Professional learning: a strengthening and reinvigorating element of the early childhood profession

It is recognised in many professions that ongoing learning is essential to keep abreast with developments within one’s profession. Early childhood teaching is no exception. The New National Quality Standard for Early Childhood Education highlights the importance of professional development and prescribes that early childhood settings should devise plans and implement those. Many professions mandate regular updating of qualifications. The NSW Institute of Teachers in its Professional Teaching Standards has four stages of teacher competence and each explicitly entails professional learning. These are Graduate Teacher; Professional Competence; Professional Accomplishment; and Professional Leadership (http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/). The Institute points out that ongoing professional learning is at the heart of teacher professionalism and leads to improved student learning.