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2.1 Fostering a Effective Work-Force including Certification and Training

Ongoing Training and Professional Development for Staff

Organizing PD

Organizing a Professional Development Workshop for Early Childhood Educators

A well-organized Professional Development (PD) workshop should be engaging, reflective, and relevant to educators’ daily practice. 

A step-by-step guide to planning and facilitating a meaningful workshop for ECEs is provided in this section. 

Planning, Implementation and follow-up

Choose topics for PD based on educator needs, current trends, or centre goals.

 Examples

  • Play-based & emergent curriculum

  • Nature-based learning & rewilding

  • Supporting self-regulation & social-emotional learning

  • Indigenous ways of knowing in ECE

  • Anti-bias & inclusive practices

  • Documentation & pedagogical narration

  • Guidance strategies

  • Attachment

  • Self-care for Educators

  • Documentation

There are lots of other topics that you could choose! Make sure that it is relevant to what is needed in the centre.

Workshop Planning

Format

In addition to choosing a topic for PD, you must find a location that fits the format, topic, and space needs. Notably, recreation centres, churches, and community halls often have rooms for rent if a space is needed. 

Facilitation

Secure a facilitator (contact the local colleges, CCRR or other centres for suggestions). 

Workshop Preparation

  • Develop an agenda: Make sure there is time for collaboration 
  • Prepare materials & resources (handouts, slides, visual aids, reflection journals or discussion prompts, loose parts, natural materials, or play items).
  • When possible, provide food for educators and create space for open dialogue, connection and collaboration in the workshop
  • At the end of the workshop ask participants: "What is one thing you will bring into your practice tomorrow?". Consider using a quick survey to collect feedback to improve future workshops.

After the Workshop

  • Send out key takeaways, readings, and tools 
  • You may want to create a shared folder (Google Drive, Padlet, or Canva Whiteboard) for collaboration and sharing of resources so that they can re-visit it at future PD workshops