Early Childhood Work Product

PV005

Guided Notes for “A Guide to Creating an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP)

Source: Vermont Northern Lights Career Development Center. (2011a). A guide to creating an individual professional development plan (IPDP). Retrieved from http://northernlightscdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/5-10-ipdp_guide.pdf

The purpose of an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) is to support thoughtful, personal and professional growth.

An IPDP answers the questions:

• What do I know and what skills do I already possess?

• What do I need to know and learn?

• What specifically do I want to learn to do next? What are my goals?

• How will I meet my goals?

• When and how will I see if I did what I planned? When and how will I assess my progress toward my goals?

In order for an IPDP to be useful, it should be updated annually or when your roles and goals change. Always date the IPDP you create.

Remember, your IPDP is a plan so it should always include things you still need to accomplish. Examples of completed IPDPs can be found on the Northern Lights Website at http://northernlightscdc.org under “Planning Professional Development—IPDP.”

Note: The format and template for your IPDP is found in the Competency Assessment for PV005.

A Guide to Creating an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) for Early Childhood Professionals

Part 1. Self-Assessment

When assessing your professional development needs, consider:

· What do I already know?

· What skills do I have, what areas do I want to improve?

· Consider the knowledge, skills you already possess and any education you have completed.

You should align your goals with professional standards. Consider viewing and downloading the NAEYC “Professional Development Standards” from http://www.naeyc.org/ncate/files/ncate/Stds_1pager.pdf and/or Core Competency information from www.northernlightscdc.org under “Core Competencies.”

After you complete the self-assessment, you will have a description or list of what you already know and can do, and what you want to learn more about

For example, if you identify a Child Growth and Development goal, you would first consider:

What you know: I already know the differences in development between ages 2–5, a basic knowledge of brain development in the early years, and the differences in level of development for children with multiple ear infections.

What you need to know: I need to know what causes differences in behavior in the children in my program, more about temperament, and how to better collect information about each child’s development every day.

Your Turn:

What you know:

What you need to know:

Part 2. Prioritizing and Goal Setting

The next step in goal setting is identifying what you need to learn and develop next.

The self-assessment of your knowledge and skills helped you identify areas for development.

Identify skills needed to be successful in your work, or areas of knowledge you want to develop over time. Review your list—choose which ones you will address now and which ones you will address later. This process of prioritizing allows you to develop a plan that is manageable and has goals specific to your needs. Remember to develop SMART goals: Goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific.

For example, you might decide that GOAL #1 is: Incorporate regular observation of each child at least weekly.

Your Turn: What might you identify as a goal based upon your self-assessment?

Goal #1:

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