Participation in professional development is viewed as an important indicator of quality in early childhood programs. Certainly, attending training is a start, but knowing how to process and use the information presented will lead to enhanced knowledge and skills for working with young children. There are some steps you can take to make the most of opportunities for lifelong learning.
First, learn to accept mistakes. They are vital to the learning process. Learning means taking risks and making informed decisions to try something new. If you accept this, you can embrace a mistake as an opportunity for growth.
Second, learn to reflect. Many ideas about how to work with children come, not from professional development activities, but from past experiences as a child in your own family and in school. For example, it might be easy to believe that children should be treated as individuals, and at the same time repeat traditions from your own school experiences, like expecting children to wait in line or finish the same art project within the same time frame. It is critical to identify your beliefs about the care and education of young children and to examine your practice of those beliefs. When you find a gap between what you believe and what you do, you have identified an opportunity for growth.
Third, learn to network. Successful learning depends on reaching beyond your own resources to learn from others. Find other early childhood professionals, parents, or local, state and national resources with whom to share ideas and visions. Be creative; share videotapes of your program with another provider or set aside a specific time for a monthly brainstorming phone call.
Fourth, be a lifelong learner. Attending a workshop or taking a semester-long class may have little impact on your program unless you work to make changes happen. Set one or two learning goals for yourself each year. Tell others about your goal and ongoing commitment to learning. Be clear about what you need to know and actively seek out professional development opportunities, such as workshops, articles, classes, books, networking with colleagues, etc.
Fifth, celebrate your successes. Have lunch out or reward yourself in another way when you reach goals.
The role of the Director: creating opportunities for learning. One of the most important steps a program director can take to encourage learning is to promote setting professional development goals. Team and individual goals are important. Through goal setting, a clear purpose is established for participating in professional development. It is also important to encourage staff members to be good consumers of training opportunities. Keep staff up-to-date on local and state training requirements and career development frameworks so ongoing education results in professional advancement. Make sure you have training calendars listing local, state and national opportunities. If you do not find professional development opportunities that meet program and individual goals, contact your local resource and referral agency, community college, or Cooperative Extension System agency to request to request specific topics.
You can help staff prepare to make the most of a learning opportunity by encouraging individuals to:
1. contact presenters to find out more about the content and presentation format;
2. select books or articles on the topic for review and discussion prior to the session;
3. develop a training notebook including a space to record comments and questions before attending a session, a note taking format that divides pages horizontally into columns marked New Information and Action I Can Take, pocket dividers for handouts and a place to record the name of the presenter, address and phone number and the date; and finally
4. offer a safe environment for staff members to try out new ideas, practice new skills, and reflect on the outcomes. You will want to be available and ready to listen both to celebrations and frustrations and to provide encouragement, support and resources as needed.