Community of Practice
Join a free community of practice to share your family childcare knowledge and expertise, develop a network of support, and engage in collaborative professional development! You are welcome to attend any sessions that work for you, but not expected to commit to every one.
Educators Consultants
operators, providers home visitors, supports, agency monitors
Sessions run from September to June, on Wednesday nights from 6:30-8:30 pm.
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Sessions run from September to June, on Wednesday afternoons from 1:30-3:00 pm.
Wednesday Session Dates
September 25 February 19
October 23 March 19
November 13 April 22
December 11 May 21
January 22 June 18
Please note, session times listed are in the Alberta time zone. To convert to your time zone please see this link.
What is a Community of Practice (CoP)?
A CoP is a form of continuing education that draws together groups of people with similar interests and goals. Instead of having an instructor present content, a facilitator guides discussion based on participant interests and needs. Your experience and knowledge is valuable, and our practice and abilities grow stronger by working together.
Who is invited?
Anyone working in the family childcare field, including in-home childcare, family day homes, and licensed/regulated and unlicensed/private programs are welcome to attend. There are separate sessions for educators and support professionals to ensure confidentiality and a safe space for discussion.
How is this different than a workshop?
A community of practice involves engaged learning centered on colleague interactions that enable learners to construct and share knowledge over time, with a focus on building community relationships. Studies show that CoP support the development of rich, deep knowledge and skills through problem-solving, critical reflection, and peer feedback.
What topics will be discussed?
CoP's offer the opportunity for you to discuss anything on your mind - that could be child behavior, working with parents, creating policies, or any other family childcare topic! Our field needs "just-in-time" support, so these CoP are designed to meet your current needs.
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Details please!
*All sessions take place online via Zoom
*Sessions are 90 minutes to 2 hours long
*Certificates of attendance provided
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Please check with your local organization to see if Paid Release Time or Professional Learning funding is available.
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Group Rules
To ensure participant confidentiality and well-being, here are the guidelines that you agree to follow when joining a session:
*Be respectful and kind.
*Share talking time and take turns.
*Privacy and confidentiality are important - what is said in the group, stays in the group!
*We can vent and complain, but our discussions will be strengths-based and solution-focused (e.g., here is the issue, now what can I do about it?).
*Feel free to add to the conversation in the chat, by raising your hand, or just unmute and speak.
*Video on is preferred when possible; engage to gain maximum benefit!
What Our Participants Say
