DOWNLOAD THE WONDERS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSORTIUM REGISTRATION PACKET »
We are pleased to be partnering with ICF Early Education Institute to bring you the popular program director leadership series led by Jacky Howell. The full day series begins January 25, 2012 and meets on February 8 and 25, 2012.
A critical element in the Wonders teaching philosophy is our commitment to ongoing professional learning and growth, a value that is shared among all our teachers and staff. This has led us to establish the Wonders Professional Development Consortium, which provides engaging professional development training for Wonders teachers as well as parents and early childhood and school age professionals from across the area.
We require that our teachers take at least 18 hours of continuing education every year, 12 of which must be approved by the state of Maryland. But there has been a noticeable decline in the number and quality of offerings that fulfill the state requirements for professional development over the years. Thus, after much discussion with colleagues in the community, we decided to help fill this void through the creation of the Wonders Professional Development Consortium, approved by the Maryland State Office of Child Care to provide training to child care providers.
The Wonders Professional Development Consortium is dedicated to providing:
- reflective learning experiences that support early childhood and school age professionals and parents who are committed to creating effective environments for children’s learning and development.
- evidence-based courses that encourage critical thinking and intentional teaching around relationships, democracy, equity, and social justice.
- coursework designed to respect the adult learner with opportunities for ongoing reflection, support, and networking.
The Wonders Mentor Program
The Wonders Mentor Program, a part of our Professional Development Consortium, focuses on modeling, coaching, and reflection. Liza Pringle, former Wonders head teacher and assistant director, leads the early childhood education mentor program, working directly with teachers and mentoring in the classrooms to further advance our teaching practices. The school age mentor program takes advantage of the expertise of Wonders program directors who have recently participated in training on facilitation of the professional development learning process. As with our professional development coursework, our mentor program integrates reflective learning practices.
