ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information about what a community of practice (CoP) is and how it can help early years educators to be more effective practitioners when they are part of such a community. It highlights and focuses on the educators within the community and their practices. The chapter outlines the benefits of belonging to a CoP, as well as facilitators and barriers to building an effective CoP. It defines the term CoP as a purposeful social structure whereby educators regularly come together to work for the collective benefit of students. The chapter focuses on the practices of the teaching community (that is, what the educators do) and the potential benefits to both educators and early years learners of this organisational approach in early years settings. Within the social structure of a CoP, educators are able to deliver programs and discuss their teaching practice and pedagogy as well as the day-to-day challenges they experience in a classroom of diverse learners.
