Professional Development

Professional Development

"The essence of quality in early childhood services is embodied in the expertise and skills of the staff and in their capacity to build positive relationships with young children...The important influence of positive relationships in shaping the architecture of the developing brain indicates that all of society would benefit from better trained personnel in early child care settings." - Center on the Developing Child (Harvard University), "The Science of Early Childhood Development"

Teachers and family child care providers are the cornerstone of quality early education and care programs. With well-trained staff, programs are better equipped to give children a safe, stable environment, address children's needs, and foster growth while partnering with families to support children's optimal development. Early educators who have access to additional educational and professional opportunities are more likely to incorporate new research findings into their work and to achieve career satisfaction.

In reality, many early educators have inadequate resources, opportunities, and professional support. Infant, toddler, and out-of-school-time teachers, as well as family care providers, often lack access to professional development opportunities that are appropriate for their needs.

Through the Collaborative, providers and educators can find classes, trainings, on-site consultation, discussion groups, and Professional Learning Communities that are built on a strengths-based approach. Professional development opportunities will expand participants' current knowledge of research on key issues in the field, such as learning environments, curriculum, schedules, teacher-child interactions, family engagement, and reflective practice. Participants are engaged  in meaningful reflection and collaboration, which strengthen skills, further career goals, and promote positive outcomes for children.

CEU Classes

Our Early Childhood staff are approved trainers for the Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children (MASSAEYC) CEU classes, and regularly design professional development classes that can be taken for CEUs. Funded by the EEC's Educator and Provider Support grant, with the Preschool Enrichment Team as the fiscal agent, each class addresses Massachusetts Core Competencies with an in-depth look at topics in early childhood education.

Recent CEU classes taught by Early Childhood staff include:

I am Moving, I am Learning -- A Proactive Approach for Addressing Childhood Obesity in Head Start Children  This class provides guidance in developing curriculum approaches that recognize the connection between the mind and body, and reinforce the link between physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and successful learning.

Family Child Care Observations, Assessment, and Progress Reports teaches collaborative relationship-building between programs and parents and gives participants knowledge and experience doing child observations and compiling data into progress reports that meet regulatory requirements.

For a full listing of all current CEU classes and to register, go to: http://www.preschoolenrichmentteam.org/trainings/howtoapply/.

Trainings

The Collaborative's Early Childhood Educator and Care Providers Trainings are a resource for educators of every age group in every setting who are seeking opportunities to connect with and learn from other practitioners, while expanding awareness of issues and refining professional capabilities. Trainings cover a wide range of topics, including recent sessions on strategies for engaging and communicating with parents, creating optimal learning environments, dealing with challenging behavior, and building reflective practice into work with children.

Each of our training sessions is taught by a member of our staff and addresses one or more of the Massachusetts Core Competencies. Conveniently offered during evening hours, our trainings take place in a variety of locations around the four-county region. Visit our training page for a list of current trainings and registration information.

The Early Childhood Department also provides customized on-site trainings for centers and programs. These trainings can be adapted to your specific program needs and are scheduled at a time that is convenient for your staff. For more information about on-site trainings, please contact Barbara Finlayson, Director of Early Childhood Programs.

Discussion and Support Groups

Facilitation discussion and support groups for program directors and family child care providers are available through our Early Childhood Department and are a great way for participants to

• reflect on experiences
• collaborate on problem-solving strategies
• broaden knowledge of a specific subject
• identify resources
• keep up-to-date on early childhood issues at the national, state, and local levels

Facilitation of these groups may be covered by funding from the EEC Educator and Provider Support grant. For more information, please contact Barbara Finlayson, Director of Early Childhood Programs.

Professional Learning Communities

Mind in the Making Learning Community