Networking- a key to success!

Why is networking important?

Networking is a really important and unique way to build professional knowledge and understanding of practice. It gives you the opportunity to share problems of practice or something you are struggling with or finding challenging. It gives you an opportunity to share new ideas, insights, readings and research with your colleagues that are currently doing the same work as you. Finally, it gives you an opportunity to build social and professional connections and relationships so you don’t feel isolated (AITSL: How to guide- Networks). Teaching and educating can be a lonely profession if everyone in your space works in silos. Connecting with other positive, passionate professionals helps to make you feel valued, supported and part of something bigger. 

Professional standards also require us to collaborate and connect with others to broaden our understandings. Including the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, Standard 7.4, the approved learning frameworks with the partnership and collaborative leadership and teamwork principles and Quality area 6- Collaborative partnerships with families and communities of the National Quality Standard. 

Developing a deep understanding of practice

The deep learnings you glean from networking groups goes well beyond what you might get say from social media groups. In well organised and reputable networks there will be sharing of information or evidence behind ideas that offers greater validity to what is being shared or suggested. The benefit of ongoing network participation means that you have support to apply new ideas in practice. By nature, a networking group relies on supported critical reflection of ideas and practice and leads to a deeper level of learning and understanding.

Professional learning communities

Professional learning communities is another type of or function of a network group. It involves a specific focus on analysing and unpacking the learnings from professional learning and discussing how best this new learning might inform practice change. Ultimately professional learning is only of value if we change something for the better in the way we work and hopefully improve outcomes

Communities of practice 

Communities of practice are yet another type of or function of a network group. They are defined by ‘people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor’ (Leadership groups: Distributed leadership in social learning). In other words, a group who has a shared interest and who come together to learn more about it and share ideas.  

These communities allow participants to go deep and narrow on an area to really understand it and develop and expertise in that area. Giving members an opportunity to share this expertise with their teams. 

Whatever your version of networking looks like is really irrelevant. The main thing is that you are looking beyond your workplace and cross pollinating your professional knowledge.  

Critical reflection on practice

Below a few critical reflection provocations to generate thinking about your professional networks: 

1. Who do you talk to about your practice? Are these conversations supporting you to grow your skills, knowledge and understandings?  
2. What is your awareness of contemporary practice and how to implement it in your service or school?  
3. How and when do you have collaborative professional discussions with anyone outside of your service or school? 
4. What methods do you have for seeking advice, coaching and mentoring? Are they effective? 

Early Years learning Hub membership has it all covered! 

f you would like to know where you can find a network, professional learning community or communities of practice, look no further the Early Years learning Hub membership offers all that and more. Sign up with monthly payments or for a year and receive: 

• Discounts on all courses 

• Access to online advice and support 

• Mentoring and coaching 

• Access to a professional learning community 

• Access to a range of communities of practice on topics such as sustainability, nature pedagogy, critical reflection, play-based learning, creative arts and many more!