PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: MORE THAN A CERTIFICATE
I've facilitated more virtual early childhood professional development workshops in the last seven months than I can count. It has been a fantastic experience to connect with many incredible educators. I adore the enthusiasm and dedication to investing in themselves and the children in their care.
Throughout this experience, I have noticed something that has been on my radar for quite some time. In most states, licensed childcare providers must take a certain amount of professional development workshops per school year. This often leads to a focus on the certificate and not the training content.
While I understand the importance of the required training hours, I think we've lost sight of professional development's real purpose. The goal of participating in professional development opportunities is to help us reflect upon and grow our teaching practices. When we lose focus on this goal, we are doing a disservice to ourselves and our children.
I am not sure what the answer is to this ever-growing issue in our profession. I know that every one of us should be seen as competent and capable. We should be able to choose opportunities for growth that meet our needs.
