We sat down with Lauren, our Professional Learning Officer/PA, and asked her a few questions about her role, what it involves, and what she enjoys most.
How long have you worked at the AoEA?
“I’ve been here since September 2022, so just over 5 months now! It’s my first job out of university and it was a lot to get used to at first, but I settled in before too long.”
In your role as Professional Learning Officer/PA, what are you responsible for?
“I am responsible for all our professional learning courses, which means I’m the main point of contact for both our deliverers and our delegates. I make sure that everyone has all the information they need on the day to make the session a success. I also provide PA support to our Executive Chair, Les Walton, helping to keep track of his vast network of education experts.”
What is your favourite part about working at the AoEA?
“My interactions with the team are a real highlight. Along with the office team, who are all so incredibly welcoming, I work quite closely with colleagues who deliver our professional learning sessions. It’s always rewarding to see the productive sessions they’re able to put together. I also really enjoy going through the feedback we get from those attend professional learning courses. It feels great to know the AoEA is having a positive impact, helping education advisers to recognise and hone their skills.”
What are you most excited about happening in the next 12 months?
“It has to be our Connecting Educators Annual Summit. As the newest member of the team, I’ve never been a part of organising an event this size before, but I’ve heard a great deal from the team about it. I expect it’ll be a challenge, but I can’t wait to get stuck in, and see the fruits of our hard work in June. I’ve already been working with Les and the team on our programme of speakers for this year, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve got planned.”
What do you like to get up to on a Saturday morning?
“I usually like to have a lie-in before I go to my weekly ballet lesson. If I’m lucky, I’ll be preparing a character sheet or session plan to play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends, which we do as often as we can together.”
