In early childhood education, our days rarely pause long enough for us to breathe, let alone reflect. We move through the rhythm of the day with heart and intention, settling, noticing, guiding, comforting, mediating, celebrating. We hold space for big emotions, tender transitions, spontaneous exploration, and the unpredictable moments that shape children’s learning. And while this work fills our time, it also fills our hearts, often leaving very little space for ourselves as professionals.

That’s why the Professional Growth Cycle often ends up at the bottom of the to-do list. Not because we don’t care about it, but because we’re busy caring for everyone else. It can feel like an extra task, something required by someone else, something for a meeting, a folder, a certification requirement. But when we step back, really step back, it becomes clear that the PGC was never meant to be a task at all. It was always meant to be a lifeline.

Your PGC is where you return to yourself as a teacher. Not the rushing, stretched, “get-through-the-day” version of yourself, but the reflective, intentional, courageous educator you are beneath the busyness. It invites you to reconnect with your purpose. It reminds you that you are part of a profession guided by values, grounded in relationships, and held together by a commitment to growth.

Te Whāriki speaks of learning as a woven mat, where each strand strengthens another. The same is true for us as kaiako. Our knowledge, our reflection, our curiosity, our cultural understanding, our professional growth - each of these is a strand that strengthens who we are and how we teach. Our Code, Our Standards asks us to be learners as well as teachers, to uphold the mana of children and whānau through the quality of our practice. And ongoing professional development is how we honour that commitment. It’s how we ensure we are teaching from evidence, from empathy, from cultural responsiveness, from intentionality, and from a place of constant evolution.

Professional learning is not something we do because the Teaching Council expects it of us. It’s something we do because teaching is a profession that never stands still. Child development research grows. Our understanding of trauma deepens. Our awareness of Te Ao Māori, tikanga, manaakitanga, and whanaungatanga strengthens. He Māpuna te Tamaiti continues to guide us in supporting emotional competence with gentleness and insight. Every resource, every webinar, every kōrero with colleagues, every article we read expands our ability to support tamariki in meaningful, empowering ways.

When we learn, we notice more. We respond more intentionally. We see behaviour through a wider, more compassionate lens. We understand cultural narratives more deeply. We recognise our own biases, assumptions, and habits - and we challenge them. This is how learning shapes us. Not in loud, dramatic ways, but in the small shifts of how we think, how we see children, how we listen, how we interpret their cues, and how we honour their identities.

And this is why the Professional Growth Cycle matters. It’s not about proving what you already do. It’s about discovering what you could do. It’s not about ticking boxes. It’s about widening your thinking. It’s not about meeting expectations. It’s about becoming the teacher you once imagined being.

Staying inspired in ECE isn’t about waiting for motivation to magically return - it’s about feeding that spark. When we engage in professional development, when we reflect deeply, when we stretch our thinking, we feel our passion come alive again. Burnout often comes from stagnancy, from doing the same things in the same ways and losing sight of the purpose behind them. Growth is what brings the colour back. Reflection is what brings clarity. Learning is what brings confidence.

Your PGC is not for your employer. It is not even for your workplace. It is for you, to validate your growth, to deepen your capability, and to honour your professionalism. It is part of upholding your practising certificate, yes, but more importantly, it is part of upholding your identity as a teacher in Aotearoa. A teacher who is committed to lifelong learning. A teacher who adapts, reflects, and leads with heart. A teacher who understands that growth is not optional in this profession - it is essential.

And here is the real “why” behind professional growth:

 When you grow, children grow.

 When you see differently, children are seen differently.

 When your practice deepens, their learning deepens.

 When you feel inspired, they feel empowered.

Every small shift in your practice ripples into the lives of the children you care for. That is the power of your learning. That is the purpose behind your reflection. That is the reason we honour our PGC, not as a requirement, but as a responsibility and a celebration of who we are becoming.

So, the next time you sit down to reflect, set a goal, engage in a new webinar, or revisit Our Code, Our Standards, remember this: you are not doing it because you must. You are doing it because you are a professional. Because the work you do matters. Because your growth matters. Because the tamariki in front of you deserve a teacher who is alive with curiosity, rooted in evidence, confident in practice, and committed to continual evolution.

Your PGC is your chance to step back into your “why.”

 To reconnect.

 To reignite.

 To realign.

And to remind yourself that you are not just a teacher, you are a lifelong learner, a guide, a leader, and a changemaker in the lives of children and whānau.

You are worth the investment.