Continuous Professional Development in Early Years Stage

Running head: EARLY YEARS STAGE 1
Early Years Stage
Name
Institution

EARLY YEARS STAGE 2
1.1
It is important for practitioners like me to undertake continuous professional development
in order to be able to account for a child’s health and welfare. In essence, the development
enables me to offer children with a safe, secure and favorable learning environment which plays
a critical role in becoming well-rounded (Bicehouse & Faieta, 2017).
Another significance for continuous professional development stems from the need to
grow individually (Kohnen & Saul, 2018). This allows practitioners to be considered for
promotions among other benefits such as being a person of value in the society. A good example
of continuous professional development is attending childcare conferences with an aim of
qualifying for first aid exercise.
1.2
Potential barriers to professional development occurs when the practitioner tends to
separate personal lives and work (Koonce, 2018). This is often attributed to lack of string work-
life balance, anxiety and unnecessary pressure. In other instances practitioners may choose to
leave a demanding course in order to take a brake which often becomes a way of life. Some
practitioners may develop the perception that attaining high professionalism would not guarantee
them better pay for their services (Ryan & Bhattacharyya, 2016). A typical example is when the
development fails to include various aspects of professionals profile as well as insignificant
realism between expectation and real capabilities both in the present and in the future Mohr-
(Schroeder, Cavalcanti & Blyman, 2015).
1.3

EARLY YEARS STAGE 3
The use of different sources and system of support for professional development requires
careful consideration of the needs in the employment sector. External courses are often relied
upon in the event that an institution is incapable of providing standards that are offered better in
another institution. Besides, reading as a source of support is often significant for purposes of
personal development regarding an individual’s evaluation. Shadowing a senior staff is often
encouraged for purposes of mimicking various attributes. An example of shadowing is when a
practitioner follows a senior staff procedures of practice. Some professional development sources
may be attributed to mentoring where a senior staff member guides newly recruited staff.
1.4
There are several factors that should be considered when evaluating opportunities for
professional development. For instance, it is significant for one to consider all forms of training
and developments such as face-to-face conversations, online courses, mentorship, personal
reading among many others (Bubb & Earley, 2009).
As a practitioner I must be able to express honesty with respect to shortcoming in order to
be able to improve as a result of one’s development. It is advisable for practitioners to evaluate
their understanding and ability in various areas of practice. An example of how to realize this is
by highlighting where ones skills are best as well as highlighting areas of weakness for purposes
of improvement.
2.1
In order to evaluate my knowledge based on performance against standards and
benchmarks, I need to be able to understand my code of conduct which will guide my practice.
The code of conduct will be governed by the regulation that social care employee adheres to.