Our Daily Work is Professional Development

Recently I was in Reggio Emilia on a study tour of the Municipal schools to learn from the educators who live and teach there. I have studied the work of Reggio Emilia for years. Their practice inspires my work with school-age children. The experience of visiting Reggio Emilia was a wealth of information and insight. One idea that stuck with me from the trip was the Reggio educator’s view of professional development.

In the United States, professional development for early childhood educators consists of a class, seminar, or conference we participate in to fill government requirements. Most educators participate in professional development each year, learn new information, and plug it into their practice. 

In Reggio Emilia, there is a different view of professional development. Professional development takes place in the classroom with the children. Professional development is a never-ending process for teachers to learn while contributing to new experiences and projects with the children. 

In the book, We Are All Explorers, the author talks about this relationship. “The fundamental goal for teacher’s professional development is teachers growing into a new relationship with children based on listening, observing, valuing, and responding to children’s expression of interests, feelings, and ideas.”

All the actions we take in the classroom are a part of our professional development. We learn new skills as we enact our practice. Children are learning to construct their knowledge and understanding. Educators are doing the same. Insights into our practice come from our work with children. Professional development is about embracing the process of learning that changes day-to-day and year-to-year.

Professional development is our work outside of the classroom and includes our work with other educators. Professional development is happening during meetings, collaborations, and when creating documentation. Educators connect the classroom work through documentation and reflection and bring the professional development process full circle. 

One of my most extraordinary learning experiences came from meetings with other educators. We shared documentation of the children’s work, talked about the path forward, and challenged each other to take the work to another level.

Another aspect of professional development is reflection. Journal keeping is a valuable tool for professional growth. Educators who take time each day to write a few pages about their experiences in the classroom will learn so much about their practice with children. 

Our field requires emotional labor. As educators, we often place the needs of others above our own. Part of professional development is taking time away from the classroom. I noticed in Reggio Emilia that the dedicated educators were passionate about their work and enjoyed life outside of the school. The more we pour into our self-care, the more we can support our work with children and the learning community. 

How do you enact your professional development?