How do you decide which courses to do and when?

[*Katrina*]

I am still pre-reg at the moment so have only completed paediatric first aid, safeguarding awareness and CYPOP 5.
I happen to have Level 2 Food Safety and Health and Safety as well (both expire this June so I intend to update these then).

There are many, many courses I would like to take, I have a list of about 30 from free online e-learning run by my Local Authority to paid online courses and others from the regional childminding association.
These range from healthy eating, understanding child development, working with children with disabilities, working in partnership with parents etc.

I don't have a CLUE where to start!

[loocyloo]

i look at what courses interest me, and what would benefit me and the children. then i look to see where & when they are to see if i can attend them.

i look at free courses first, and only pay if its something i think would be very beneficial!

depending on your prior experience, if just starting out, i would try some child development & working with parents courses first. plus EYFS & observation/planning.

i have a long 'wish list' of courses i would like to do! when i complete training i then cross it off my list ( with a date ) and usually end up adding another couple that i've thought of, in relation to the course i have just done! i keep this list in my portfolio along with certificates to show professional development.

[jumping j]

I look for the ones that look interesting and fun, and free!

Also ones that are useful to me, for example I don't currently have any children with learning difficulties/behaviour problems, so, although I'd like to do the courses at some point they are not a priority, however I have a child with delayed speech (could be classed as disability in the future) so I've completed the Talking Matters, Let's interact and Signs and Symbols courses and I'm using ECaT monitoring all to support and help him but also because I'm interested in these types of things.

I also love doing the more practical courses, just done a great crafts one where we got to make all the ideas and suggestions.

[miffy]

Other than the mandatory courses I look for things that are interesting to me or that will be useful to the children I'm looking after at the time and also now a lot of funding has gone whether they are free or not!

I'm not a big fan of on-line learning, I prefer to do my training in groups, I think you pick up more ideas that way.

Miffy xx

[kayz90]

Where do you find out about these courses i became qualified in feb and would love to do some more corses, i have a child with speech diffiaculties they sounded very interesting? xxx

[jumping j]

to be honest I'm not sure how I came about them
I seem to be on a lot of email lists through other things I've signed up for!
I think I found the Taking Matters course through TADO
The signs and symbols one through my local NCMA rep
and the others through my local NCMA website, although it's not currently up to date
I would suggest going down to your local surestart and asking to speak to their assigned speach and language teacher, ours are always handing their cards out telling us to contact them if we need any help