reflecting on the relevant standards and revisiting these during the professional learning activities.

Another key aspect of our work is the value we place on networks. We know that online learning can work in many different ways and provides flexibility, but without the networks around this, it can be quite a lonely activity. Having networks around the programmes ensures that participants can share the learning, share challenges and reflect more deeply on what has resonated with them. A common statement we hear is that often it isn’t until participants have a chance to speak to peers that they realise that they are not alone. The importance of having supportive professional learning networks which provide a safe space to discuss, explore and provide support and challenge cannot be underestimated. Just like being on my bike and seeing others take part, make comments, chat and give likes, that peer network pushes me on by knowing that it’s not just me who is undertaking the work.

In challenging times, and this certainly is that time, it can be difficult to find the time to participate in or attend professional learning. In the same way as finding time to get on the turbo and build up fitness, priorities other than professional learning can seem more pressing and more important. We paused live sessions for some of our programmes in January due to the additional pressures of Omicron, but heading into spring, we are gently ‘getting back on the bike’ and offering live sessions again. The feedback from our participants is that after engaging they feel re-invigorated and all the better for it, which is exactly how I feel after doing 30 minutes on my bike. Speaking of which…