Investing in your staff’s career growth is one of the best ways to build a happy, engaged team. While you may not always be able to offer the highest salaries, helping your teachers grow their skills as early educators can be just as valuable.
Professional development day at a glance
A professional development day is a full or half day when a childcare program closes or arranges coverage so the entire staff can train together. Most programs hold one or two per year, run them for six to eight hours, and divide the time into 45- to 60-minute sessions covering required licensing topics, curriculum practice, program updates, team building, and goal setting.
- Typical length: 6–8 hours for a full day, 3–4 hours for a half day
- Typical frequency: once or twice per year, often before the fall term and mid-year
- Who attends: every staff member—directors, assistants, lead teachers, and support staff
- Core agenda blocks: icebreaker, program updates, two to three training sessions, team building, planning time, goal setting
A well-planned professional development day can maximize your staff training efforts and build a strong learning culture at your childcare program. Read on for tips on how to plan a professional development day that motivates your staff, helps them bond, and inspires them to apply what they’ve learned—all while having fun!
Table of contents
- What is a professional development day?
- How long should a professional development day be?
- Sample professional development day agenda
- 12 steps to plan a successful professional development day
- 1. Assess your staff’s needs and interests
- 2. Choose an appropriate venue
- 3. Start with a fun icebreaker
- 4. Share the agenda and goals for the day
- 5. Share key updates about your childcare program
- 6. Divide your training into multiple sessions
- 7. Invite a facilitator or guest speaker
- 8. Include team building activities
- 9. Make space for group discussions
- 10. Support and engage remote participants
- 11. Set follow-up goals
- 12. Announce the next professional development day
- Professional development day FAQs
- Conclusion
What is a professional development day?
A professional development day has one primary objective: facilitating professional growth for all employees. It’s an excellent way for early childhood educators to acquire new skills, refine existing ones, and promote collaboration among staff.
These full-day events are often held once or twice a year. A professional development day typically includes every member of a childcare program’s staff—from directors and assistants to educators—to ensure everyone receives valuable training and participates in team-building activities.
Professional development days also help programs meet the ongoing training hours their licensing agency requires. Every state and territory sets its own minimum annual training requirements for licensed providers, and those requirements differ by role and setting, according to Childcare.gov. Head Start programs must provide all staff with at least 15 clock hours of professional development per year under 45 CFR §1302.92. For a full breakdown of hours, credentials, and costs by role, see our guide to childcare staff training requirements.
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How long should a professional development day be?
A full-day professional development day usually runs six to eight hours, and a half day runs three to four hours. The right format depends on whether your program can close, how many topics you need to cover, and whether you are paying staff for the time. Here is how the four common formats compare.
| Format | Typical length | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full day | 6–8 hours | Multiple training sessions, a guest speaker, team building, and planning time | Requires closing the program or arranging alternate care for families |
| Half day | 3–4 hours | One focused topic, a required annual training, or a mid-year check-in | Little room for team building, group discussion, or classroom planning |
| Two half days | 3–4 hours each, on separate dates | Programs that cannot close for a full day but want full-day coverage of topics | Momentum and group energy break between the two sessions |
| Evening or weekend session | 2–3 hours | Small teams and in-home programs that cannot close during care hours | Staff arrive tired, and the time almost always has to be paid |
Whichever format you choose, keep individual sessions to 45 to 60 minutes. Longer blocks make it far more likely that staff will lose focus.
Sample professional development day agenda
This sample agenda covers a 7.5-hour full-day training running from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Adjust the topics to match your program’s goals and your state’s required training hours.
| Time | Agenda block | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00–8:30 a.m. | Arrival, breakfast, and sign-in | Collect signatures for training records and give staff time to settle in |
| 8:30–8:45 a.m. | Welcome and icebreaker | Warm up the room and set an engaged tone for the day |
| 8:45–9:00 a.m. | Agenda and goals for the day | Tell staff what to expect and why each session matters |
| 9:00–9:30 a.m. | Program updates | Cover policy changes, upcoming events, staffing news, and new tools |
| 9:30–10:30 a.m. | Training session 1 | Deliver your highest-priority topic while attention is strongest |
| 10:30–10:45 a.m. | Break | Let staff move, stretch, and reset |
| 10:45–11:15 a.m. | Small-group discussion | Have each group share one or two takeaways from session 1 |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:00 p.m. | Training session 2 | Cover a required licensing topic such as health and safety |
| 12:00–12:45 p.m. | Lunch | Give the team unstructured time together |
| 12:45–1:15 p.m. | Team building activity | Re-energize the group after the lunch break |
| 1:15–2:15 p.m. | Training session 3 | Focus on classroom practice, curriculum, or observation and assessment |
| 2:15–2:30 p.m. | Break | Second reset before the working portion of the afternoon |
| 2:30–3:00 p.m. | Classroom planning time | Let teaching teams apply what they learned to their own classrooms |
| 3:00–3:20 p.m. | Goal setting and reflection | Have each staff member write one or two SMART follow-up goals |
| 3:20–3:30 p.m. | Close and next date announcement | Thank the team and announce the next professional development day |
12 steps to plan a successful professional development day
By thoughtfully planning and executing a professional development day, you can foster a culture of continuous improvement and provide staff with the tools and support necessary to deliver high-quality care and education to young children.
Here’s what to consider as you plan your own professional development day:
1. Assess your staff’s needs and interests
Surveying staff ahead of a professional development day is crucial to ensure that the content chosen for that day is relevant and meaningful. By gathering input from teachers and other staff members, you can gain valuable insights into their specific needs, interests, and areas for growth.
One effective way to assess the needs of staff is through the use of surveys or questionnaires. You can create surveys that ask about the topics or areas in which staff members feel they need additional support or training. For example, questions could focus on areas such as classroom management techniques, incorporating technology in the classroom, or promoting social-emotional development.
2. Choose an appropriate venue
If you want to take your professional development day outside of your childcare facility, choose an appropriate venue that can comfortably fit your entire team, provide convenient parking, and offer any amenities that will help support your training or development goals.
For example, if you are planning team-building activities, you might consider a venue that offers an activity like a ropes course for your staff to work together to complete. Other aspects to consider are the cost of an external venue, the layout, food options, and any audio/visual needs you have for presentations or speakers.
3. Start with a fun icebreaker
It can be hard for your staff to jump straight into a long training day, so start your agenda with a fun icebreaker to help them warm up. This will help set the tone for your meeting and encourage your staff to engage and contribute throughout the day.
Your icebreaker can be lighthearted and give everyone in the room a chance to speak up and interact. Here are some ideas you can use:
- Two truths and a lie: Have every person present three statements about themselves, two that are true and one that is not. Then, others in the group have to choose which statement they think is the lie
- Group stretches or simple exercises like chair yoga
- Answering a fun question, like “If you could have any superpower, what would it be?”
- Improv storytelling: Give your staff a title for a story and then allow each person to take turns saying one word at a time to build sentences, eventually creating a cohesive (if not silly) story!
4. Share the agenda and goals for the day
As the training leader, part of your job is to make sure your staff members know what to expect from the session. Before you officially kick off your meeting, share the agenda for the day so they know exactly what’s coming up and how long each portion will take. This will help your team—especially those who love to plan ahead—be better prepared to engage and participate during each part of the training.
Take a moment to share your goals for the training day, too. Help your staff members connect the dots between what they’re learning and how it will help them become better, more skilled early educators. The more you help your staff see the value of the training, the more they’ll be motivated to get the most out of it!
Professional Development Day Agenda
A free, printable agenda for staff training days.
5. Share key updates about your childcare program
Training days can be an ideal time to update your team on upcoming events, changing policies and procedures, or anything else that will affect your team’s work or day-to-day schedules. Remember to save a few minutes for follow-up questions your staff may have too.
You can also use professional development days to introduce any new tools or technology to your staff. Childcare management software like brightwheel is easy to use and reduces time spent on administrative tasks—brightwheel saves each admin and staff member 20 hours per month of administrative work. Support educators in and out of the classroom with curriculum, lesson plans, and observations and give them an easy tool to communicate with families.
6. Divide your training into multiple sessions
It’s best to break your training into separate sessions so your staff can properly absorb and process all the new information they’re learning. It can be very tiring to sit for long periods of time without a change in activity, so make sure to account for that in your agenda!
Depending on your state and licensing agency, you may have a list of trainings and workshops that your staff are required to take. However, you (and your teachers) may also want to go beyond the minimum requirements and learn about a broader range of early education topics.
If you’re looking for more training ideas, check out the following resources:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) online group trainings
- Your state’s licensing or early childhood agency training catalog, such as the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, Washington State DCYF, or New York State OCFS
- Early education webinars, such as ones offered by NAEYC and brightwheel
- Health and safety training for childcare providers
- Read an early education book (or excerpts from a book) and discuss as a group
- Invite other local experts, such as child psychologists or occupational therapists, to lead trainings at your center
7. Invite a facilitator or guest speaker
Bringing in outside experts to support you with training or group activities can help you get the most out of your professional development days. For instance, you can hire a motivational speaker or facilitator skilled in team-building strategies. You can also hire a guest speaker to teach your staff any skills you don’t feel qualified to teach independently. This could include anything from classroom management techniques and unique teaching methods to time management and communication skills or even stress management strategies.
While there are numerous online resources where you can find high-quality guest speakers, you can also consider tapping into your local community. Communicate with parents and families or with educators at other programs in your area to get referrals on guest speakers they have used in the past that have the skills and knowledge you are looking for.
8. Include team building activities
Plan for some team building activities on your agenda, especially after a long break (such as lunchtime) or in between training sessions. They’re a great way to help your team bond, refocus, and stay present throughout the day.
Here are some team building activities you can try:
- Have your staff share their favorite ways to keep calm in stressful situations
- Ask your staff to line up in order of their birthdays—without talking!
- Play a quick round of Pictionary
- Organize a balloon tower challenge—see how high of a tower your staff can build using only balloons and tape
9. Make space for group discussions
Help your staff absorb all the new information they’re getting by providing plenty of opportunities to ask questions and discuss what they’re learning.
After your training sessions are complete, break your teachers into small groups and have them share 1-2 takeaways with each other. Depending on the size of your staff team, you can also have everyone come back together and share their questions and takeaways with the group as a whole.
10. Support and engage remote participants
A properly planned professional development day has to consider all workers in the organization. For example, it’s best to organize an inclusive professional development day for remote participants if you have them. The last thing you want is for them to feel left out while their colleagues are crushing their professional development goals.
Consider offering a virtual component to your professional development day via a video conferencing software such as Zoom or Google Meet. Provide access to relevant professional development learning materials such as online trainings or webinars and also incorporate virtual team building activities.
11. Set follow-up goals
At the end of your session, ask your staff to silently reflect on 1-2 concrete ways they can apply what they’ve learned. Have them write their goals down so they don’t forget them and can easily refer back to them whenever needed.
Their goals can be big or small, but will ideally follow the SMART framework:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Realistic
- Timely
You can also have your staff pair up (or you can assign random pairs) so they can keep each other accountable to their follow-up goals in the next few months.
12. Announce the next professional development day
Wrap up your training by sharing about your next professional development day. This will give your staff plenty of time to mark their calendars and also remind them that you’re committed to providing regular learning opportunities for them. If you need more ideas on training topics, ask your staff what they want to learn during a future professional development day!
Watch the walkthrough below for a closer look at how to structure a staff training day from start to finish.
Professional development day FAQs
What is the meaning of professional development?
Professional development (PD) refers to all types of learning that helps your employees grow and develop in their careers. Opportunities such as attending conferences or participating in formal trainings or additional education can all help your staff to gain new skills and refine existing ones.
What do teachers do on professional development days?
Teachers can use professional development days to learn new skills that will help them in their daily profession and get to know their teammates on a deeper level. Typical professional development days will offer specific training, group discussions, team building activities, and opportunities for staff to set goals.
What are examples of professional development?
Professional development includes things such as reviewing state-mandated education materials, discussing education trends, finding ways to improve teaching and communication skills, or creating or evaluating new curricula.
How long should a professional development day be?
A full-day professional development day typically runs six to eight hours, and a half day runs three to four hours. Keep individual training sessions to 45 to 60 minutes and build in a break every 90 minutes so staff stay focused through the afternoon.
How often should childcare programs hold professional development days?
Most childcare programs hold one or two full professional development days per year, often scheduling one before the fall term begins and one at the midpoint of the year. Programs with higher annual training requirements or frequent staff turnover often add shorter quarterly half-day sessions in between.
Do professional development days count toward state training hour requirements?
Professional development day sessions can count toward required annual training hours when the training topic and the trainer meet your licensing agency’s criteria and you keep documentation such as sign-in sheets and certificates. Requirements differ by state, role, and setting, so confirm with your state or territory licensing office before you finalize your agenda.
How do you make a professional development day engaging for staff?
To make a professional development day engaging, survey staff in advance so the topics match what they actually want to learn, open with an icebreaker, keep sessions under an hour, and alternate training blocks with team building and small-group discussion. Ending with time for each person to write down one or two concrete follow-up goals also helps the learning carry back into classrooms.
How do you run a virtual professional development day?
To run a virtual professional development day, host sessions in video conferencing software such as Zoom or Google Meet, shorten each block to 30 to 45 minutes to reduce screen fatigue, use breakout rooms for small-group discussion, and share course materials and recordings in advance so staff can review them at their own pace. Include at least one virtual team building activity so remote staff get the same connection time as on-site staff.
Conclusion
A professional development day is a crucial opportunity for your staff to learn, grow, and strengthen their relationships. By investing time in your team’s career advancement, you can cultivate more qualified and engaged employees, which directly benefits your entire childcare program.
