Significance of Learning Styles for Professional Development

It is important to note that every individual processes and learns differently. The tips below are catered to working individuals in the working field. Here are 8 methods for maintaining professional development for professionals, clinicians, teachers, and more!

1) Social media: (I know, this is a debatable one but it can help you keep up with current trends in your field)

2) Reading Literature: reading evidenced based articles & trending researchers!

3) Conferences: Gaining new knowledge AND networking (they have small and big international ones)

4) Mentorship: someone to meet weekly to keep you accountable in your practices AND as a guide as you make daily decisions in personal life and the work place

5) CE/CEU trainings: (ideally in person). Yes this one is technically required for many to maintain their certification, but I hope you do this with intention and take advantage by taking courses in the niche areas you are interested in!

6) Collaborating with your supervisors and supervisee’s at work: yes this is one! “Teamwork makes the dream work”. We can do and learn very little on our own, but by making the effort to truly reach out to our colleagues and learn from them (yes, even those we supervise), you can learn things you never thought you would. This one requires an open mind.

7) Teaching: This is THE best way to kinesthetically learn (to learn by doing). Teaching the content yourself, even if you already know it well or have been in the field for several years, will assist you with being more competent in the material on a deeper level. Most importantly, you learn a lot about yourself. This can also include training others.

8) Journaling: There is evidence that by writing down our thoughts (on paper or computer) it can increase memory, communication skills, self-confidence, critical thinking skills and even a higher IQ! And we all know we need soft skills in our profession Did you know posting on social media or writing notes can be considered journaling too? Get creative!

Why is growing yourself important? It is part of our ethics in ABA “maintaining competence through professional development”. On a personal level (for just about any professional), this helps us stay connected and not be stagnant. By engaging in professional development, we are continually reminded of why we do what we do, and those values of “why’s” are super important. As a cherry on top, it helps us become better human beings by practicing our soft skills.

How many of these do you engage in? We all have methods that may not be of interest to us, and that’s okay. The good news is there is a variety of methods to grow yourself. Ideally as a general rule of thumb, consistently doing at least 2-3 of these on a regular basis is the most optimal!