Everything changes, so we need to stay current with best practices, new resources, and child-centered methodology. For those of us working with young children, joining professional organizations is a game-changer. They provide a wealth of resources, networking opportunities, and professional development offerings that ultimately benefit educators themselves but also the children and families they serve.
This week I enjoyed the OSPI BEST mentoring classes, a full 12 hours of how to better support the people I am guiding into the high-quality teaching professionals they will become. Over the course of these sessions, we learned more about how to engage our mentees with open-ended questioning and paraphrasing that would engage their own growth and professional development. This experience made me think about how fortunate I am as a certificated teacher to have the opportunity to learn from the Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Education.
Join the organization that makes sense to you. I’m a Montessori elementary 1 teacher, an early childhood educator, a curriculum planner, and a librarian. I joined professional organizations that support those areas of my professional life. I have joined other organizations that support my hobbies and writing in order to keep up on news and changes in the world, but for the purposes of this post, let’s focus on reasons to join associations in those areas.
Why should I join professional organizations?
Professional organizations like the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), American Montessori Society (AMS), your local education organization, or the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) offer access to current research, professional development, news, and resources tailored specifically for educators and librarians. Staying informed about current research in math and literacy development, library accessibility and equity, and media access and impact will keep you current while you go about the business of fostering a love of reading and discovering the science that makes our world. Not only that you’ll stay up-to-date on what children are accessing and, should you use them, innovative ways to integrate technology into lessons that you really use.
This will introduce ways to shape your current ideas or introduce new concepts and activities that engage children more effectively, enhancing their learning experiences. You will keep up on inclusive literature story time, changes in educational apps, find new inroads to support critical thinking skills and use the knowledge gained from these organizations for richer, more impactful learning opportunities for young children.
One of the most significant benefits of joining a professional organization is the access to ongoing professional development. Workshops, webinars, conferences, and certifications offered by these organizations enable teachers and librarians to continually improve their skills and stay updated on best practices. We all know that there are continuing education hours out there to help us keep on our education and library game, but these professional organizations will offer classes to members free or at a reduced price that highlight the most important aspects of our careers.
Improving skills through workshops and even online class offerings directly benefits children. Practicing or enhancing your teaching methods and data collection response directly leads to improved learner outcomes. It also allows you to practice using the language that expresses the reason that these methods are effective when talking with peers and parents. When you talk with parents your guidance is more informed and meaningful to modern lives.
Connecting with other professionals who care as much as you do or with peers who share similar passions and challenges makes a world of difference as we move through the school year. Professional conferences, online forums, and local chapters, offer you connection to other members where you can exchange ideas, share experiences, and seek advice. This sense of community and support offers an opportunity to learn from others. You can collaborate on projects, and find mentors who will do more than grow you; they will understand you.
My OSPI mentoring class last week connected me with support and 1:1 learning time with people from different areas of the state. This supported my learning by offering me different perspectives from different corners of the state. A year ago in an ALA class, I heard from librarians would were being inundated with book removal requests. As someone who firmly believes everything belongs in a library someplace, but not necessarily in my person or professional library, I was eager to hear from both outraged librarians and those who feel out of place among their more liberal library peers. If you are in a small town or have few peers who understand this point of view, you will find connection in the larger community. Only by learning from all sides can we have a truly inclusive understanding.
Grow your advocacy through these professional organizations. Being part of a collective advocacy effort empowers educators to become leaders who influence decisions that affect professionals and the children. Whether it’s lobbying for more library funding, hands on activities, inclusive narratives, or advocating for early childhood education programs, membership in professional organizations amplify our voices and drive change. Advocacy is how we increase the successful outcomes in our field, which directly effects children and their families. I’m not sure what the particular issue is in your areas, but I’ve been part of book evaluations, early childhood environment restructuring, sports team creation and curriculum development thanks to advocacy efforts in education.
All of this and we still haven’t touched on the sense of personal fulfilment that comes with being in a room full of people who care passionately for the same thing you care about. These organizations bring contagious energy and enthusiasm into our work, which in turn enables you to create a positive, nurturing environment for young children and their adults.
Joining professional organizations is an investment in all of our futures—for teachers, librarians, and for the young children and families we serve. These groups provide access to resources, professional development, networking opportunities, and advocacy efforts which can significantly enhance the quality of education and library services. It is up to us as individuals to continually grow and innovate and these organizations play a vital role in shaping a brighter future for our youngest learners.