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Updated January 27, 2017
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Professional development is often expected to come in the form of formal courses and seminars for professionals to participate in.
Professional development is often expected to come in the form of formal courses and seminars for professionals to participate in. While courses and seminars are a part of professional development, there are many other ways to gain that knowledge and sharpen your skills. These can include meetings, peer learning, research, feedback circles, and observations. Whether you have been in the child care profession for years or months, professional developmental is required and crucial.
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The need for professional development isn’t only required, but is also an important way for child care professionals to stay abreast of current trends in child care. They also provide a new set of skills for child care professionals to use in their classrooms almost immediately. It is important to note that professional development suggestions and mandates do not indicate that staff members are lacking in their abilities. Instead, it is an important way to maintain their commitment to their profession and develop their skills.
Some suggestions for supporting professional development:
Do Your Homework
You should be aware of the initial and annual training requirements that are mandated by the Department of Early Learning.
You should be aware of the initial and annual training requirements that are mandated by the Department of Early Learning.
- WAC 170-297-1775 Basic STARS training.
- WAC 170-297-1800 Ongoing training.
Put Aside Some Time
Time is a commodity that isn’t always easy to come by. Keep in mind the extra-curricular requirements that your program may mandate and try to coordinate so that professional development training can be done prior to the end of the year.
Time is a commodity that isn’t always easy to come by. Keep in mind the extra-curricular requirements that your program may mandate and try to coordinate so that professional development training can be done prior to the end of the year.
Try New Things
Try new professional development options such as peer observations, group discussions, student feedback, and self-observations using video recording equipment. The novelty of these ideas may be enough to pique the interest of staff members initially, but when the results are seen they will appreciate the effort put in.
Try new professional development options such as peer observations, group discussions, student feedback, and self-observations using video recording equipment. The novelty of these ideas may be enough to pique the interest of staff members initially, but when the results are seen they will appreciate the effort put in.
Professional development should be:
- On-going
- Relevant and connected to your professional role
- Integrated to your life experiences, building on current knowledge and experience
- Identifiable learning outcomes
- Allows for opportunity to apply new learning to practice
Department of Early Learning (DEL) recognizes and values all completed degrees and as funding permits, offers education awards for all levels of completed degrees. By sharing your educational accomplishments with us through the education verification process that is found in MERIT, we learn more about the early learning field and can continue to support professionals.
Coursework is submitted to us live, as you complete each page. An optional checklist is available to keep track of your progress. Use the menus to return to where you left off in the training. If you need help, click on the Student Support Chat on the bottom right corner of the page.