The Many Faces of Professional Development

Tim Graves, M.S.Ed.

This article is from the Spring 2000 issue of the Reporter, the news magazine of the New York State Association for the Education of Young Children.

At the core, Professional Development is about ongoing learning--both formal and informal. The many faces of the women and men who have taught, mentored, and supported me throughout my career as an early childhood educator have been parading through my mind as I have put this edition of the Reporter together.

My formal professional development included the face of Dr. Jeanne Morris. Her face was determined and committed the day she discovered that our college class had not received an adequate grounding in child development theory. She changed her plans, and curriculum, and focused for the remainder of the semester on child development. I have a stronger sense of who children are because of the teaching of Dr. Morris.

Sitting on the floor during a home visit, the face of Tandy, the cooperating teacher in my student teaching experience, was compassionate, loving, and fully focused on the needs of a little boy despite the cockroaches that crawled over her shoes. She taught me commitment to children and the importance of supporting families in all environments. In this issue, Chris Mercogliano talks about how his school in Albany includes families from in all environments in bimonthly meetings as one of their many types of professional development.

As I left college, and began teaching in a program where I was the only teacher and in an unfamiliar city without supportive faces, I learned how lonely it can be without professional support. In this issue of the Reporter Jo-An Palmer talks about how crucial a support group was in her early years of teaching.

Bob Rockwell's face was always welcoming. In graduate school, I would trek to campus for evening classes after a long day of parenting and teaching. I would expectantly poke my head into Bob's office. Invariably, he invited me to sit and chat about work, about our children, and about our futures. For these informal chats I am grateful; it was difficult teaching full-time, parenting a preschooler and a baby, and going to graduate school. The Career Development Initiative information in this issue describes a variety of supports that can enable individuals to increase their skills without giving up their day job.

And then there is the face of Danish-born Else Sorensen, my most important mentor. She taught me. She supported me. She mentored me. She believed in me and so I improved and grew as an educator. But one afternoon in particular stands out in my mind, her face as full of wonder as the face of twenty-two-month-old Emily. Else and Emily took tissues out of a Kleenex box one at a time and watched them get caught in the whirlwind of the child care program's courtyard. Else taught me to wonder with children and to truly put children first. Just as I was touched by a woman who began teaching in Denmark, Suzanne Miller discusses in her article how she was touched by the effects of "Legos, lanterns, and a land that cares" during her participation in the OMEP World Congress of Early Childhood in Copenhagen.

As a child care Director, I watched the faces of my staff when they had the opportunity to attend conferences such as the NYSAEYC Conference in New York City. I especially remember Lily. She was questioning her teaching and headed toward leaving the profession. She left for the conference somewhat reluctantly; her face was crinkled and full of "Why bother?" Upon return from the NYSAEYC Conference that year, she was smiling and laughing as she encouraged her peers who had not attended to improve their skills and not give up on teaching. Lily taught me to never underestimate the power of development experiences.

In recent years I have had to invent faces for some of the colleagues I have met in my professional development. The people are real but the faces are unknown as I have only met these colleagues online. Like Marianne Dambra, who writes in this issue about the professional support she has found via the Internet, I also find listservs very helpful. A few years ago, I needed information quickly on child grief for a family in crisis and was able to gather resources from my electronic colleagues within hours.

And finally, the faces of the children have joined the parade in my mind as I have put this issue of the Reporter together. As I visit student teachers, I have discovered that the programs and schools with the most effective teachers are those that value professional development. In those programs and schools I have seen the faces of children filled with wonder, effort, happiness, and well being.

©Copyright, 2000 Timothy R. Graves.  All Rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce for use with parents and families of young children is granted provided no financial gain is involved and this copyright notice is included. Mr. Graves would appreciate any feedback and knowing how and when you use this document. Please let him know by writing Training Wheels for Early Childhood Education at 1981 Decatur Avenue Wheeling, WV 26003 or sending an e-mail to timgraves@trainingwheels4ece.com. Additional articles and handouts can be found at www.trainingwheels4ece.com