Educators who merely would like to learn new skills can watch professional development videos. Videos are convenient to use, and you can often borrow them from a university library or an association. Topics that may be of interest to educators of young children include behavior management, discipline, curriculum for teaching young children and childcare tips for childcare providers.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has a National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development. The association has yearly conferences that are directed toward people who teach young children. The conferences include educational sessions with speakers based on the latest research associated with teaching children from birth to 8-years-old. Current training material also is available at the sessions.
Most large universities have continuing education classes for childcare providers or people who educate young children. Some of the courses may lead to a childcare certificate. Course listings for teaching children from birth to age 8 are located in adult education course schedule books. Community colleges also have continuing education courses for teaching children in this demographic. Credit (not necessarily college credit) generally is available. Courses may focus on classroom management or the business of running a childcare center.
Most public school systems offer classes and workshops for Early Childhood Education teachers. The courses are sometimes offered for free for school district personnel. Sometimes, school personnel must pay a fee. Check with the human resources department for your school system for a list of available courses. The classes are typically held on-site at a school in the district, at the school system's headquarters or in facilities maintained by a regional education consortium. Courses that teach teachers how to work with technology to organize student records, and information on how to teach using technology are typical topics. Classes also may teach instructors how to assess students and how to use art and play to teach.
There are hundreds of books on the market for teaching young children. Read books on your own by authors like Harry Wong, who gives educators advice on preparing for the first day of school and classroom management, among other topics. Setting up procedures for young children to follow in class (like lining up row by row to leave the room) and practicing them are normally taught in his professional development literature. Brookes publishing also has a wide selection of books for Early Childhood Education teachers. When reading books on your own, remember to take notes and reflect on what you read. Make a list of teaching strategies that you would like to try from the books you have read, and check them off the list when you have incorporated the strategies into your classroom activities.