STAFF RESOURCES

Join an Early Years Community of Practice

Calling all educators and educational leaders looking to expand their skills and connections…

LEQ is launching a new professional learning pilot initiative across LEQ long day care and kindergarten early learning services: Communities of Practice – learning and lifting quality through reflection and connection.

Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and want to learn to do it better through regular interaction. They are widely used across education and other sectors to support ongoing, practice-embedded professional learning – in fact, they are one of the most effective mechanisms for professional development, especially in education!

A black-and-white comic strip shows stick figures collaborating, sharing ideas, and making a difference. Arrows link panels depicting teamwork, brainstorming, gathering tools, and applying ideas to create positive change.

Image from Wenger et al (2024) Communities of practice within and across organizations: a guidebook.

Express your Interest

Read the Fact Sheet

Read the Evidence

Why participate?

You'll get to:

Build connections and friendships with early childhood professionals from other services
Expand your knowledge, confidence and use of evidence-based practices, and how to use these practices in different ways (e.g. the planning cycle in a kindy room versus a nursery room)
Strengthen supports and service delivery for the children and families you serve
Improve morale and retention
Improve outcomes for children!

What's involved?

5 x 2hr friendly CoP meetings with other LEQ educators and educational leaders
- You will share your reflections, questions, ideas and experiences during the meetings, and learning from others in your CoP.
- Through this, you all extend your understanding and toolbox of effective professional practices to use every day.
- These meetings will be during work hours, from mid-March to late June.
- LEQ will provide catering!

What area will each CoP focus on?

For this LEQ initiative, each CoP will choose the practice or practices they want to focus on within broader parameters set by LEQ. For example, under the broad parameter of 'Quality Area 1 – Education Program and Practice', your CoP might choose to focus in on 'using the planning cycle'.