Smart! CEU

Childcare directors have a daunting job. Not only must they manage their staff, but they also have to manage large groups of children and the expectations of parents as well. It can be easy to slip into an authoritative method of management rather than being a leader and a mentor. SMART! offers excellent online childcare training that can help you become much more than just a boss. SMART! also offers in-service training for childcare workers and online continuing education for childcare workers. You will find that our homestudy courses for childcare directors help you take your skill set to a new level.

So, what is the difference between being a supervisor and being a mentor? A mentor is not a taskmaster; instead, as a mentor you become a guide. You work to help each staff member become a loyal member of your team. How does this happen? You provide gentle direction and encouragement that helps your staff believe that your input is vital to their success. In addition, establishing a mentorship relationship with your staff will make them feel just as invested in your center as you are, and therefore take better care both of the children and your center.

How do you go about creating a mentoring environment in your childcare center? Our online childcare training class will go in depth into each of these points, but here are a few highlights.

1. Listen: know what are your employee’s goals and dreams.

2. Determine what is presenting a barrier to the success of each staff member.

3. Connect their goals with your goals for your center.

4. Work with your staff members to break down barriers to success.

5. Provide your staff members with lots of feedback, encouragement, and guidance.

This just scratches the surface of how to become a mentor and a leader for your staff. Why not sign up for our online continuing education for childcare workers program, and explore this idea further? We can help you reach your goals as well as the goals of your staff. Take the leap and start one of our homestudy classes for childcare workers today!

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

Are you managing a childcare facility? Are you finding it difficult to retain the youngest workers, those called “Generation Y?” We at SMART! have excellent online childcare training programs that can provide you with guidance in managing this challenging employee population. Our in-service training for childcare workers is about more than just the basic of childcare. SMART! also offers online continuing education for childcare workers, and many courses that focus on issues that are of concern to those that own or manage facilities.

Generation Y is also known as the Millennial Generation or the “Net” generation. This generation is born between the 1980s through the last decade. This generation does not remember a life before the internet, and are often skilled communicators. You will find that they are often able to not only work with children, but also help you fix your website.

Knowing the demographic information about Generation Y can help you be a better manager when it comes to these workers. While our online childcare training courses explore this issue in detail, here are some basic pointers to know about this group of young people.

• This generation believes in – and has experienced – the importance of early learning.

• Generation Y usually have mothers that work outside the home.

• This group tends to have high self esteem.

• This generation is very committed to online communications.

While it is hoped that Generation Y will be less likely to job hop than Generation X did, it takes a skilled hand to keep these young people happy as workers. They often expect, and even require, extensive praise and appreciation. You will have to work hard to break them of their cell phone habits, and it is important to grant them internet access while they are on break from their duties.

This just scratches the surface of the techniques needed to make this group of young people become ideal employees. Sign up today for one of our online childcare training courses and learn more about retaining this highly energetic and valuable group of young people!

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

If you work with young children, you know that children love to play. However, you have likely noticed that children play differently at different ages. Do you have a grasp on the stages of play development? Our online childcare training classes offer you the information you need to become an excellent childcare teacher. SMART! also offers in-service training for childcare staff, as well as online continuing education for childcare workers. You will find that your will develop a well-rounded knowledge about play and children’s growth once completing one of our homestudy courses for childcare.

If you have worked with children before, you have surely noticed that children play in different ways at different ages. Not only that, but different personality types play in different ways. Social play increases as children get older, and social play becomes the primary focus of the preschool years. As children get older, social contact becomes more frequent and children begin to enjoy longer and more varied playtimes.

Our online childcare training course will help you learn more about the following types and stages of social play.

• Unoccupied Behavior

• Onlooker Behavior

• Solitary Play

• Parallel Play

• Associative Play

• Cooperative Play

You will also learn more about helping to draw children into play with each other, how to design games that work at every development stage. Our training for childcare workers provides you with the solid foundation you need to have a successful classroom, regardless of the age of the children involved. Best of all, you will feel confident in managing children and their expectations as they grow through the various play stages.

Whether you are just beginning your childcare career or you have been working as a childcare provider for a while already, you will find our online childcare courses are perfect for your needs. Why wait? Get started today, and learn more about the stages of play in young children!

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

With so many things to be concerned with as a childcare worker, it can be easy to overlook some things. After all, when you take the children to the play yard, keeping track of everyone might seem more important than dousing them all with sunscreen before you get out there. However, it is! Learn more about the importance of sun protection for children in our online childcare training classes! SMART! offers extensive in-service training for childcare, as well as online continuing education courses for childcare workers. We are here to help you get better at the details, including issues like sun protection.

Sadly, sun damage (damage meaning sunburn) in childhood often leads to skin cancer in adults. It has been shown that most people receive 80% of their lifetime’s worth of sun exposure by the time they turn 18. This means that bad sunburns in childhood can cause malignant melanoma. So what do you do, as a childcare worker, to protect the children from this fate while they are in your care?

First of all, it is important to know the facts. Our online childcare training that focuses on techniques to avoid sun damage in children. You will learn about the best times of day to let children play outside, how frequently you will need to apply sunscreen, and more. Our in-service training for childcare offers the information you need to protect the children in your care.

You will also learn how critical it is to protect yourself! Our classes also go into the protection of infants from the sun, as sunscreens are not recommended for infants under six months old. You will also learn about what type of sunscreen is ideal, how to make the most of shade, and what areas of the body are the most vulnerable to sun damage. You will find that you feel confident about taking your students outside to play, regardless of the time of year!

Our online childcare training is perfect, as it allow you to study at your own pace. Because our courses are all homestudy for childcare training, you will find that it is possible to take our classes without disrupting your life. Get started today!

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

Once you have decided that working with small children is the right career path for you – whether you are just beginning, or have been working with small kids for a while – knowing your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher can be very helpful. SMART! online childcare training courses offer you the opportunity to explore things like teaching style, helping you determine how you can become a better teacher. Our in-service training for childcare workers, as well as our online continuing education for childcare workers, is perfect for expanding your knowledge base and building your skills. There is no doubt that training for childcare teachers fosters growth and keeps you focused on the right path.

So, what is your teaching style? Are you a stickler for rules, and a bit rigid in your philosophies? You might be an Authoritarian teacher. This type of teacher keeps tight control on the classroom, usually with a firm schedule and a series of rules that are great at encouraging good behavior. However, the Authoritarian can often set the rules so firmly that children do not have much of an opportunity to work on their communication skills. Maybe you are not quite as strict as that; maybe you are more Authoritative rather than Authoritarian. You still set strict rules, but you allow more verbal interaction.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Laissez-faire teacher. This teacher lets the children direct the pace of the classroom, works to protect the children’s feelings, and works hard to address parental concerns. This teacher is popular, but what do children learn about self-control in this classroom? Even farther away on the spectrum is the Indifferent teacher. The name defines that teacher exactly: aloof, not invested in the classroom or the students’ success. This is a teaching style to avoid.

As you can see, exploring the different styles of teaching is an important element in becoming a great childcare teacher. Why not sign up for one of our online childcare training programs today? Our in-service childcare training can help you develop a firm foundation and help you create the best classroom for you and your students. Start today!

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

Nothing is as delightful as a tiny infant is: the lovely smell, the tiny sighs, and the big adorable yawns. Of course, there is also the crying, the screaming… having a solid set of infant coping and soothing skills is a must for any childcare worker. The SMART! online childcare training courses offer you insight into navigating the tricky world of infant care. You will find our in-service training for childcare as well as our online continuing education for childcare workers can give you all you need to become an expert in infant care.

Parents and childcare workers are never more partnered than when an infant is involved. Parents need to know that you, as the person taking care of their tiny one, are willing to go the distance to soothe and cuddle their baby when they are away. Our online childcare training delves extensively into the current thinking about infant care, including the idea of the “4^th trimester.” This idea is that the first three months are basically a fourth trimester of pregnancy, and the best way to soothe an infant is to try to mimic the pregnancy experience. This means using swaddling, swooshing, and other simple techniques that can help a baby feel safe, as it did in the womb. Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers classes that help expand and sharpen your skills with infants.

In our in-service training for childcare courses that focus on infants, you will learn all about the tricks used today to keep infants happy. You will learn about swaying and tilting, shushing, swaddling, and the other excellent ways to help infants – and their parents – have the best results in your classroom. We want to help you build an environment and infant care practice that will minimize the stress of non-parental care for infants. Using the 4^th Trimester theory, you will be able to build an excellent infant care center and not only decrease the stress of the babies and their parents, but your own stress as well. Why wait? Take one of our homestudy childcare courses today.

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

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If you work with young children, you know there is much more to worry about today than simply the best ways to encourage ideal behavior. There are health worries too; from peanut allergies to contagious diseases. This area of childcare is always changing, and it is an important element in our online childcare training. SMART! offers not only in-service training for childcare, but also online continuing education for childcare workers. You will find excellent courses that will help you learn about the latest information in the health end of childcare. For instance, are you looking to learn more about coping with Hepatitis B Virus? We offer online childcare training that will make you feel confident about accepting a child with this virus in your class.

It is important, first of all, to have a solid handle on the facts. Most children are vaccinated against the Hepatitis B Virus today, which can decrease the risk in your classroom. It is important to have records on which children are vaccinated and which are not. Our online childcare training focusing on Hepatitis B will also go over in detail how the disease is transmitted; it does not spread by standard contact but can be an issue when children become biters. It is also important to understand how the disease presents itself, what sort of symptoms to look out for, and more.

When presented with a child who is suffering from the Hepatitis B virus that wants to become a student at your school, how will you respond? This in-service training for childcare workers will help you feel confident in whatever response you choose. Setting a requirement for vaccinations in your center is one smart way to minimize risk. It is also very important to respect privacy, and to protect children that are suffering from the Hepatitis B virus from discrimination and being ostracized – a tough challenge when also guarding every child’s safety.

As you can see, navigating the tricky world of Hepatitis B and your childcare center can be challenging. Why not sign up for one of our homestudy childcare classes and find yourself on firmer ground today?

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.

Children love to explore their world, and exploring new science in the field of caring for small children is a requirement for childcare specialists. Here at SMART! we offer excellent online childcare training, including online continuing education for childcare workers. We have training programs that delve deep into the latest thoughts and theories in the childcare world, and help hone and fine tune your skills. Our homestudy courses for childcare are developed around every subject you need to round out your overall abilities. Recently a new focus on science has emerged in early childcare development; a new school of thought believes that encouraging the scientific awareness in young children is as important as reading, writing, and being creative.

Because young children experience rapid growth in their brain function and cognitive development as they grow, they can soak up knowledge and information at a rapid pace while their brains are still forming. Infants know that making noise will bring their caregivers to them, and as they grow, they begin to understand things like cause and effect. Toddlers can sort and classify objects, and begin developing a deeper understanding of the physical world, and start to have an interest in science. How do you best help foster that scientific curiosity? Our online childcare training classes can help you develop your abilities to bring science into the classroom with young children.

First, you need to create a stimulating environment. Showing pleasure and delight in a child’s discoveries is the best way to encourage them to explore further. Toddlers enjoy controlling their environments in different ways, and encouraging them to explore further is a great way to foster a love of science. Preschool aged children can explore even further, heading to the great outdoors to spot patterns, note the changes in weather, and look at rocks, bugs, and other cool things. Exploring the schoolyard can be an easy way to learn about the larger scientific world.

As you can see, working with kids to turn normal exploration into scientific discovery is a great way to help young minds grow. Our in-service childcare training courses will show you the right tools to guide young minds into enjoying science more! Why wait? Take one of our homestudy courses for childcare today.

Our online continuing education for childcare workers offers the perfect match of support and self-paced study. Whether you need CEUs to renew your child development credentials or director credentials, or in-service hours to meet state childcare licensing requirements, our courses will meet your needs. SMART! is committed to providing child care workers with CEUs and clock-hour training that is fast, fabulous and affordable. We are here to help. Get started with our online childcare learning options today.