Below are a few professional development experiences that I had the opportunity to participate in.
Strategies for Challenging Behaviours
This professional development was an interactive Zoom training seminar. During this training we participated in role play to learn how to deal with children with challenging behaviours. Throughout this role play I was able to see different ways for dealing with a variety of different situations. This training gave me the tools to help deal with all different types of children. After this training I felt more confident dealing with children in all types of situations, particularly during a teaching-listening role.
Understanding Challenging Behaviours (Webinar)
I had the opportunity to participate in this webinar that focused on understanding the challenging behaviours of children. During this webinar, they discussed the reasons that children act out or why their behaviour escalates. This webinar taught me that you are better equipped to deal with a behavioural situation if you can understand why that behaviour is happening. Learning this information changed my way of thinking when it came to children. Instead of getting frustrated with a child for lashing out or acting inappropriately, I would try to focus on figuring out why that would happen. Without this training I would not have the communication skills and understanding that is required when dealing with children with challenging behaviours. This training allowed me to look at every child situation in a new and positive way.
Responsible Adult course
Before starting my work experience at the YMCA I took the Responsible Adult Course. This is a 20 hour course that qualifies you to work in licensed childcare. This course covers a variety of different aspects associated with childcare. For instance, it includes learning about fine motor development, health and safety, and possible developmental delays. This training was some of the first training I ever took regarding childcare. It made me realize how much there is to working with children. Without this first basic training I may have never have learned the basic skills I needed in order to understand how to work successfully with children of all ages.