Taking time to think about your work with young children and families is important. And we’re here to help.
Getting started
The first step is to know yourself as a learner and to be willing to ask yourself critical questions. We each carry our own perspective about ourselves, others, and what working with young children and families should look like.
These perspectives are developed over time through our lived experiences and influence our practice. It is important to check your practices through a lens of others’ point of view and intentionally consider:
- Do I really know everything I need to know about working with young children and families?
- Have I considered what others may think about my practices?
- What should I consider as areas of growth or new learning opportunities?
- How will my new learning and enhanced practice affect children and families?
Using the reflection tool
We’ve created a tool for developing your individual professional development plan (IPDP) based on OEC’s core knowledge and competencies for early care and childhood professionals.
The reflection tool is your personal guide for thinking. Choose the format that works best for you:
Conducting reflective supervision
If you’re a supervisor and would like to talk with your staff about their professional development, the reflection IPDP tool may help. However, please:
- Make sure to follow best practices for reflective supervision
- Use the tool to engage in an authentic conversation about growth opportunities — not to evaluate your staff