My Education and Certification Plan
Visit the Child Life Council ( http://www.childlife.org/ )and reflect on what Child Life does and how you envision Child Life philosophies will impact your future career with children and families. Then use the table at the bottom of My Education and Certification Plan to create your own education and certification goals, and a plan for how you will achieve these goals.
Development Questionnaire
This questionnaire can help you begin thinking about your likes, dislikes, goals, and abilities. Reflecting on these items can greatly assist you in developing your plan. As you go through the questionnaire, jot down your response.
Current Position
Are you currently working? If so, where?
Education and Certification Goals
Where do you see yourself one year from now?
What would you need to achieve now to accomplish this?
Untapped Abilities
Is there something more that you could do that would make a greater contribution to your education and certification goals?
Goal Setting
Development Targets
What skills do you want to develop/improve?
Performance Goals
What will improve as a result of this?
How will you benefit? What strategies will you use to help you improve?
What obstacles exist?
How will you manage these?
Who can help you?
There are four components of an effective plan. Give careful thought to these components when selecting how you will develop your new skills.
Development Method
Identify how the skill will be developed. There are a variety of methods by which a new skill can be obtained. Some common methods include:
Continuing education
Mentoring
Coaching (a relationship between a supportive and skilled coaching professional and an individual)
Success Measure
It's important to know when you've met your goal. Identify one or more observable results that will indicate success:
What result can you expect once you are more skilled or knowledgeable in the area?
Why do you want to achieve this goal?
What will it do for you?
For others?
Development Support
We all need help to not only development new skills but to maintain the new. Identify resources, feedback, permissions, tools, coaching and other assistance:
What do you need to support your goal?
Who do you need this assistance from?
What are you concerned about?
What barriers do you anticipate?
How can others help you avoid or get past the barriers?