Abstract
This study illustrates how the expertise of childcare workers in dealing with difficult children develops from their initial experiences. In the research I, a veteran and a first-year newcomer to the profession were interviewed regarding how they deal with difficult children. The qualitative analysis revealed some essential, common themes such as "assistance", "support" and "intellection" in the interviews. The veteran exhibited the characteristic of "intellection" while the fresh teacher did not show it and reflected on her childcare differently. After one year, the new teacher's reflections on her childcare practice were examined. The research II compared the new teacher's first year with her second year. In the second year, she displayed various changes in her reflection, including more "intellection". The result suggests that experience with difficult children provides good opportunities for a teacher to reflect on childcare practice and reflection can contribute to increasing her/his expertise.
