“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Development of professionals.
Element 7.2.3: Educators, co-ordinators and staff members’ performance is regularly evaluated and individual plans are in place to support learning and development.
Early childhood education teams are often made up of a diverse group of professionals who are equally knowledgeable yet differ in their professional development needs, depending on their specific roles, individual Service philosophy and context. It’s important that leaders consistently work with individual educators to monitor their skills, professional practice and performance and plan collaboratively for continual improvement to ensure best practice.
Have your team set their professional goals for the year?
All staff, educators and management working with children are required to be included in a system of regular performance review and have individual Professional Development Plans in place. The beginning of the year is an ideal time for Services to have educators reflect on their goals for the year, identify any areas of improvement and start planning their professional development opportunities and experiences. As professional development plans are a living document, ensure that educators continually review and update their goals throughout the year, as well as during performance review and “check in” meetings.
Reflective questions to guide effective leadership and consistent development of professionals:
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- How do we reflect on our individual professional practice to identify any areas of improvement?
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- How is the leadership in our service contributing to the development of a positive organisational culture?
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- How do we review & measure success of our professional development goals?
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- How can we share the collective knowledge of the team and create opportunities for critical reflection and collaboration on our practice?
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- How can we develop the skills and capacity of team members in a way that leads to improved shared leadership?
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- How is the leadership in our service promoting high expectations, equity and inclusion?
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- How are we creating opportunities for professional and respectful conversations about practice?
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- How do our performance management processes support continuous improvement?
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- How do we ensure that educator’s knowledge is current and ever evolving?
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- How do leaders support educators and team to stay abreast of all relevant policies and procedures?
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- How do leaders support educators to develop their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and meaningfully and respectfully engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities?
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- What do we know about the rate of, and reasons for, turnover of educators, coordinators and staff members at this service?
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- How do we create opportunities for professional learning experiences including professional conversations, coaching and mentoring, and practitioner inquiry within our service?
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- How effective are our performance review procedures for driving continual improvement and development of professionals?
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- How can we structure our staffing arrangements to improve continuity of care for children?
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- How do we raise awareness of inclusion amongst service staff, and support educators to promote and reduce the barriers to inclusion for all children and families?
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- What strategies are proving successful in building a professional learning community? How do we know they are successful?
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- How do we select professional learning opportunities to maximise professional outcomes for individual staff and the team as a whole?
- How does management ensure the development of professionals is valued and prioritised?
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Resources:
We Hear You- Quality Area 7 – Something in it for everyone
Quality area 7- Supporting performance and the development of professionals
Leading Excellent Pedagogy and Practice in Children’s Services
Enablers for Professional Conversations
We Hear You- Practical strategies for reviewing, planning and improving team performance
Within System7 go to Quality Area 7 Modules 37, 38 & 39 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with development of professionals. These include Professional Development Guide and Procedure, Professional Development Plan Template, Performance Review templates, Performance Management templates, Professional Development Policy, Professional Development Audit and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 7/ 7.2.3- Development of professionals
National Regulations – 147, 168, 169, 170
System7 Module – QA 7/ Modules 37, 38 & 39
If you have any questions send us a note via the Contact page here!
