Professional Growth That Fits Into Real Life

Professional growth in child care is often framed as more: more trainings, more credentials, more requirements. But for many providers, growth that piles on expectations is not only unrealistic — it’s unsustainable.

Real professional growth fits into the reality of full days, emotional labor, and limited bandwidth. And research backs this up.

What Adult Learning Research Tells Us

Adult learning theory emphasizes that adults learn best when learning is:

• Relevant to their daily work

• Problem-centered, not content-centered

• Self-directed and reflective

Malcolm Knowles, a leading voice in adult education, emphasized that adults learn most effectively when they can immediately apply learning to real situations rather than absorb large volumes of information for future use.

In other words, growth sticks when it helps you navigate what’s already happening in your program.

Growth Is Already Happening — Whether You Notice It or Not

Many providers underestimate their professional growth because it doesn’t look formal.

Growth might include:

• Reflecting on a difficult conversation with a family and adjusting your approach next time

• Tweaking a daily routine that isn’t working for children

• Learning a strategy from another provider and trying it the next week

• Recognizing a pattern and choosing a different response

These moments are not “less than” formal training. They are professional learning.

A Real-Life Example

A provider noticed that late-afternoon behavior challenges were escalating. Instead of searching for a new curriculum, she reflected on the day’s structure and adjusted snack timing and outdoor play. Behavior improved — and so did her confidence.

That is professional growth.

Making Growth Sustainable

Growth should:

• Support your capacity, not drain it

• Build confidence, not pressure

• Fit within your actual workday

When growth feels useful and grounded, it becomes something you can sustain — not something you have to recover from.