CDA Renewal 1: Professionalism-Beliefs, Knowledge, Action
Slide #1: This module is designed as one part in a series of eight different modules for
completing the necessary educational requirements for a CDA renewal.
Slide #2: In this CDA Renewal module we will explore professionalism and what it means to be
a professional. Professionalism is not merely a static term, but instead an evolving process of
what one believes, knows and does. There are many components to professionalism, but
throughout this module we will look at just a few. Someone who displays professionalism
promotes quality service, is committed to an ethical code of conduct, makes decisions based on
knowledge and best practice, and utilizes a professional development plan. Throughout this
CDA renewal module, we will explore and deepen our understanding of these four areas of
professionalism. We will utilize several resources and handouts throughout this module. You
may want to download and print the handouts out now for quicker and easier access later. You
will be prompted to reflect and journal throughout the module. Make sure you have writing
materials within reach for these reflections. Some of these activities will require you to apply
what you have learned to the classroom. Make sure to stop the module to complete the activity
before continuing.
Slide #3: First, let’s take a look at our learning objectives for this module. The learning
objectives for this CDA Renewal module are to:
1. Review the definition of professionalism and examine the learner’s own understanding of
professionalism through the process of completing a self-assessment survey of
professional behaviors.
2. Reflect on real life situations and examine how the establishment of personal and
professional boundaries can guide one’s beliefs and actions.
3. Re-examine the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and identify how the Code of Ethical
Conduct can guide early childhood professionals in making decisions.
4. Investigate educational theorists, examine the learner’s opinions about what they know
and believe about how children learn, and make connections between educational
theories and classroom practice, and
5. Develop a professional development plan by identifying a goal to help further the
learner’s professionalism, identifying resources to help assist them in meeting their goal,
and developing a reasonable timeline.
Slide #4: Now, let’s take a quick look at the four areas of professionalism that we will explore in
this module. First, we will look at the early care and education profession and discuss to what
degree it is a service profession and what level of quality is expected. Next, we will revisit
NAEYC’s Ethical Code of Conduct and analyze how this code of conduct can guide us in
making professional decisions. Next, we will delve into the theorists and theories that have
helped to shape best practices in the field of education. Then we will wrap up this module by
reviewing a career lattice and your professional goals. A career lattice is like a ladder that shows
you where you are professionally and how to climb to the next level. We will discuss how to
utilize professional development plans to enhance your level of professionalism and perhaps
even help you move up the career ladder.
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
Slide #5: Before we begin discussing the components of professionalism introduced already,
let’s explore the definition of professionalism and some related terms to help make sure we are
all working from the same foundation. Our goal for this section is to review the definition of
professionalism and examine our own understanding of professionalism through the process of
completing a self-assessment of professional behaviors.
What is professionalism? Merriam-Webster defines professionalism as “the conduct, aims and
qualities that characterize or mark a profession or professional person.” So in this module, we
will look at behaviors, goals and quality of work.
Slide #6: There are three additional elements that separate professions from other careers.
Professionals value knowledge and act from this knowledge. Professionals also value
colleagues and consult with one another. Lastly, professionals advocate for their clients. In
education, we see these three elements at work (Raths, 2001). We must have knowledge in
order to be a part of the profession. We often work together with colleagues, alongside one
another in the classroom, and even beyond the classroom walls with curriculum and program
planning. We advocate when we work to ensure that the young children in our care receive
what they need. Think of a child in your class who isn’t meeting cognitive, physical or social
goals yet. First, you used your knowledge of child development to know that this child isn’t
meeting goals. Now think about how you advocate for him. You might schedule a meeting with
the parents to gather more information, discuss this child with your supervisor to get guidance
on how to move forward and possibly even make a referral for the child to be considered for
additional services. In this scenario you gathered more information, consulted with colleagues
(and parents too!), and advocated for this young child. That’s professionalism at work.
Slide #7: Let’s look at a few more terms. Merriam Webster defines knowledge as the
“information, understanding or skills that you get from experience or education.” Colleagues are
co-workers or associates in the profession and advocacy is “the act or process of supporting a
cause or proposal.” Some additional terms include skill, training and behavior. Skill is a
“developed aptitude or ability or a learned power of doing something competently” and training
is “the process by which someone is taught skills.” A behavior is “the manner of conducting
oneself.” We will reference these words throughout this module so having a concise and
consistent understanding is important.
Slide #8: Now that we have a greater understanding of what professionalism is, we will assess
our own level of professional practice by using the Texas Core Competencies for Early
Childhood Practitioners and Administrators. If you work in another state, you may use this
reference, or access your state’s competencies for early childhood educators. The Texas Core
Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and Administrators manual describes the core
competencies that professionals working with young children need to know and implement.
There are nine areas which include: child growth and development; responsive interactions and
guidance; learning environments, planning framework, curriculum and standards; supporting
skill development; observation and assessment; diversity and dual language learners; families
and community relationships; health, safety and nutrition; and professionalism and ethics. The
professionalism and ethics core competency area has five standards. These five standards are:
ethical standards and professional guidelines; reflective practices and professional growth;
professional development outlook; collaborative partnerships; and advancing the status of
children and families. Within each of these standards there are three levels of practice as
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
described for beginner, intermediate and advanced practitioners. Using the Texas Core
Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and Administrators, rate your level of practice
within the area of professionalism and ethics. Start with the beginner competencies and place a
check mark in each box that describes the behavior that you do on a consistent basis. From
there move on to intermediate and advanced competencies and continue checking boxes for
behaviors or competencies that you fulfill regularly and consistently. Complete this for all five
standards under the professionalism and ethics area. This activity is for your eyes only, so
please complete the self-assessment honestly, and after completing this activity review your
level of practice. Is your level of practice consistent across all five standards or does it vary?
Keep a copy of your self-assessment. We will revisit this self-assessment towards the end of
the module.
Slide #9: In many ways, early care and education is a service profession and quality is the key
ingredient. Early childhood professionals must interact and engage with others, such as
children, parents, coworkers, and supervisors, constantly throughout the day. Our learning
objective for this section is to reflect on real life situations and examine how the establishment of
personal and professional boundaries can guide one’s beliefs and actions. So, in this section of
the module, we will explore how we would respond in various situations and how the
establishment of or lack of boundaries guides our beliefs and actions. Throughout this module,
we will stop and reflect on many scenarios and new learning. These reflections are for your
eyes only; so please take the time to reflect and respond honestly. Make sure to have a journal
or notebook that you can write your reflection in and revisit throughout this learning experience.
Slide #10: First, let’s look at a few scenarios and think about how we have responded or might
have responded in the past. Use Handout 1, Professional Scenarios 1, to guide you. Please
write your reflections in your journal. Here’s the first scenario. It’s morning in a preschool
classroom, and the children have begun transitioning to the carpet area for group time. A
parent walks through the door with a child who hasn’t eaten breakfast. Both parent and child
seem frazzled. While a few children are still cleaning up from breakfast, most have transitioned
to the carpet for story time. The child is a relatively independent child who will sit and eat quietly
and then clean up on her own; however, you feel overwhelmed trying to juggle late arrivals. How
would you respond?
Slide #11: Reflect and write about how you have responded or might have responded to the
situation at the moment and after pausing and thinking about the child and parent? If you have
an assistant, how might you utilize your assistant in this situation? How might you respond if it
was a child who was active, energetic and often needed redirection? These reflections are for
your eyes only; so please respond honestly. Also, we will revisit these scenarios and reflections
throughout this module to help us understand how knowledge and experiences can impact our
actions.
Slide #12: Here’s another scenario. Your supervisor has just planned another staff meeting
and told everyone about the new and cool assessment that everyone must be trained on next
week and then begin implementing immediately. Needless to say, you are not thrilled, but what
do you do?
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
Slide #13: Reflect and write about how you might respond in this situation at the moment, the
next day and even the next week. What do you say to your co-workers while in the meeting?
What do you say to your teaching partner the next day at work? What attitude do you take with
you to the training the following week?
Slide #14: Here’s another scenario. Assessments are due next week, and you still have half
the class to complete. You’ve already collected work samples and anecdotal notes, but still
have to organize the information and write a summary of each child’s progress. How do you
approach this situation?
Slide #15: What do you do in this situation? Do you make a plan to spend your planning time
working effectively to complete the assessments? Do you decide that you can work on them
during center time, since the children tend to do well playing by themselves? Reflect and write
about what you have done or might do in this type of situation.
Slide #16: Here is one more scenario. A good friend also works at the same early childhood
program. While the two of you do not work in the same classroom, you do get to catch up and
talk while on the playground. She’s had a lot going on in her life and has needed someone to
talk to. You take your class outside and are blowing bubbles to entertain some of the children,
while keeping an eye on the ones climbing and sliding. You see your friend come outside with
her class. She comes over and starts talking to you about personal experiences. What do you
do?
Slide #17: So, what would you do? What do you discuss? Where is your focus? Take a
moment to reflect and write about this scenario.
Slide #18: Now that we’ve had the opportunity to think about how we have responded or might
have responded in the past, let’s take a look at personal and professional boundaries and how
the establishment or lack of boundaries in our lives helps us make decisions.
Slide #19: Our learning objective for this section is to reflect on real life situations and examine
how the establishment of personal and professional boundaries can guide one’s beliefs and
actions.
Slide #20: Let’s start by taking a look at a couple of definitions of boundaries. One definition of
boundary is “a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In
other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not” (Cloud, H. & Townsend, J.,
1992). Other definitions of boundaries say that boundaries help to define personal space, set
limits, and determine acceptable behaviors. If boundaries define who we are and determine
behaviors, then boundaries drive our decisions about how to act or respond in various
situations.
Slide #21: How many times have you said, “yes” to something when you really wanted to say
‘no’ or realized after you said ‘yes’ that you felt overwhelmed with too many responsibilities.
This is an example of not having established boundaries to help guide your decisions. Often,
when we take on more responsibility than we are able or if we do not stop someone’s
inappropriate actions we feel resentful and this can show in our behaviors. There are several
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
examples of boundaries. The most basic boundary is the skin. Your skin is a boundary that
differentiates you from others. It physically defines who you are. Infants eventually learn that
they are separate from their parents as part of their development. Because you are an
individual separate from others, your thoughts, beliefs and actions belong to you. Words can
also serve as a boundary. For example, saying ‘no’ to another added responsibility, is an
example of using a boundary word that may help you protect yourself, your values and your
relationships with others. Physical distance can be a boundary. Removing yourself from a
situation can help you replenish your needs and sends a message that your boundaries are
important and when violated will lead to consequences. Sometimes physical distance may not
be an option, but taking time or emotional distance away from someone can create the needed
boundary. Other people, who support you and your beliefs, can help to create boundaries. As
people, we need and value relationships and these positive relationships can provide us with
knowledge and guidance which can help strengthen one’s personal boundaries.
Slide #22: We have to realize that there are things for which we are responsible and our
boundaries help to protect these things. We are responsible for our feelings, attitudes, beliefs,
behaviors, choices, values, limits, talents, thoughts, desires and love. It is having boundaries
that helps us protect these many components of ourselves. Have you ever blamed someone
else for distracting you from a task that you then did not complete on time? However, it was
your choice to stop the task at hand. It was your choice to go out with your friends, to go to the
movie or even to watch TV instead of preparing for the day tomorrow. We must take ownership
for these things that only we are responsible for and set boundaries so that we can make
choices that benefit ourselves.
Slide #23: Consider this scenario. It’s planning time and you know you want to finish prepping
for tomorrow’s activities, but your good friend comes into your room and wants to hang out and
talk. Instead of saying, “Hey, I can’t talk now I need to finish my work, but I’ll give you a call
tonight,” you let her hang out and distract you from your work. The next day you are scrambling
to finish getting materials together when your supervisor walks in for a surprise observation.
You begin feeling frustrated and blame your friend for not being prepared. Sound familiar? I
think this is a place that many of us have been before. It’s easy to get distracted from our
professional responsibilities unless we have clear boundaries and are able to communicate
these boundaries to others.
Slide #24: Let’s take a moment to reflect. Using your journal reflect and write your thoughts to
the following questions: What boundaries have you established in your life? How do these
boundaries guide your decisions? What boundaries might you establish that would help to guide
you in situations that you find difficult?
Slide #25: Remember the scenarios we discussed previously? How would the establishment
or lack of boundaries guide decisions and actions in these situations? Here was the first
scenario. It’s morning in a preschool classroom and the children have begun transitioning to the
carpet area for group time. A parent walks through the door with a child who hasn’t eaten
breakfast. Both parent and child seem frazzled. While a few children are still cleaning up from
breakfast, most have transitioned to the carpet for story time. The child is a relatively
independent child who will sit and eat quietly and then clean up on her own; however, you feel
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
overwhelmed trying to juggle late arrivals. How would you respond? How could establishing
certain boundaries change your response?
Slide #26: There are a variety of appropriate responses to this scenario. Factors that may
affect a person’s response could include their personal values as well as their program’s
philosophy, policies or procedures. Here are a few examples of how boundaries might help
guide your actions in this situation:
 Words - You might have a pre-established statement that you give to parents who arrive
late for breakfast,
 Physical Distance - You might ask your assistant to help late arrivals so that you can
focus on the group,
 Taking Time - You might take time to reflect on the situation before following up with the
parents to discuss the situation, or
 Other Supportive People - You might reach out to your supervisor to ask for additional
support and ideas.
Slide #27: Let’s revisit the second scenario. Your supervisor has just planned another staff
meeting and told everyone about the new and cool assessment that everyone must be trained
on next week and then begin implementing immediately. You are not thrilled, but what do you
do? What do you say to your co-workers while in the meeting? What do you say to your
teaching partner the next day at work? What attitude do you take with you to the training the
following week? How could established boundaries help you make decisions about how to
respond and what to say?
Slide #28: There are a variety of appropriate responses to this scenario. Factors that may
affect a person’s response could include their personal values as well as their program’s
philosophy, policies or procedures. Here are a few examples of how boundaries might help
guide your actions in this situation:



Physical Distance - You might remove yourself from conversations that are not positive,
Emotional Distance and Taking Time - You might take time to reflect on the situation
before sharing your thoughts, or
Other Supportive People - You might reach out to your supervisor or other teachers to
find ways to approach the situation positively.
Slide #29: Here’s another scenario we discussed earlier. Assessments are due next week and
you still have half the class to complete. You’ve already collected work samples and anecdotal
notes, but still have to organize the information and write a summary of each child’s progress.
How do you approach this situation? Do you make a plan to spend your planning time working
effectively to complete the assessments? Do you decide that you can work on them during
center time, since the children tend to do well playing by themselves? How could boundaries
have helped guided you during this long term task?
Slide #30: There are a variety of appropriate responses to this scenario. Factors that may
affect a person’s response could include their personal values as well as their program’s
philosophy, policies or procedures. Here are a few examples of how boundaries might help
guide your actions in this situation:
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.


Words - You might have chosen to use words to communicate your need to complete
this task during planning time, or
Other Supportive People – You might plan to work alongside other teachers who also
need support completing assessments.
Slide #31: Here is the last scenario from our earlier discussion. A good friend also works at the
same early childhood program. While the two of you do not work in the same classroom, you
do get to catch up and talk while on the playground. She’s had a lot going on in her life and has
needed someone to talk to. You take your class outside and are blowing bubbles to entertain
some of the children, while keeping an eye on the ones climbing and sliding. You see your
friend come outside with her class. She comes over and starts talking to you about personal
experiences. What do you do? What do you discuss? Where is your focus? How can you
use boundaries to help you with this situation? How might establishing explicit boundaries
change your behavior with this co-worker?
Slide #32: There are a variety of appropriate responses to this scenario. Factors that may
affect a person’s response could include their personal values as well as their program’s
philosophy, policies or procedures. Here are a few examples of how boundaries might help
guide your actions in this situation:



Words - You might have chosen to use your words to communicate with your friend that
you are happy to talk with her outside of work time,
Physical Distance - You might make a decision to adjust your outside play to give you
some physical distance while you consider the best approach, or
Other Supportive People – You might talk with other friends of your co-worker about how
each of you can work together to help her through this situation.
Slide #33: Hopefully these examples illustrated how establishing boundaries can help to guide
the decision you make in your personal and professional life. You may have noticed while
reflecting on these scenarios that, in many ways, boundaries and ethics are very similar. They
both help to define who we are, guide us in making decisions, and drive our behaviors. While
boundaries are a “personal property line,” NAEYC defines ethics as “the study of right and
wrong, or duty and obligation, which involves critical reflection on morality and the ability to
make choices between values and the examination of the moral dimensions of relationships.”
Ethics is essentially the rules of conduct for a specific group. The National Association for the
Education of Young Children has established a Code of Ethical Conduct to guide the decisions
and behaviors of early childhood professionals. This code of ethical conduct is a foundation for
all early childhood educators; however, our understanding of professionalism, as well as our
own personal beliefs, guide how we interpret and put this code of conduct into action. As early
childhood professionals, many of you should already be aware of this code of ethics, so in this
section, we are going to focus on application of the code of ethics. We will review the code of
ethics and make connections to professional dilemmas we have encountered. Our learning
objective for this section is to re-examine the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and identify how
the Code of Ethical Conduct can guide early childhood professionals in making decisions. You
will need access to a copy of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. You can access a copy
online or through a book format.
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
Slide #34: First, let’s review some terms related to the code of ethics. We’ve already said
ethics is “the study of right and wrong, or duty and obligation, which involves critical reflection on
morality and the ability to make choices between values and the examination of the moral
dimensions of relationships.” So a code of ethics, as defined in NAEYC’s Code of Ethical
Conduct, “defines the core values of the field and provides guidance for what professionals
should do when they encounter conflicting obligations or responsibilities in their work.”
Essentially, the code makes the rules of conduct public and guides professionals in working
through difficult situations. We often associate values with ethics. While there is not a clear cut
line between the two we can look at values as what an individual believes to be worthy, while a
code of ethics incorporates the values of a group of people or profession. NAEYC defines
values as “qualities or principles that individuals believe to be desirable or worthwhile and that
they prize for themselves, for others, and for the world in which they live.” NAEYC further
defines professional ethics as “the moral commitments of a profession that involve moral
reflection that extends and enhances the personal morality practitioners bring to their work, that
concern actions of right and wrong in the workplace and that help individuals resolve moral
dilemmas they encounter in their work.”
Slide #35: Read along with the definitions on the screen as we discuss a few more terms
associated with ethics. Core values speak to the “commitments held by a profession,” which is
similar to ethics, but these values are held because “they make a contribution to society,” rather
than being rules or regulations to follow. Again, we are talking about terms that are closely
related and often intertwine with one another. Moral beliefs are what people believe to be good
and bad or right and wrong and guide how one should behave. Ethical responsibility describes
clear cut behaviors that should or should not occur. For example, NAEYC states that
confidential information should never be shared with an individual who has no need for knowing
the information. While this statement is clear cut, the application of it can easily slide into a gray
area. What is considered confidential information? When trying to help a child, who can certain
information be shared with and who should not be aware of this information. These are
important questions to speak with your supervisor about. Often it is not just one individual who
cares for and educates a child, but a team of professionals. Who is on your team? This is
when we slide into the area of ethical dilemmas. Ethical dilemmas are situations that present
themselves where the path to resolution is not marked clearly.
Slide #36: You may have read the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct previously, but as
professionals we need to read, re-read and review the expectations of our behaviors in this field
of early care and education. Using a copy of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, please read
through the code of conduct. As you read, analyze the information and think about how it has
meaning for you personally and professionally.
Slide #37: Now let’s reflect and connect. Think back to the scenarios we discussed previously.
First, we thought about how we might respond or how we have responded in the past to these
types of situations. Then we reviewed the scenarios and considered how the establishment or
lack of boundaries guided our decisions and actions. Now, let’s review the scenarios one more
time using the code of ethics as our lens. Let’s read through the scenarios and make decisions
about which ideals and principles could help guide us. Remember the first scenario: It’s
morning in a preschool classroom and the children have begun transitioning to the carpet area
for group time. A parent walks through the door with a child who hasn’t eaten breakfast. Both
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
parent and child seem frazzled. While a few children are still cleaning up from breakfast, most
have transitioned to the carpet for story time. The child is a relatively independent child who will
sit and eat quietly and then clean up on her own. Using the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct,
select the ideals and/or principles that could guide professional behavior in this type of situation.
Slide #38: What ideals and/or principles did you reference? The following ideals and/or
principles are some that could be applied in this type of situation:
I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional,
cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions,
I-2.2—To develop relationships, mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve,
I-2.4—To listen to families, acknowledge and build upon their strengths and competencies, and
learn from families as we support them in their task of nurturing children, and
P-2.2—We shall inform families of program philosophy, policies, curriculum, assessment
system, cultural practices, and personnel qualifications, and explain why we teach as we do—
which should be in accordance with our ethical responsibilities to children (see Section I)
Slide #39: Remember the second scenario where your supervisor has just planned another
staff meeting and told everyone about the new and cool assessment that everyone must be
trained on next week and then begin implementing immediately. You are not thrilled, but what
do you do? Which ideals and/or principles could guide behavior in this type of situation?
Slide #40: What ideals and/or principles did you reference? While there could be many, the
following ideals and/or principles are some that could be applied in this type of situation:
I-3A.1— To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration,
and cooperation with co-workers,
I-3A.3—To support co-workers in meeting their professional needs and in their professional
development,
I-3B.1— To assist the program in providing the highest quality of service, and
P-3B.5—When we have a concern about circumstances or conditions that impact the quality of
care and education within the program, we shall inform the program’s administration or, when
necessary, other appropriate authorities.
Slide #41: Our third scenario discussed assessments and deadlines. Assessments are due
next week and you still have half the class to complete. How do you approach this situation?
Which ideals and/or principles could guide behavior in this type of situation?
Slide #42: What ideals and/or principles did you reference? The following ideals and/or
principles are some that could be applied in this type of situation.
I-1.5—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional,
cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions,
P-1.2—We shall care for and educate children in positive emotional and social environments
that are cognitively stimulating and that support each child’s culture, language, ethnicity, and
family structure, and
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
P-3B.3— We shall not violate laws or regulations designed to protect children and shall take
appropriate action consistent with this Code when aware of such violations
Slide #43: Our last scenario combined personal and professional conflicts. A good friend also
works at the same early childhood program. While the two of you do not work in the same
classroom, you do get to catch up and talk while on the playground. She’s had a lot going on in
her life and has needed someone to talk to. You take your class outside and are blowing
bubbles to entertain some of the children, while keeping an eye on the ones climbing and
sliding. You see your friend come outside with her class. She comes over and starts talking to
you about personal experiences. What do you do? Which ideals and/or principles could guide
behavior in this type of situation?
Slide #44: What ideals and/or principles did you reference? The following ideals and/or
principles are some that could be applied in this type of situation.
I-3A.1— To establish and maintain relationships of respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration,
and cooperation with co-workers,
P-3A.2—When we have concerns about the professional behavior of a co-worker, we shall first
let that person know of our concern in a way that shows respect for personal dignity and for the
diversity to be found among staff members, and then attempt to resolve the matter collegially
and in a confidential manner,
I-3B.1—To assist the program in providing the highest quality of service, and
P-3B.4—If we have concerns about a colleague’s behavior, and children’s well-being is not at
risk, we may address the concern with that individual. If children are at risk or the situation does
not improve after it has been brought to the colleague’s attention, we shall report the colleague’s
unethical or incompetent behavior to an appropriate authority.
Slide #45: Cycling back allows us to see these types of situations through various lenses and
all of these lenses are needed to guide our decisions and actions. You have personal values
and beliefs that are a part of who you are. These are often deeply rooted and essential to your
identity. You also have professional guidelines and expectations. These may intertwine
beautifully with your personal values sometimes and at other times they may create conflict.
Knowing your boundaries helps to bridge personal and professional values and guide you to
make positive choices for yourself, your colleagues, and the children and families you work with.
Slide #46: After reading the Code of Ethical conduct, select one ideal or principle that has
significant meaning for you. Think about the scenarios from the previous section and share
your own professional dilemma that connects to this ideal and/or principle. Describe what
happened to create the dilemma and make a connection to the ideal or principle that you chose
and reference how it can help someone make a professional decision in this type of situation.
Download and use the handout, Professional Dilemma, to share why you selected this ideal or
principle, why it is relevant to you personally and to your profession and what dilemma you
applied it to.
Slide #47: Remember professionalism is what we know, what we believe and what we do.
Professionalism is both personal as we’ve seen with boundaries and ethics, but it also is based
in research and best practice. What do you know and what do you believe about how children
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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learn? Theories of early childhood development help to guide and shape our thinking, beliefs
and actions when it comes to caring for, nurturing and educating young children. In this
section, we will discover where ideas and theories come from by analyzing the thinking and
work of several theorists. Our learning objective for this section is to investigate educational
theorists, examine your opinions about what you know and believe about how children learn,
and make connections between educational theories and classroom practice.
Slide #48: While what we know and believe about how children learn is rooted in hundreds of
years of research and practice, we can often sum up what we believe in a short statement. If a
parent or colleague asks you what you believe about how children learn, do you have a short,
concise statement to share what you believe? Let’s try an activity. If you were to write an
article about what you believe about how children learn and grow, what would be your headline?
Slide #49: We all have beliefs about how children learn and grow, so now let’s discover the
roots for many of our ideas and practices. We will learn about a few theorists by reading about
their backgrounds, analyzing the guiding principles of their theories and beliefs, and making
connections to classroom practice. Many of these theories build off of the foundations of
previous theorists. It takes time and continued education to fully understand and apply theories
of education. The theorists we will explore include: Montessori, Piaget, Erikson, Gardner, and
Vygotsky.
Slide #50: Use handout 5, Theorists and Theories, to capture some key points about Maria
Montessori, her approach to education and your personal ideas about this approach.
Slide #51: The first educational theorist we will look at is Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori
was born in Italy and her life spanned from 1870-1952. She was an avid reader as a child and
interested in education. She graduated from medical school in 1896 and her early medical
focus was on psychiatry. Eventually, her work in psychiatry and education blended together
and in 1900, she became the co-director of a training institute for special education teachers. In
1907, she opened her first childcare center and this is where we will focus our attention on her
theories and methods. The Montessori Method of education is a child centered approach that
believes that children are eager for knowledge and can initiate learning. She believed that
children learn best in an environment that encourages independence and has a sense of order.
The teacher, child and the environment create the learning triangle. In the early childhood
classroom, the Montessori Method encourages sensory-motor learning, meaning that children
are involved in direct experiences that include seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching and
moving. Here are some key points about the Montessori Method. Montessori classrooms are
child-centered; foster independence; provide multiage groupings that foster peer learning; offer
uninterrupted blocks of work time in a carefully prepared environment; and offer sensory-motor
experiences and guided choices of activities many of which are specifically designed Montessori
materials.
Slide #52: Let’s watch a video about Montessori Education.
[VIDEO]
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
Slide #53: Use the Theorists and Theories handout to capture some key points about Jean
Piaget, his theory of cognitive development and your personal ideas about this theory.
Slide #54: Jean Piaget was born in Switzerland in 1896. His work helps educators understand
learning with by breaking children’s cognitive development into stages. His theory conveys an
understanding of how individuals acquire knowledge and learn. He believes that individuals go
through four stages of cognitive development. Through the infancy years, children learn
through their movements and sensations. During this sensorimotor stage, children learn that
they are separate from the people and things around them, and they learn that their actions can
cause things to happen. For example, if I cry someone picks me up. In the sensorimotor stage,
children also learn about object permanence – the understanding that objects and people
continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard.
Next is the preoperational stage in which children begin to think symbolically and represent
ideas with pretend play, pictures and words. Children in this stage, generally ages two through
seven years, tend to be egocentric. Their thoughts and communication are primarily about
themselves, and they have difficulty seeing another person’s perspective
The next stage is the concrete operation stage in which children from about ages seven through
eleven years begin to think logically about concrete events. They begin to understand the
concepts of conservation. In a well-known experiment involving conservation, equal amounts of
liquid are poured into two identical containers. As the child observes, the researcher pours the
liquid in one container into a different shaped cup, such as a tall and thin cup or a short and
wide cup. Children are then asked which cup holds the most liquid. Despite seeing that the
liquid amounts were equal, children almost always choose the cup that appears fuller. Children
may begin to use inductive reasoning in this stage. Inductive reasoning is the ability to use
several specific instances to make a generalization. For example, a child knows that his dog
barks. He observes that the dogs belonging to his friends also bark, so he might reason that all
dogs bark.
The last stage is the formal operational stage which typically starts around age 11 years and
continues through adulthood. In this stage, the learner can think abstractly about concepts.
Slide #55: Watch this brief video describing Jean Piaget’s four stages of cognitive
development.
[VIDEO]
Slide #56: The concept of equilibrium is an important component of Piaget’s theory of cognitive
development. He believed that individuals seek equilibrium by assimilating or accommodating
new information. Assimilation is the process of taking in new information and adding it to our
existing schema. Schemas are like categories of knowledge organized in our mind that help us
to understand. Accommodation is the process of receiving new information that does not fit our
previously developed schema and making adaptations and changes to our schema. An
example of assimilation might include a young child who has a brown, furry dog at home and
sees a black, furry dog at the park and says, “dog.” Accommodation would be a child who has a
brown, furry dog at home and goes to the zoo and sees a brown, furry bear and says, “Dog” but
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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then learns that it is a bear and not a dog and thus creates a new schema for the concept of a
bear. Piaget’s theories of cognitive development play an important role for educators by helping
them understand how children learn and thus creating appropriate experiences that will help to
foster their growth and development.
Slide #57: What activities do you provide infants that encourage their learning through their
sensory and motor skills? Infants should be encouraged to explore their surroundings by lying
on their backs while being able to see and grasp toys. Tummy time also provides time for
infants to explore sensory rich toys. A few additional toys placed slightly out of reach encourage
infants to move towards the toys. Infants should be provided plenty of floor time to roll, scoot,
crawl and eventually walk. How do you encourage toddlers and preschoolers to represent ideas
with pretend play, pictures and words? Learning to talk and expand ideas is a key skill
developed during the toddler and preschool years. Children should be given lots of
opportunities engage in pretend play and to name objects and share ideas. Time to explore
drawing and writing tools encourages self-expression.
Slide #58: Use the Theorists and Theories handout to capture some key points about Erik
Erikson, his beliefs about social-emotional development and your personal ideas about these
eight stages of development.
Slide #59: Now, let’s take a look at Erik Erikson and his eight stages of social emotional
development. Erickson developed a theory of social emotional development which states that
he believed an individual moves through eight stages of development in this domain. Each
stage of development is considered a psychosocial crisis that needs to be negotiated. Let’s
take a look at the eight stages of development. Stage one is trust versus mistrust. Infants learn
to trust that caregivers will meet their basic needs. Mistrust develops if a child’s basic needs are
not met. Stage two is autonomy verse shame and doubt. Toddlers learn to develop their
independence during this stage. If their abilities are not encouraged, they may develop shame
and doubt. Stage three is initiative versus guilt. Preschoolers continue to develop their
independence and begin to start activities of their own initiative. If a child is not able to take
initiative and feel success then they may start to feel guilt for their needs and desires. Stage
four is industry versus inferiority. In this stage, school age children develop confidence and
competence in their abilities. If they are not encouraged to grow in this area, they may develop
a feeling of inferiority. Stage five is identity verse confusion. In this stage adolescents begin to
experiment with who they are and develop their identity. If they are not able to resolve this
crisis, then confusion can develop and continue into adulthood. Stage six is intimacy versus
isolation. During early adulthood, many adults fall in love and start families. While marriage is
not the only option for intimacy, adults who do not find intimacy through marriage or close
friends, may experience isolation. Stage seven is generativity versus stagnation. Stage seven
is the longest stage of development that occurs during most of adulthood. In this stage most
adults are working, raising families and contributing to society in some way. If adults do not do
not experience productivity during this time, they may feel stagnation. The last stage is integrity
versus despair and is represented in elder adults. During this stage adults reflect back on their
lives, and experience feelings of integrity if they have been successful throughout the other
stages. However, if any of the previous stages are unresolved, despair may develop.
Slide #60: Watch this video about Erik Erikson and his eight stages of man.
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
[VIDEO]
Slide #61: Remember, teaching children is not just about giving them facts and knowledge. As
teachers, we must understand development and theories of education to better succeed in
caring for young children. Knowing these stages of development can help a teacher of toddlers
understand a young child’s need to say no or that getting their own snack is part of the process
of resolving and developing autonomy. Our responses to these situations either help to build
autonomy or perhaps send a message of shame and doubt.
Slide #62: Use the Theorists and Theories handout to capture some key points about Gardner,
his approach to intelligence and your personal ideas about this approach.
Slide #63: Howard Gardner brought a new perspective to the field of education with his theory
of multiple intelligences. According to this theory, when individuals possess or show talent in
diverse domains, these domains should be included when determining intelligence. Through
research and observations, Gardner identified eight intelligences. These intelligences include
linguistic, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, naturalist, bodily-kinesthetic,
interpersonal and intrapersonal. Let’s discuss each intelligence. The linguistic intelligence is
the ability to analyze information and create products involving oral and written language. The
logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to reason and calculate. Individuals with this
intelligence can think abstractly and conceptually and are able to see patterns and relationships.
The visual-spatial intelligence is the ability to recognize, manipulate and create spatial images.
Individuals with this intelligence are often very aware of their environment and learn well through
drawings and imagery. The musical intelligence is the ability to produce, remember and make
meaning from different patterns of sound. The naturalist intelligence is the ability to identify and
distinguish among things in the natural world. The bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the ability to
use one’s body effectively, such as a dancer. The intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to
recognize and understand one’s own feelings, motivations and goals, while the interpersonal
intelligence is the ability to recognize the feelings, motivations and goals of others. This theory
shows that individuals possess different types of intelligences and, therefore, learn and
demonstrate understanding in different ways. This theory reminds us, that, as educators, we
need to think about, plan for, and assess learning in multiple ways.
Slide #64: Watch this video of Howard Gardner explaining his theory of multiple intelligences.
[VIDEO]
Slide #65: Think about teaching a new skill or concept such as letter identification. How can
you use Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences to plan, implement and assess this skill?
Here are some ideas: sing alphabet songs, trace textured letters, put together letter puzzles,
walk or dance along the outlines of letters, offer opportunities to practice individually, as well as
in small and large groups. What other ideas do you have?
Slide #66: Use the Theorists and Theories handout to capture some key points about
Vygotsky, his approach to education and your personal ideas about this approach.
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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Slide #67: Lev Vygotsky has had a tremendous amount of influence in the field of early
education with his educational theories. He believed that social interaction was essential to
learning and that development needs to be understood within the context of the social
environment. He believed that children’s imaginary play was a vehicle for learning. He believed
that learning occurs within the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal
development is the difference between what a child can accomplish independently and with
support or scaffolding. This scaffolding, which could be direct or indirect, is referred to as the
support needed while working at the upper end of the zone of proximal development.
Slide #68: Watch this video that highlights some of the principles of Vygotsky’s theory on
learning.
[VIDEO]
Slide #69: How do you scaffold children’s learning and development in the classroom? Do you
hold an infant’s hands who want to walk, but can’t quite do it on her own yet? Do you help
toddlers express their words and feelings? Do you provide support and strategies to a child
completing a puzzle with a few too many pieces? If you said, ‘yes,’ then you are scaffolding
children’s learning.
Slide #70: Let’s take a moment to review and apply what we have learned. In this activity, you
will match a theorist to an activity or classroom experience. Using the knowledge about each
theorist, decide which activity most closely relates to their main theories. Use Handout 6,
Theories and Theorists Matching Activity, to record your answers.
Slide #71: What did you decide? Review the list of theorists and activities. Did you make
similar connections?
Slide #72: We’ve learned a tremendous amount of information about several theorists. To
which theorist do you most relate? How do his or her theories and beliefs come alive in your
classroom? Use your journal and reflect on this new knowledge.
Slide #73: Remember, defining professionalism, understanding and knowing our beliefs and
boundaries, knowing our profession's code of ethical conduct and gaining knowledge about
educational theories and best practices helps us develop professionally. Now let’s take all of this
information and put it together to develop or perhaps re-evaluate a professional development
plan with purpose.
Slide #74: Why is it important to have a professional development plan or PDP? At a minimum
level, all CDA associates should have a PDP to ensure that they meet the minimum level of
education and professional development needed to remain a professional in the field of early
childhood education. But, ultimately, a PDP should be a roadmap from where you are to where
you want to go in your professional life. Are you an assistant who wants to become a lead
teacher? Are you a lead teacher who aspires to become an assistant director some day?
These goals and aspirations should be the foundation for your PDP. What do you want to
learn? What do you need to learn? How will this new learning help you to ascend to the next
level? Our learning objective for this section is to develop a professional development plan by
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identifying a goal to help further your professionalism, identifying resources to assist you in
meeting your goal, and developing a reasonable timeline.
Slide #75: Sometimes working towards a goal can seem overwhelming. Watch this short video
about how goals can be achieved just by taking one step at a time.
[VIDEO]
Slide #76: Let’s take a look at the Texas Early Childhood Career Lattice. The career lattice
was created by the Texas Early Learning Council to assist early childhood professionals in
understanding and knowing what steps are necessary to advance their careers in the field of
early education. Professionals use the career lattice to evaluate their progress in career
development and to establish professional development goals. The career lattice is designed to
be used alongside the Texas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and
Administrators. The assumption is that as a professional moves up the career ladder, her level
of skill and practice also improves.
Slide #77: The career lattice reads from top to bottom with the beginner levels at the top and
proceeds down to the advanced levels at the bottom. From left to right, the components that
create the level are described. The first component is the level of education: the highest
degree or certification achieved. The next column address annual professional development
needed to maintain or advance to the next level. The third column describes the level of
experience from no experience to three or more years of full-time experience. Print off a copy of
the Texas Early Childhood Career Lattice and highlight or circle you highest level of education.
In the next column highlight or circle the annual professional development hours you’ve
achieved. Then continue to the third column and highlight or circle the level number that
correlates with the amount of experience you currently have. What level have you attained?
What level do you hope to attain within year? How about in five years?
Slide #78: Now let’s revisit the Texas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and
Administrators. Remember, this manual describes the core competencies that professionals
working with young children need to know and implement. We have been focusing on Core
Competency 9: Professionalism and Ethics. Remember the three levels of practice? These
competencies correlate with the levels of practice on the career lattice.
Slide #79: Where you are currently in terms of your knowledge, skill level and experience
forms the foundation for a purposeful professional development plan. At the beginning of the
module, you identified your level of practice in the professionalism and ethics core competency.
That level, along with your Career Lattice level, and your professional goals for the next one to
five years will inform your professional development plan. Developing a manageable,
purposeful professional development plan involves the following steps. The first step is to
develop SMART goals. Then, you identify resources that can help you reach your goals. Next,
you determine a reasonable timeline for achieving your goals. Finally, you put your plan into
action making sure to follow the timeline and check progress periodically. Review professional
development plans at least annually.
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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Slide #80: The first step in developing a manageable, purposeful plan is to develop SMART
goals.
Slide #81: So, what are SMART goals? SMART goals are specific, measurable, attainable,
realistic, and time based.
Slide #82: Let’s analyze each step of developing a SMART goal. A goal is specific when it
gives a clear definition of what will be attained and how a person will attain it. For example,
saying, “I want to lose weight” is a goal, but it is not very specific. However, saying, “I want to
lose 10 pounds” is specific.
Slide #83: Now, let’s look at how we make goals measurable by using our weight loss goal.
Losing 10 pounds is a measurable goal because we can determine how much progress we’ve
made and whether we’ve reached the goal. Each week you can get on the scale and track how
many pounds have been lost. Saying that you want to “feel skinnier” is not a measurable goal
because there’s no way to quantify whether or not you’re making progress.
Slide #84: Attainable goals are goals that can be reached. Losing ten pounds in five weeks is
attainable for most people; however, losing fifty pounds in five weeks is probably not attainable.
Slide #85: A realistic goal is similar to attainable but more individualized. The goal must be
something that you are willing and able to work towards. If you are highly motivated to lose
weight, then losing ten pounds in five weeks might be realistic. If you schedule is hectic or your
motivation is low, then losing ten pounds in ten weeks might be more realistic. A realistic goal is
individualized and personal.
Slide #86: A time-based goal sets a time frame for accomplishing the goal. In our weight loss
example, five weeks would be the time frame for accomplishing the goal.
Slide #87: Think back to the career lattice. What level do you hope to advance to in the next
year? Think back to the competencies. Which competencies will help you grow in the next
year? In this next activity, you will select one to three competencies and develop three SMART
goals to help you achieve the competencies selected. For example, if you want to achieve
competency 11 under 9.3 Professional Development Outlook which states, “shares knowledge
and provides mentoring and guidance to other practitioners,” your SMART goal might be to
mentor a beginner colleague once a week for at least twenty minutes. Another goal that would
relate to this competency would be to present a twenty-minute training for other teachers during
a staff meeting. So here I have two goals for one competency. Now I can choose to develop
another goal for this competency or select another competency to help me further develop
professionally.
Slide #88: To recap, in this activity, you will create three goals. Each goal might be related to a
different competency or all three goals could be for the same competency. Stop for a moment
and write your three SMART goals then we will move on to the next step in developing a
manageable and purposeful professional development plan. Use handout 7, Professional
Development Plan, to record your goals.
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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Slide #89: The next step in developing a manageable, purposeful plan is to identify resources.
Resources can include books, articles, colleagues, supervisors, trainings, or conferences.
Resources that I might utilize for my goal of presenting a twenty minute training to my
colleagues might include colleagues, supervisors, and articles on the topic. Now, revisit your
three goals and identify resources that would be beneficial in helping you achieve success.
Slide #90: Now it’s time to determine your timeline and action steps. If I want to develop a
twenty-minute training for my co-workers, I might start by talking with my supervisor about
setting a date for my presentation at an upcoming staff meeting. This would be my end date.
Next I might offer a survey to my co-workers asking them about a topic of interest. Based on
these results, I would select my topic and begin research. Next in the timeline would be to
develop the presentation and practice before the final presentation. I would set specific
deadlines for each of these intermediate steps to make sure I stay on track as I prepare.
Slide #91: Now return to your goals. Analyze each goal for manageable tasks and develop a
timeline for each goal. You may choose to have three goals that span an entire school year, all
being worked on simultaneously, or you may choose to devote attention to one goal at a time
with goal one during the beginning of the year, goal two in the middle and goal three towards
the end of the year. Use the example provided to help you develop your timeline.
Slide #92: The next step in the process of developing a manageable and purposeful
professional development plan is to put it into action using the timeline to check progress and
make adjustments.
Slide #93: The last step is to review your progress. Each year it is helpful to review your
professional development plan by reflecting on the goals you selected, the progress you made
and what your next steps might be. Make sure to select an end date to review your goals and
progress. Many professionals analyze their plans at the end of the school year and prepare
new goals at the start of the next year. While it is not possible to develop, implement and reflect
on your professional development plan during this module, you are well on your way to
achieving new goals!
Slide #94: In this CDA renewal module we explored professionalism and what it means to be a
professional in the field of early care and education. Professionalism is not static, but instead
an evolving process of what one believes, knows and does. We examined the aspects of
quality and service in this field, and how we can develop and use boundaries to guide our
actions. We re-examined the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct to refresh and reconnect to the
expectations in our field. We also investigated education theorists and their theories and made
connections to classroom practice. We ended the module with a discussion of professional
development plans.
Slide #95: Self-reflection is an important part of the learning process. Reflect back on the core
competencies you used at the beginning of the module to identify your level of practice. Reflect
and journal on the following questions:
 Has anything changed for you? Have you gained new knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, or
practices as a result of participating in this module?
 What do you still have questions about, related to the content in this module?
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reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
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
If you could share one new idea from this module with other teachers, what would you
share and why?
Slide #96: Before completing this module, review your work and ensure that you’ve completed
all of the journal reflections, handouts and experiences.
Slide #97: Thank you for the time, energy and commitment you made to this online module. I
hope that you are walking away today feeling more confident about your understanding of
professionalism and your professional goals. Now let’s check your progress. Complete the
post-assessment to help evaluate your new learning.
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.
References
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Early Childhood Today Editorial Staff. (2000). Pioneers in our field: John Dewey—Father of
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Field, R. John Dewey. Retrieved on 2/17/14 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/dewey/.
Mooney, C. G. (2000). Theories of childhood: An Introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson,
Piaget and Vygotsky. Michigan: Red Leaf Press.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). NAEYC Code of Ethical
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Raths, J. (2001). Early Childhood Research and Practice. Teachers’ beliefs and teaching
beliefs (3)1. http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v3n1/raths.html.
Smith, M.K. (2002). ‘Jerome S. Bruner and the process of education,' the encyclopedia of
informal education. [http://infed.org/mobi/jerome-bruner-and-the-process-ofeducation/Retrieved: 2/17/14].
Swim, T. J. Theories of child development: Building blocks of developmentally appropriate
practices. Retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=411.
Texas Core Competencies for Early Childhood Practitioners and Administrators (2013).
Retrieved from http://www.earlylearningtexas.org/media/19198/texascorecompetenciespract-admin.pdf.
Texas Early Learning Council. (2013). Texas Early Childhood Career Lattice. Retrieved from
http://www.earlylearningtexas.org/media/19853/texas%20early%20childhood%20career
%20lattice.pdf.
Author:
Tamra Koskinen, MA
Early Childhood Education Consultant
Copyright © Collaborative for Children 2014 All Rights Reserved. No part of this training may be
reproduced without Collaborative for Children’s express consent.
Contact Collaborative for Children at 713.600.1101 or collabforchildren.org.