Continued Learning Options for Early Childhood Educators

It is a cliché, but a cliché that is nonetheless utterly true: Kids grow up fast. In a matter of weeks, a barely functioning newborn transforms into a baby eager for interaction, and over a handful of months, babies grow into toddlers who run, jump and talk. In no time at all, children are developing their thought patterns, their emotional intelligence and their behavioral responses that could last their entire lifetime.

Everyone who interacts with children during this delicate period of learning can impact how they grow and change — which means that early childhood educators, who tend to spend a large number of hours per day surrounded by little ones, need to know exactly how they can help their students develop into curious, gracious, optimistic and socially aware adolescents and adults.

Most early childhood educators have a baseline of formal credentials to guide their behavior inside the classroom, but new insights related to childhood development are published every day, educators need a way of continuing their education through their careers. Here are a few ways for early childhood educators to keep learning alongside the little minds they are molding.

Online Courses

Early childhood educators have access to a wide variety of high-quality online courses from some of the best educational institutions in the world. Thus, educators can enroll in child development courses online taught by leading experts in the field to learn the latest insights into effective strategies for nurturing positive characteristics in children.

Online courses are more convenient than traditional courses, as educators can fit their coursework amongst their existing responsibilities at work and at home. Courses contribute to educational goals, like certifications or advanced degrees, or they can stand alone as sources of enhanced knowledge and skill. Educators might talk to mentors or administrators to gain guidance regarding the best courses to take for improving their effectiveness in the classroom and building toward career goals.

Books

Because childhood development is a relatively new and undeniably fascinating topic, there is a wealth of published literature dedicated to exploring discoveries and theories. In addition to scholarly articles, published through a variety of scientific journals like Child Development or Early Childhood Research, early childhood educators might consider dedicating time to a few of the most popular books for teachers on child development, such as:

Understand Child Development (Teach Yourself) by Carolyn Meggitt. A comprehensive introduction to the science of children’s development, this book covers everything from physical and mental growth to changes in social behavior throughout childhood.

The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Though this book is often aimed at parents, it provides an excellent look at the neurological development throughout childhood and offers science-backed management techniques for different types of behavior.

The Exceptional Child: Inclusion in Early Childhood by K. Eileen Allen and Glynnis E. Cowdery. This book focuses on building a classroom for every child, regardless of background or ability. It covers all aspects of inclusivity, from law and policy to educator practices.

Educators might consider consistently reading new releases in the field of childhood development to keep their knowledge and skill up-to-date.

Conferences

Early childhood educators can learn plenty from experts in psychology, neuroscience and education, but they can also learn quite a bit from one another. Educators should strive to build a strong network of fellow educators, with whom they might regularly converse about news and strategies for navigating child development. Forming relationships with fellow staff members or utilizing local networking associations can be helpful in cultivating this network.

Additionally, educators should consider attending an annual conference devoted to the topic of child development. At conferences, various professionals in the field of child development meet and discuss emerging and ongoing issues. There are ample opportunities to attend lectures and seminars for additional instruction in key topics and abundant networking events for creating valuable connections. In some cases, educators can receive funding to attend these conferences from their employers.

Early childhood educators can influence the future by fostering certain traits in the next generation. By understanding more about how development occurs throughout childhood, educators can give every child the opportunity to thrive.