Teacher Professional Development through Children?s Project Work

Teachers working in early care and education programs are engaging in professional development activities, many times without a foundation in child development or early childhood education. It is difficult for teachers to apply what is presented in professional development experiences to their classroom. The use of children’s projects, the topic of many research studies and published manuscripts, can be used as a catalyst in teacher development. One such project, the development of an outdoor learning center at the Child Development Center of the University of Missouri-St. Louis has provided some of the teachers involved with opportunities to recognize the development of their own constructive practice. As they supported the children’s interest in the on-going outdoor project, teachers honed their skills in observation, documentation, curriculum development, and reflective practice.