How to Choose Professional Development

Training is important to your growth in the field of early childhood education. Everyone benefits. The children in your program learn and develop because of your knowledge and experience, and families are comfortable knowing their child is content in a developmentally appropriate environment where they can play and grow.

Your professional growth also contributes to the success of the program. Through training and reaching educational goals, you add value to the program where you work. Center- and home-based programs increase their standing in high quality initiatives based on the individual achievements of the staff. It’s important for you to be sure you are growing in the areas that are most interesting to you - where you can best contribute to the field.

Each early childhood educator is responsible for earning hours each year, so talk to your Coach or contact the ESCCRC office if you have questions about training choices. Here are some tips on choosing the hours most helpful to your professional development:

What sort of hours qualify for the PD goal you are working toward? In most cases, your program is interested in your clock hours to meet state requirements. Clock hours are evidence of your participation in annual training which is required of every center- and home-based early childhood educator.

In some cases, you may need or be offered Continuing Education Units (CEUs). These credits are required by some professions and 1 CEU = 10 clock hours. Sometimes a cost is associated with CEUs, and these hours are not always accepted for licensure renewal, although they may count toward other goals. If a question of CEUs comes up, contact the ESCCRC and we can help you determine if it’s right for you.

Of course, if there is an interesting training opportunity, you should take it! The acquisition of knowledge is a reward on its own.