Teachers understand that learning is a lifelong endeavour, not something to set and forget. Evidence from the Australian Teacher Workforce Data (ATWD) shows that 63% of teachers spend more than the minimum required 20 hours a year on their own learning and development – clearly, our nation’s teaching workforce values the power of professional learning.

And they’re not wrong! Purposeful professional learning is one of the most effective ways to improve teaching practices and student outcomes… but the key word here is “purposeful”. With so many options – online or face-to-face courses, working with peers through mentoring and feedback, undertaking solo development through professional reading – wading through the choices can be a daunting prospect.

This is why AITSL creates resources to help teachers find their way through the noise. The High-Quality Professional Learning (HQPL) cycle, launched in 2019, illustrates the continuous process of learning, leading a teacher from identifying their learning needs to evaluating the impact of the learning. 

We heard from teachers that Step 2 of the HQPL cycle, “Select and undertake learning”, needed some more guidance behind it. So, we have just launched the HQPL Toolkit, which goes a step further and guides users through an interactive experience to create their own personalised learning plan. It’s free to use and is a great place to get started on organising your professional learning – whether you’re planning your 2023 in advance or looking for something that suits your needs in your educational setting now.

To help ground professional learning in your daily work, there is a wealth of resources on AITSL’s website. The In the Classroom resources, added recently, enable you to watch effective teaching practice in action – giving you an opportunity to observe a lesson without leaving your computer. 

For a bigger challenge, there’s the national certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers (HALT) initiative, which one Lead teacher recently shared was “absolutely 100% the best professional learning” she’s ever done. Applicants must reflect on their individual teaching practice, their impact on learners, and their influence on the practice of colleagues. 

AITSL’s vision is for Australia to have a high-quality education system in which teachers and leaders have the greatest impact possible on the educational growth and achievement of every learner. That’s why we provide freely available, evidence-based tools and resources. We want to assist teachers with their professional learning journey so that they can grow and provide the best outcomes for their students in the classroom.

We hope you find our latest HQPL resources useful. We warmly welcome your feedback –please email us at [email protected].