January 2026 Professional Learning
Below is information on upcoming virtual and in-person professional development opportunities. Detailed descriptions and registration information can be found at: fairfaxcounty.gov/EarlyChildhood. Monthly emails, including registration links, will be sent when registration opens.
To receive a certificate for in-person or webinar courses, please be sure to review the following requirements:
- To receive credit for a series with two meetings, you must attend both sessions.
- For series requiring three or four meetings, you must attend all sessions to receive credit.
- A 15-minute grace period is allowed; however, certificates will not be issued if you miss more than 15 minutes of the session.
- Certificates will be issued within 2-4 business days.
- If you can no longer attend a training you have registered for, please email NCSchildcareclasses@fairfaxcounty.gov before the scheduled date and time.
You can find references to the CDA Subject Areas, Virginia Early Learning Development Standards (VELDS), and CLASS under each Professional Learning course. Additionally, a reference to the CDA Subject Area is included at the bottom of this email.
Schematic play is a powerful learning tool for young children. It involves repeated patterns of behavior that allow children to explore and understand the world around them. Through schematic play, children develop cognitive, physical, and social skills by engaging in activities like stacking, enclosing, and transforming objects.
CDA Areas: 3
VELDS: Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Facilitated Exploration
Toddler: Facilitation of Learning and Development
PreK: Concept Development
Instructor: Bronwyn Dean
Date: Tuesdays, 1/6 & 1/13
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Documentation is a powerful tool that many educators find challenging to incorporate into their practice. In this training, we will unpack documentation myths and uncover what documentation is and what it is not. Participants will explore the many benefits of the documentation process and learn how to incorporate it into their practice. Documentation can take many forms, but ultimately it is a process, not a product!
CDA Areas: 2, 3 & 7
VELDS: Approaches to Play & Learning
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional and Behavioral Support & Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Emotional Support & Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Facilitated Exploration
Toddler: Regard for Child Perspectives, Facilitation of Learning and Development & Quality of Feedback
PreK: Regard for Student Perspectives, Concept Development & Quality of Feedback
Instructor: Melody Passemante Powell
Date: Tuesday, 1/6
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Strengthen your leadership skills in this four-part virtual series focused on creating inclusive, culturally responsive, and equitable early childhood programs. Explore identity, belonging, and bias; deepen your understanding of how to support Dual Language Learners and diverse families; and enhance equitable behavior guidance and decision-making practices. Through reflective leadership tools and practical strategies, leaders will learn how to coach educators toward more responsive, strengths-based practices. By the end of the series, participants will develop concrete action steps to build welcoming, identity-affirming environments for all children, families, and staff.
CDA Areas: 3, 6, & 8
VELDS: Approaches to Play and Learning, Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional and Behavioral Support
PreK: Emotional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Relational Climate
Toddler: Positive Climate
PreK: Positive Climate
Instructors: Bernice Mayfield and Debbie Weigand
Dates: Wednesdays, 1/7, 1/14, 1/21, & 1/28
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Extended Learning: One additional credit hour per session earned through Canvas extended learning activities.
Every child brings their own story, strengths, culture, and way of being into the classroom. In this third course, educators will explore how embracing each child’s uniqueness—and deepening our own cultural competencies—creates stronger, more trusting relationships with children and families. Participants will learn practical, developmentally appropriate strategies to honor diversity, support individual needs, and build inclusive learning environments where all children can thrive.
CDA Areas: 3
VELDS: Approaches to Play and Learning, Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional and Behavioral Support
PreK: Emotional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Relational Climate
Toddler: Positive Climate
PreK: Positive Climate
Instructors: Bernice Mayfield and Debbie Weigand
Dates: Thursdays, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, & 2/12
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Extended Learning: One additional credit hour per session earned through extended learning activities
Coaching and mentoring relationships benefit educators throughout their careers, as needs change and interests evolve. This interactive series will explore principles of adult learning and specific strategies for coaching and mentoring educators working in early childhood education. This is a course for leaders who supervise and/or mentor educators in their program, or for anyone who is interested in learning more about the field of early childhood workforce development and exploring professional and advocacy opportunities within the field.
CDA Areas: 5 & 6
VELDS: Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Cognitive Development, Communication, Language, and Literacy Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional and Behavioral Support, Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Responsive Climate, Teacher Sensitivity, Facilitated Exploration
Toddler: Positive Climate, Negative Climate, Teacher Sensitivity, Facilitation of Learning and Development, Quality of Feedback, Language Modeling
PreK: Positive Climate, Negative Climate, Teacher Sensitivity, Regard for Student Perspectives, Productivity, Instructional Learning Formats, Language Modeling
Instructor: Joanna Parker
Date: Thursdays, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, & 1/29
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
In these sessions, early childhood educators will expand their understanding of the benefits, challenges and unique concerns of working with mixed age groups. We will discuss the differing developmental skills and stages of children in mixed-age groupings. Educators will explore strategies to expand learning opportunities and support the development of multiage groups in intentional ways.
CDA Areas: 2, 3, 5, & 8
VELDS: Approaches to Learning, Social and Emotional Development, Communication, Language, and Literacy Development, Health and Physical Development, and Cognitive Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional Behavior Support
PreK: Emotional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Facilitated Exploration
Toddler: Regard for Child Perspectives
PreK: Regard for Student Perspectives
Instructor: Leah Pagala
Date: Tuesdays, 1/13 & 1/22
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
In early childhood education, the environment is known as the "third teacher," crucial in shaping children's learning and development. This concept emphasizes the intentional design of physical spaces to be stimulating, engaging, and responsive to children's interests and needs. A well-planned environment fosters exploration, independence, and a sense of belonging, actively contributing to the learning process.
CDA Areas: 3
VELDS: Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Facilitated Exploration
Toddler: Facilitation of Learning and Development
PreK: Concept Development
Instructor: Bronwyn Dean
Date: Thursdays, 1/15, 1/22, & 1/29
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Children’s books are a powerful tool, containing both visual and verbal messages that heavily influence children's ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, it can reinforce (or undermine) children’s positive self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes toward diversity. Consequently, selecting anti-bias literature to use with children is an incredibly important part of being an early childhood educator. In this session, we will discuss important considerations when intentionally choosing anti-bias children’s literature for your classrooms.
CDA Areas: 2, 3, & 8
VELDS: Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Emotional & Behavioral Support; Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Emotional Support; Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Teacher Sensitivity & Early Language Support
Toddler: Regard for Child Perspectives & Language Modeling
PreK: Regard for Student Perspectives & Language Modeling
Instructor: Melody Passemante Powell
Date: Thursday, 1/15
Time: 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Lorton Library (9520 Richmond Highway Lorton, VA, 22079-2124)
This training will equip ECE educators with the knowledge and skills to design and implement engaging outdoor sensory mud kitchens for young children. Participants will explore the developmental benefits of mud play, learn practical tips for setting up and maintaining a safe and stimulating mud kitchen space, and discover creative activities that foster exploration, imagination, and learning through sensory experiences. By the end of the session, educators will feel confident in integrating this valuable outdoor learning opportunity into their early childhood programs.
CDA Areas: 3
VELDS: Social and Emotional Development
CLASS Support
Domain(s):
Infant: Responsive Caregiving
Toddler: Engaged Support for Learning
PreK: Instructional Support
Dimension(s):
Infant: Facilitated Learning
Toddler: Facilitated Learning
PreK: Concept Development
Instructor: Bronwyn Dean
Date: Tuesdays, 1/20 & 1/27
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Esta clase virtual invita a los educadores de la infancia temprana a descubrir cómo los niños se convierten en nuestros “pequeños maestros”, revelando aprendizajes valiosos a través de sus gestos, preguntas y experiencias cotidianas. A lo largo de dos sesiones interactivas, exploraremos estrategias, videos y experiencias que muestran cómo escuchar la voz de los niños para transformar la práctica educativa y el clima emocional en el salón. Los participantes reflexionarán sobre sus propias experiencias y diseñarán compromisos concretos para integrar las perspectivas de los niños en el aula.
CDA Áreas: 2 & 3
VELDS: Enfoques de Aprendizaje, Desarrollo Social y Emocional
Apoyo de CLASS
Dominio(s):
Bebé: Cuidado Sensible
Niño pequeño: Apoyo Emocional y Conductual
PreK: Apoyo Emocional
Dimensión(es):
Bebé: Sensibilidad del Maestro, Exploración Guiada, Apoyo Temprano al Lenguaje
Niño pequeño: Consideración hacia las Perspectivas del Niño
PreK: Sensibilidad del Maestro, Consideración hacia las Perspectivas del Niño Instructora: Lisseth Palacios
Fechas: jueves, 8 y 15 de enero
Hora: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Esta capacitación de dos sesiones inspirará a los educadores a explorar cómo la escucha y la conciencia sensorial apoyan el desarrollo del lenguaje, la alfabetización y las habilidades socioemocionales en la primera infancia. A través de un libro para niños, los participantes aprenderán a modelar la escucha activa, guiar la exploración sensorial y crear entornos ricos en alfabetización. Los educadores identificarán oportunidades dentro de las rutinas diarias para incorporar actividades de escucha y diseñarán al menos una actividad práctica para usar en su propio espacio educativo.
CDA Áreas: 2, 3 & 6
VELDS: Enfoques de Aprendizaje, Desarrollo de Comunicación, Lenguaje y Alfabetismo
Apoyo de CLASS
Dominio(s):
Bebé: Cuidado Sensible
Niño pequeño: Apoyo Comprometido para el Aprendizaje
PreK: Apoyo Instruccional
Dimensión(es):
Bebé: Exploración Guiada Niño pequeño: Facilitación del Aprendizaje y Desarrollo, Modelado del Lenguaje
PreK: Desarrollo de Conceptos, Modelado del Lenguaje
Instructora: Lisseth Palacios
Fechas: jueves, 22 y 29 de enero
Hora: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Family Child Care Business Workshops
In this 6-hour course, participants will focus on the importance of intentional teaching and providing responsive care to multi-age groups of children in their homes. Family child care educators will increase their knowledge of child development and how to implement daily learning experiences that are meaningful and beneficial for children. In addition, participants will learn how children benefit from planned activities that are responsive to children’s interests and include age-appropriate materials and a child-friendly environment.
CDA Area: 2
Instructor: Ginny Holloway
Date: Tuesdays, 1/6, 1/13, & 1/20
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
You must attend all three sessions to receive a certificate. After completing each session, you will be sent a link to register for the next class.
En este curso de seis horas, los participantes se enfocarán en la importancia de la enseñanza intencional y el cuidado responsivo para los niños en su programa. Los educadores de cuidado familiar infantil aumentaran sus conocimientos sobre el desarrollo infantil y como implementar experiencias de aprendizaje diario que sean significativas y beneficiosas para los niños. Además, los participantes aprenderán como los niños se benefician de las actividades planificadas que responden a los intereses de los niños e incluyen materiales apropiados para su edad y un entorno acogedora para los niños.
CDA Area: 2
Instructora: Ana Hoover
Fecha: jueves, 22, 29, y 5 de enero
Hora: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Debes asistir a las tres sesiones para recibir un certificado. Después de completar cada sesión, recibirás un enlace para registrarte en la siguiente clase.
How do you manage all of your receipts for revenues and expenses? This webinar will provide some tips to organize your records so that tax preparation is easier. Learn what expenses you can deduct from your taxes.
CDA Area: 5
Instructor: Rose Yaguchi
Date: Tuesday, 1/27
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
An invitation to register will be sent via email.
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