Inside Gateways Newsletter—Winter 2010

Welcome to the New Year—2010—and the latest edition of Inside Gateways, the Gateways to Opportunity quarterly e-newsletter! As we enter a new year, it is an appropriate time to consider making resolutions that will have a positive impact on our personal and professional roles.

Millions of Americans made a list of New Year’s resolutions this month that include what they plan to do, and not do, as the New Year begins. Many of these promises fall by the wayside before January ends. According to recent surveys, over 70% of these resolutions stem from a desire to improve our personal lives or relationships, and the rest are work related. We spend a significant amount (current data indicate an ever-increasing number) of our lives at work or in activities related to our professional lives. It seems logical that a significant number of our New Year’s resolutions should be work related.

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to positively change your professional role or career? Do you plan to pursue professional development during the coming year? Have you identified specific goals to advance your career or developed strategies and steps to meet those goals? Have you considered ways in which you could increase your skill set so that you are more marketable? Have you designed a “to do” list of what professional knowledge you would like to gain in the year ahead?

Many of us are guilty of taking the development of our careers and professions for granted. We sometimes aren’t quite sure how we got to the jobs that we have…perhaps more by accident than design. As dollars dwindle and employee benefits become tighter, it is easy to decide that this may not be the best time to obtain more education or finish a degree or refresh and update our knowledge base. Today’s tightened economy, with a dwindling number of job opportunities, is the most critical time to revitalize our skill set while renewing and energizing our professional knowledge. Employers hire well-trained and motivated individuals who demonstrate an active interest in furthering their knowledge as demonstrated by current education, training, and the provision of the highest quality services.

Gateways to Opportunity, Illinois Professional Development System, was created to support all early care and education and school-age practitioners in their professional development. It includes a defined career lattice with clear degrees and credentials, as well as scholarships to support further education. It also provides opportunities for practitioners to grow by setting goals with a Professional Development Advisor (PDA)! As 2010 begins, take advantage of these programs and services by visiting www.ilgateways.com or calling 1 (866) 697-8278. You can start by meeting with a PDA—at no cost—to map out a personalized career pathway and set goals for the coming year.

Read about two practitioners (Toni Williams-Harrison and Patty Miller) featured in this issue, who each embarked on a professional development journey. Their stories will inspire you to begin your own journey. The satisfaction they feel in having increased their professional development is evident. You can join them by resolving today that you will focus on your own professional development in 2010.

Make this year count—make a promise to yourself that you will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to provide the highest quality services to all children and families. The year will move swiftly, and there is no better time than today to embark on your own professional development journey.

We are here to assist you in your journey.

Joni Scritchlow and the
Gateways to Opportunity
Professional Development Team