Professional development is important to your ability to meet the needs of the children in your care. In addition to the reflection questions included in the main article here, you can also ask yourself variations of reflection questions like the ones below:

• Are the children in my program engaged in meaningful learning a majority of the time?
• How well do the children in my care communicate and solve problems independently?
• Do all children feel successful in the program, regardless of academic, cultural, or developmental differences?
• Do I know about family traditions and goals that families have for their children?
• How often do I make changes to activities to reflect the learning styles and interests of the children in my group?

Here are some topics that may help you in your work with school-age children:

• CLM100: Teaching Multiage Groups
• SOC104: Promoting Empathy and Other Prosocial Behavior
• CCEI4005: Positive Guidance, Part 5 – The Early School-Age Years
• CUR114: 21st Century Social Studies in the Early Childhood Environment
• CHD103: The Child’s Digital Universe: Technology and Digital Media in Early Childhood