The Centre for Teaching Excellence works with teachers across Scotland and offers them the opportunity to work part-time as Teacher Associates along some of the Centre’s Hubs. As the Digital Education and AI Literacy for Advancing Pedagogy hub, we have the pleasure of working with the Teacher Associates below.
Lynsey Binnie
Lynsey is Depute Head Teacher in a Primary School in City of Edinburgh. Lynsey has spent the past 14 years working in education, with experience teaching all stages of the Primary curriculum and in progressive leadership roles focused on improving teaching and learning and building positive, supportive school cultures. Her work in the school setting has included leading school improvement initiatives, developing staff, and contributing to curriculum design and strategic planning, as well as leading on digital developments.
Jena Brennan
Jena Brennan is a History and Modern Studies teacher in South Lanarkshire, where she also holds the role of Principal Teacher of Equity and Excellence. Jena has a particular interest in the role of digital technology and artificial intelligence in education, with experience leading digital learning initiatives, developing staff professional learning and supporting the implementation of AI tools in schools. Her work focuses on harnessing technology to enhance learning, support teachers and promote equity, while ensuring that its use is purposeful, responsible and aligned with educational priorities.
Kymberly Craig
Kym is a Primary 6 teacher for Edinburgh Council. She is keen to work with like-minded teachers and researchers to push research forward in areas of current need and to collaborate to improve education for all children. She has taught both primary and support for learning, eventually serving as a Special Education Team Leader and then as an Academic Intervention Resource Teacher in United States Schools. She has also worked with children throughout the United States learning through drama. in Scotland she has taught Primary 5/6, 6 and 7 as well as Additional Supports Needs. She completed her Masters in Autism research at the University of Stirling and her Doctorate focusing on metacognition in autism at Heriot Watt University. Her published works can be accessed through her ORCID profile. Kym is also an Apple Coach and enjoys using technology in her classroom.
Paul Devlin
Paul is a Principal Teacher in Glasgow. He obtained GTCS Professional Recognition for leading teacher learning in Embedding Formative Assessment and have undertaken professional learning at the UK Parliament Teachers’ Institute and through the German Embassy’s professional development trip to Berlin. He is an experienced SQA marker and a member of the Modern Studies Association.
Angela Doris
Angela is a Teacher of Modern Languages at St Ninian’s High School, Kirkintilloch. She has been actively involved in interdisciplinary, research-aligned initiatives, including projects delivered in partnership with the University of Stirling and SCILT, the Scottish Centre for Information on Language Teaching. Central to her practice is a commitment to equity, learner wellbeing, and meaningful engagement. She is leading the development of AI in language learning within her department, drawing on emerging research to support ethical, pedagogically grounded classroom use. Alongside her school role, she is a member of Education Scotland’s Languages Curriculum Improvement Core Group, contributing practitioner insight to national curriculum development. Prior to teaching, she held senior leadership and consultancy roles across industry and higher education, and worked at Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School, leading research-informed external engagement and knowledge exchange initiatives that connected academic expertise with professional and community partners.
Samantha Hatton
Samantha is a primary teacher and Digital Learning Lead within her school. Her strategic approach to digital integration contributed to the school being awarded the Digital Schools Award in 2025, recognising excellence in the effective and meaningful use of technology in education. Alongside her classroom practice, Samantha is an experienced mentor and union representative, supporting colleagues at all stages of their professional journey. She is particularly interested in exploring the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing teaching and learning, reducing teacher workload, raising attainment and addressing barriers to learning. Prior to entering the teaching profession, Samantha worked as a wildlife surveyor for an ecology company. She still very much enjoys the outdoors and runs a weekly gardening club for pupils at her school.
Justin McGirr
Justin works as a GTCS‑registered teacher of Business Education in a secondary school in north‑east Scotland. He completed a BA (Hons) in Management at Abertay University before undertaking a PGDE at the University of Glasgow, where he later returned to complete a Master of Education in Professional Practice and Decision Making. He has recently completed a Professional Doctorate in Education at the University of Dundee, with a focus on professional learning during Scotland’s Teacher Induction Scheme. His research interests include early‑career teacher development, professional learning cultures, and the structures and systems that support teacher growth. Before moving into secondary teaching, Justin worked in enterprise education and start‑up support across further and higher education. He has taught business and administration subjects as a lecturer in the further education sector and has worked at international summer schools based at Yale University and the University of Cambridge, delivering accelerated programmes in business and entrepreneurship. Justin has also served as a Partner Tutor at the University of Dundee, supporting aspects of the Master of Education programme.
Crystal Thompson
With over 15 years of post-probation experience, Crystal’s work has been grounded in socioeconomically diverse school communities. Central to her approach is an inclusive, relational, and reflective approach to teaching, underpinned by a sustained commitment to professional enquiry and continuous improvement. Her role as a Teacher Associate involves contributing to research-informed professional learning and practitioner collaboration in digital, data, and AI literacy for teachers across Scotland. Central to her approach is a strong belief in collaboration across sectors, and in research as a process undertaken with teachers, supporting meaningful, manageable improvement in learning and teaching.