My message this week will be short, yet extremely relevant to the reading. I'm leaving tomorrow for a week long conference in Atlanta, GA. The conference is a Family Strengthening Summit, which will be attended by hundreds of programs throughout the nation that offer "exemplary" practices. The practices are focused on preventing child abuse and neglect.
In 2003, my program was assessed by individuals representing the Center for Social Policy. The end result of a one week review was a letter congratulating the program for meeting criteria necessary to be considered exemplary. My goal in attending this conference is to gain ideas from other programs that I can bring back to Maui and implement, or share with other partners. It's amazing how we, as professionals, connect and share ideas with the intent to spread a positive message throughout communities.
I attended this same summit in San Diego back in 2007. I learned that many states have changed the "Child Abuse and Prevention Month", to "Family Strengthening Month". I liked the feel of this title much better and offered it as a suggestion to some state representatives connected to supporting families. Unfortunately, they were not ready to embrace the same level of understanding that I had - so it remains child abuse and prevention.
Family Strengthening requires a high level of family involvement. The exemplary practices that we as a Head Start program implement all connect to partnering and communicating with families. I regard parents as their child's first teacher. I believe that parents know their child much better than I do, and hold the key in impacting their child's education. I only have the child for one to two years - parents have them for a much longer time. My goal is to create lasting positive practices with parents to promote support, time, care, and nurturing for attachment with their child. The relationship of the family is enhanced when these factors are present.
It's extremely difficult to be supportive when you have parents that seem to have their priorities out of sync. I find it challenging to work with parents that are abrasive, loud, angry, and mean to their children. As a teacher, I think about the long term affects on the child from living in this kind of an environment. Trying to assist a parent to see life from their child's perspective is not an easy task. Many times, the parent is repeating life based on the kind of parenting received as a child. Breaking that cycle takes a great deal of support, reflection, trust, and learning that other options do exist.
Parents usually are blown away when they witness their child following through on tasks in the classroom. A common one is "I can never get my kid to clean up at home. How come in school she always help out?". This is my opening to take this parent into the world of possibilities. We talk about setting up routines, organizing the environment so children can assist to put things away independently, and providing a reminder that clean-up time is happening in five minutes so we can clean up before dinner (or whatever activity comes next). The time and energy put into this interaction can be the start of this parent opening up their mind to realize that there is another way to deal with the child. Parents can see that we do not use physical punishment in school in order to encourage children to do daily tasks.
The October 20 Exchange article titled "Bonnie's New Blog" touched on some of my thoughts shared about the Family Strengthening Summit. Debra Sullivan offered some thoughts about community, and asked the question, "How do we create these communities in our world today?", in reference to creating communities that are strong. Bonnie felt that the blog might be one of the ways to share information. The summit is another. Any possible way that programs can share their thoughts, practices, ideas, and successes with each other brings light to a number of people. We are all partners in this field of supporting children and families. I find great joy in learning something new...and have the same level of pleasure when I can share something in return.
On the October 22 Exchange, the quote from Mother Teresa summed the thought of family involvement perfectly. She stated "To keep a lamp burning we have to keep putting oil in it." I see the lamp as being the family and the oil as being the support provided to help them to keep "burning" bright.
One area that I find extremely interesting in Head Start is the effort places on leader development. Parents are welcomed to be involved in program design, approving policies and other vital areas of management. Parents make up the overall membership of Policy Council, a governing body of Head Start. Our program just had the first Policy Council meeting of 2009-10 school year this past week. The newly elected Chairperson already had one activity connected to her new role - we had a Risk Management meeting yesterday (Friday, Oct. 23) where she was part of a team teleconference with the San Francisco office. I was so impressed by her articulate manner and professionalism. I'm really excited to work with her during this term (one year). This is a federal monitoring year for my program, so her involvement as well as all the other parents, is critical to succeeding in the area of Governance. I'm really proud of her!
One more story to share regarding Policy Council. We had a mother last year on Policy Council as a center representative. She attended most every meeting and was extremely involved. Her life goal was to complete her GED. She completed this goal, and is now enrolled at Maui Community College working on a degree in Human Services. I wanted to feature this person as a success story in our agency Annual Report. When I asked her for an interview to draft her story, she very humbly could not believe why I selected her. After listening to her story ( which she disclosed personal information linked to various abuse in her lifetime as a child and adolescent) I was even more impressed at her tenacious spirit of survival. She credited her success to the Head Start program. She shared that is was "amazing and brilliant" to use parents in the capacity as decision makers for the program. She felt important, that her voice truly mattered. As a director, I felt a great sense of accomplishment for this mother and her family.
Some parents are not ready to walk through that door and give time and energy for the purpose of being involved. Others continue to give, regardless of their energy level. Our goal as program staff is to keep that door open and continue inviting parents to join in and participate. You never know when the oil will strike and the light goes on to say "yes, I'll be there" and actually show up, ready to engage.
In response to the comment from Jeanne: Yes - time is an issue for my staff as well. Disrupting the beliefs will take a great deal of effort, however I feel that teachers may not clearly see the value (lack of by-in) regarding the project approach. Many teachers gained knowledge in thematic approach - I'm one of them. Watching the Lillian Katz video offered me a different way to look at the project approach. I realized how valuable the entire process was for the child. Time constraints are more adult problems, not children problems. If the idea is framed in a way to allow teachers to see the overwhelming benefit for children, they might have better acceptance of this approach. Additional to this, administrators need to be supportive to say "the process of learning outweighs the product". This mantra would give teachers a clear message to take your time - like quality vs quantity. It's the quality of the curriculum and learning that matters most.
Regarding Head Start moving out of the thematic approach - I believe we're ready to make that move. Head Start support programs to individualize their own curriculum and have it reflected in their program. Parents approve the program curriculum - we use Creative Curriculum in my program. We can easily adopt the project approach and still use the Creative Curriculum model. I think it would enhance the classroom and celebrate learning of young children.
In this generation of immediate gratification, I think the project approach is most appropriate as a system to slow down and explore, discover, analyze, and learn.
The Lillian Katz video was shown by Julie Powers in her ED 264 (Inquiry with Young Children) class - I'm a student in her class. I'm enjoying the experience and learning so much! My education as a preschool teacher took place in 1988 - 1991. Today, there's new information to digest and I'm taking it all in. It's a celebration of learning!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Program Development and Te Whariki
Program development is regarded as the foundation of a quality program. Establishing the program vision and mission provides an important focus - the framework of systems to be built upon. I sincerely respect the statement made in our textbook on p. 212 which emphasized what Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is intended to establish. According to Bredekamp and Copple (1997), "The DAP position statement is not a program-based prescription; rather, it is an assertion that programs for young children should consider (a) present knowledge about child development and learning; (b) what we know about the strengths, needs, and interests of enrolled children, and (c) knowledge about the social and cultural contexts of the local community" (Decker, Decker, Freeman, and Knopf). The statement is critical as a springboard to developing mission and vision statements. It takes all elements into consideration - the child, the family, and the community. In order to begin the process of program development, guidelines in the form of procedures and policies need to be created and adopted. This will drive the program to its potential of meeting outcomes and goals.
Standards...as a director of a Head Start program, I am most familiar with the term "Performance Standards". I have not counted each one individually, however I have been total that Head Start has a total of 1,700 performance standards (perhaps more than that!). Each standard is designed to offer a directive or expectation that the program will adhere to in service delivery. The program standards include various sections: Child Health and Development, Families and Community Partnerships, Program Design and Management, ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance), Disabilities, Governance, Human Resources, Fiscal, Transportation, and Facilities and Materials. Each area details guidance, providing a statement of expectation. Head Start recognizes that each community and program is unique and different. This is an important element of the Head Start program because resources vary from location to location. Each individual program designs their response to each performance standard based on their ability to be successful in implementing the expectation. In summary, although each Head Start has the same performance standards to follow, the delivery of service or how each standard is designed for compliance differs from one program to another. This offers a sense of flexibility and resourcefulness. I embrace this piece of individuality as being a precious factor of Head Start. The standardized performance standards is the foundation, yet we (the program) has the ability to create what the structures might look like.
What is equally important to the process is that parents, community partners, and staff have a role in creating the structures. Additional to this, if a structure or system is not working (based on ongoing monitoring and evaluation) it can be revised. The performance standard doesn't change, but our response on how we meet the standard can be changed. The level of flexibility allows programs to always strive towards quality, to implement continuous quality improvement, and to acknowledge that there is more than one way to reach a goal.
I sincerely believe in the projects approach. Too often (I'm fully responsible for doing this as a teacher) teachers rush through a theme for one week - concentrating on getting the message across in a hurry to go onto the next theme. The project approach provides time - time to engage into the subject of study, time to analyze, think about, explore, experience, discover, and most importantly learn. Have you ever had to justify the idea that young children can learn IEP (Individual Education Plan for children with special needs) goal in a natural environment to a DOE Sped Teacher that did not have ECE? I see this as a similar discovery as a teacher. Children will learn all the cognitive, motor, social/emotional, and speech/language skills of development naturally as they experience the project approach. We do not need to "teach" the alphabet, colors, numbers, shapes in individual themes - the learning occurs within the contents of the experience. We do not need to offer a special theme of being friends and how to get along, as the project approach encourages working together. I watched a video titled "Rearview Mirror" which was narrated by Lilian Katz. The video documented a teacher's experience of the project approach with the subject study of a car. The project lasted approximately six months. Although some teachers might feel that this is too long for a particular subject, the video offered evidence that children gained a multitude of experiences throughout the journey of discovery.
Inclusion - the option of providing a least restricted environment for children with special needs. I value this option with high regard for several reasons. As a Head Start director, I realize that this is one of two options available for families with a special needs child. That's quite limiting, however better than having only one option - which was true approximately 15 years ago. I have assisted parents to be advocates for their child in regards to placement decisions. Parents are their child's first teachers and they know their child best. In order to make a good decision of placement, parents should have the opportunity to visit both settings prior to selecting placement. Children with speech delays THRIVE in inclusion (or integrated) settings. I have witnessed other children benefit from being with normal developing peers and found the experience to impact both sides (child with and without special needs). Regular developing children gain a sense of empathy, caring for others in ways that come naturally for children. It's impressive to observe - so touching to watch how human instincts intuitively take place without being taught.
All children deserve to have a space that is safe, nurturing, and designed with an intent to provide learning opportunities that impact development of self awareness and skills. As administrators and teachers, we have the responsibility to incorporate this into the environments we create and offer, and into the interactions we engage in with children and families.
The reading of Te Whariki was phenomenal! I found the reading to capture an all-encompassing pedagogy regarding the entire child, the family, and the community. The leaders that created this system of early childhood curriculum took the essential elements of DAP and actually put it into practice. The curriculum factored in the culture and diversity of the people, and implemented their belief system throughout the document. So impressive - something that we in Hawaii can learn from. It leads me to think..."why didn't we come up with a document similar to this?". I'm sure it took a great deal of collaborating among the elders, professionals, and other pertinent individuals in the Ministry Advisory Group to create this curriculum. What strikes me is the level of detail - very simplistically stated, it's easy to read and understand. The values and their approach is presented in a structured way that cannot be misinterpreted. It is most evident that early childhood education is respected as important, as regarding high priority, within the government of New Zealand. Within this factor, you can also extract the priority of individualization, family, regard of responsible adults that impact young children and their education.
Regarding program planning, evaluation, and assessment, the document states that "There are many ways in which each early childhood service can weave the particular pattern that makes its programme different and distinctive" (Te Wariki, p. 28). This is similar to the Head Start performance standards that I reflected on earlier in my blog. I enjoy reading this method of information delivery so much more than other curriculum documents. The way the information is written - it's like a dance - so lyrical. I believe this is a reflection of the people; of the culture.
I plan to use this information in my work as a director, as it offers me many aspects to reconsider. I can see the overlap, how the information threads into areas familiar to the Head Start program...yet, the way the information is provided is less clinical, less sterile - more loving, more welcoming, more early childhood.
Standards...as a director of a Head Start program, I am most familiar with the term "Performance Standards". I have not counted each one individually, however I have been total that Head Start has a total of 1,700 performance standards (perhaps more than that!). Each standard is designed to offer a directive or expectation that the program will adhere to in service delivery. The program standards include various sections: Child Health and Development, Families and Community Partnerships, Program Design and Management, ERSEA (Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection, Enrollment, Attendance), Disabilities, Governance, Human Resources, Fiscal, Transportation, and Facilities and Materials. Each area details guidance, providing a statement of expectation. Head Start recognizes that each community and program is unique and different. This is an important element of the Head Start program because resources vary from location to location. Each individual program designs their response to each performance standard based on their ability to be successful in implementing the expectation. In summary, although each Head Start has the same performance standards to follow, the delivery of service or how each standard is designed for compliance differs from one program to another. This offers a sense of flexibility and resourcefulness. I embrace this piece of individuality as being a precious factor of Head Start. The standardized performance standards is the foundation, yet we (the program) has the ability to create what the structures might look like.
What is equally important to the process is that parents, community partners, and staff have a role in creating the structures. Additional to this, if a structure or system is not working (based on ongoing monitoring and evaluation) it can be revised. The performance standard doesn't change, but our response on how we meet the standard can be changed. The level of flexibility allows programs to always strive towards quality, to implement continuous quality improvement, and to acknowledge that there is more than one way to reach a goal.
I sincerely believe in the projects approach. Too often (I'm fully responsible for doing this as a teacher) teachers rush through a theme for one week - concentrating on getting the message across in a hurry to go onto the next theme. The project approach provides time - time to engage into the subject of study, time to analyze, think about, explore, experience, discover, and most importantly learn. Have you ever had to justify the idea that young children can learn IEP (Individual Education Plan for children with special needs) goal in a natural environment to a DOE Sped Teacher that did not have ECE? I see this as a similar discovery as a teacher. Children will learn all the cognitive, motor, social/emotional, and speech/language skills of development naturally as they experience the project approach. We do not need to "teach" the alphabet, colors, numbers, shapes in individual themes - the learning occurs within the contents of the experience. We do not need to offer a special theme of being friends and how to get along, as the project approach encourages working together. I watched a video titled "Rearview Mirror" which was narrated by Lilian Katz. The video documented a teacher's experience of the project approach with the subject study of a car. The project lasted approximately six months. Although some teachers might feel that this is too long for a particular subject, the video offered evidence that children gained a multitude of experiences throughout the journey of discovery.
Inclusion - the option of providing a least restricted environment for children with special needs. I value this option with high regard for several reasons. As a Head Start director, I realize that this is one of two options available for families with a special needs child. That's quite limiting, however better than having only one option - which was true approximately 15 years ago. I have assisted parents to be advocates for their child in regards to placement decisions. Parents are their child's first teachers and they know their child best. In order to make a good decision of placement, parents should have the opportunity to visit both settings prior to selecting placement. Children with speech delays THRIVE in inclusion (or integrated) settings. I have witnessed other children benefit from being with normal developing peers and found the experience to impact both sides (child with and without special needs). Regular developing children gain a sense of empathy, caring for others in ways that come naturally for children. It's impressive to observe - so touching to watch how human instincts intuitively take place without being taught.
All children deserve to have a space that is safe, nurturing, and designed with an intent to provide learning opportunities that impact development of self awareness and skills. As administrators and teachers, we have the responsibility to incorporate this into the environments we create and offer, and into the interactions we engage in with children and families.
The reading of Te Whariki was phenomenal! I found the reading to capture an all-encompassing pedagogy regarding the entire child, the family, and the community. The leaders that created this system of early childhood curriculum took the essential elements of DAP and actually put it into practice. The curriculum factored in the culture and diversity of the people, and implemented their belief system throughout the document. So impressive - something that we in Hawaii can learn from. It leads me to think..."why didn't we come up with a document similar to this?". I'm sure it took a great deal of collaborating among the elders, professionals, and other pertinent individuals in the Ministry Advisory Group to create this curriculum. What strikes me is the level of detail - very simplistically stated, it's easy to read and understand. The values and their approach is presented in a structured way that cannot be misinterpreted. It is most evident that early childhood education is respected as important, as regarding high priority, within the government of New Zealand. Within this factor, you can also extract the priority of individualization, family, regard of responsible adults that impact young children and their education.
Regarding program planning, evaluation, and assessment, the document states that "There are many ways in which each early childhood service can weave the particular pattern that makes its programme different and distinctive" (Te Wariki, p. 28). This is similar to the Head Start performance standards that I reflected on earlier in my blog. I enjoy reading this method of information delivery so much more than other curriculum documents. The way the information is written - it's like a dance - so lyrical. I believe this is a reflection of the people; of the culture.
I plan to use this information in my work as a director, as it offers me many aspects to reconsider. I can see the overlap, how the information threads into areas familiar to the Head Start program...yet, the way the information is provided is less clinical, less sterile - more loving, more welcoming, more early childhood.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Week of October 12
Contributing to the Profession - each one of us contribute to the profession in a variety of ways. The text reading offered such rich information, I felt compelled to read the NAEYC Code of Ethics. I felt such a sense of responsibility as I reviewed each statement in relationship to children, families, co-workers, and the community. I had moments of reflection, comparing daily events with several statements listed on the pages. I'm growing as a professional and as a director. I strive to fulfill my role as a guardian of a program serving young children and families. I take my position very seriously, as I know what consequences await if I decide to dilute efforts of quality practices. I felt a sense of renewal every time I review the code. It's so inspiring...
Speaking of feeling inspired, I REALLY enjoyed the HAEYC State Conference!! I attended the Friday, Oct. 9 Leadership Conference and found that sessions were in alignment with the conference theme! It was an excellent conference! It was the perfect way to start the weekend. I had a difficult Thursday (day before the conference). I was dealing with an ethical dilemma at work and needed to face the problem. My situation did not involve health or safety. In Head Start, parents vote for Policy Council representatives. I was directed to ask the families I serve to place a "vote" for individuals from other centers - these include parents from other centers that they don't know. I compared this to asking families to vote for a mayor, governor, or other county official that they don't have any information about. I concluded that it was not a good message to promote - not a practice that I want to teach my parents. If a request is forwarded to parents from me or my office, it's a direct reflection on me and my ethics. I take GREAT pride in setting a good example for families served by my program. The origin of this request came from an administrator that may have misinterpreted information, or received the information from someone that delivered misinformation. Without going into more detail, I can reassure you that I feel at peace with my decision to revise my request by asking families to vote for those they feel most comfortable electing as representatives. I did my research and contacted people that could provide me with the answers, with the facts that I need to make good decisions - to make the right decision.
Advocacy works best in numbers, but it starts with an idea of one person. The Sumsion reading pointed out how grassroots advocacy promotes "catalysts for significant change" (Ettlinger, 2004, pg. 25). Working for a Head Start program, I have witnessed this first hand. Parents are the best advocates I know because they speak from a professional perspective as their child's first teacher. Building confidence for parents to find their voice takes time - the result is priceless! Parents gain skills that last a lifetime - extending in advocating for themselves in addition to their children.
I found interest in the statement on page 7 of our reading, which presented the idea of working with governments. Sumsion wrote "By finding productive ways to work with governments to support and critique their agendas, we can increase our chances of moving activists into 'insider' positions (Dugdale, 1998). It's essential for community leaders to stay closely connected to legislative agendas - what are the priorities and how can we connect efforts of improving services for children and families. How can we sell our idea to lawmakers to create "intense community pressure" that might impact government policy? The recent recommendation to revise DHS licensing requirements will drive change of policy, offering an opportunity to discuss quality, compensation, and staff development.
Another experience regarding advocacy includes parents attending county budget hearings. Parents offer their own story as testimony, focused on how the Head Start program impacts their lives. Several stories are heart-wrenching to listen to, let alone to believe that it actually happened to the person sharing. The parents feel a sense of pride as they share, especially because they are survivors, and can make a difference by offering their experience. Their stories advocate for continued funding to support full day / extended year (wrap around services) for our program. I'm observing how parents are stepping in to voice their thoughts regarding the impact of DOE furlough days. Parents have a strong voice, especially when generated towards a common goal.
In response to last week's comments, I'll attempt to answer some of the inquires. I was born and raised on Maui - this is my home and I love our beautiful islands. As teachers of young children, we are so fortunate to have this space to compliment our work.
I focused on professionalism and establishing boundaries between co-workers. I have to sincerely express that this does not mean the void of establishing caring relationships between co-workers. I know my staff have strong friendships together and I celebrate that as a director. It promotes a caring environment which enhances the nurturing in classrooms - directly impacting young children. My caution was to keep a personal boundary to keep the relationship intact. To quote the 10/6 Exchange Every Day message titled "The Nurturing Boss", the "Gallup's research reveals that many of the most successful managers boast of being 'very close to their employees." I am extremely close to many of my staff - because I care and I value the work they do with young children. My staff have the capacity to touch children and families on a daily basis. The work that I do helps to facilitate this. How can I tell if my intent to care is actually relayed as an authentic value seen by my staff? I believe that the answer is in the Oct. 8 Exchange message of "Retention Interviews". It's early intervention / prevention before staff reach a point of resentment and decides to leave. I conduct an annual assessment which is similar to the recommendation shared. Some questions included in my survey ask if staff feel that their input is incorporated within the program, and if they feel that they are valued as contributing to the success of the program - each question offered the chance to respond "why or why not?". Each response is accepted as a tool for me to learn from. I enter with an open mind, ready to accept that not every response will compliment practices from managers. I avoid taking information personally - instead I choose to utilize the information as a means to make quality improvements that can benefit the whole - myself included.
Speaking of feeling inspired, I REALLY enjoyed the HAEYC State Conference!! I attended the Friday, Oct. 9 Leadership Conference and found that sessions were in alignment with the conference theme! It was an excellent conference! It was the perfect way to start the weekend. I had a difficult Thursday (day before the conference). I was dealing with an ethical dilemma at work and needed to face the problem. My situation did not involve health or safety. In Head Start, parents vote for Policy Council representatives. I was directed to ask the families I serve to place a "vote" for individuals from other centers - these include parents from other centers that they don't know. I compared this to asking families to vote for a mayor, governor, or other county official that they don't have any information about. I concluded that it was not a good message to promote - not a practice that I want to teach my parents. If a request is forwarded to parents from me or my office, it's a direct reflection on me and my ethics. I take GREAT pride in setting a good example for families served by my program. The origin of this request came from an administrator that may have misinterpreted information, or received the information from someone that delivered misinformation. Without going into more detail, I can reassure you that I feel at peace with my decision to revise my request by asking families to vote for those they feel most comfortable electing as representatives. I did my research and contacted people that could provide me with the answers, with the facts that I need to make good decisions - to make the right decision.
Advocacy works best in numbers, but it starts with an idea of one person. The Sumsion reading pointed out how grassroots advocacy promotes "catalysts for significant change" (Ettlinger, 2004, pg. 25). Working for a Head Start program, I have witnessed this first hand. Parents are the best advocates I know because they speak from a professional perspective as their child's first teacher. Building confidence for parents to find their voice takes time - the result is priceless! Parents gain skills that last a lifetime - extending in advocating for themselves in addition to their children.
I found interest in the statement on page 7 of our reading, which presented the idea of working with governments. Sumsion wrote "By finding productive ways to work with governments to support and critique their agendas, we can increase our chances of moving activists into 'insider' positions (Dugdale, 1998). It's essential for community leaders to stay closely connected to legislative agendas - what are the priorities and how can we connect efforts of improving services for children and families. How can we sell our idea to lawmakers to create "intense community pressure" that might impact government policy? The recent recommendation to revise DHS licensing requirements will drive change of policy, offering an opportunity to discuss quality, compensation, and staff development.
Another experience regarding advocacy includes parents attending county budget hearings. Parents offer their own story as testimony, focused on how the Head Start program impacts their lives. Several stories are heart-wrenching to listen to, let alone to believe that it actually happened to the person sharing. The parents feel a sense of pride as they share, especially because they are survivors, and can make a difference by offering their experience. Their stories advocate for continued funding to support full day / extended year (wrap around services) for our program. I'm observing how parents are stepping in to voice their thoughts regarding the impact of DOE furlough days. Parents have a strong voice, especially when generated towards a common goal.
In response to last week's comments, I'll attempt to answer some of the inquires. I was born and raised on Maui - this is my home and I love our beautiful islands. As teachers of young children, we are so fortunate to have this space to compliment our work.
I focused on professionalism and establishing boundaries between co-workers. I have to sincerely express that this does not mean the void of establishing caring relationships between co-workers. I know my staff have strong friendships together and I celebrate that as a director. It promotes a caring environment which enhances the nurturing in classrooms - directly impacting young children. My caution was to keep a personal boundary to keep the relationship intact. To quote the 10/6 Exchange Every Day message titled "The Nurturing Boss", the "Gallup's research reveals that many of the most successful managers boast of being 'very close to their employees." I am extremely close to many of my staff - because I care and I value the work they do with young children. My staff have the capacity to touch children and families on a daily basis. The work that I do helps to facilitate this. How can I tell if my intent to care is actually relayed as an authentic value seen by my staff? I believe that the answer is in the Oct. 8 Exchange message of "Retention Interviews". It's early intervention / prevention before staff reach a point of resentment and decides to leave. I conduct an annual assessment which is similar to the recommendation shared. Some questions included in my survey ask if staff feel that their input is incorporated within the program, and if they feel that they are valued as contributing to the success of the program - each question offered the chance to respond "why or why not?". Each response is accepted as a tool for me to learn from. I enter with an open mind, ready to accept that not every response will compliment practices from managers. I avoid taking information personally - instead I choose to utilize the information as a means to make quality improvements that can benefit the whole - myself included.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Week of October 5
Professionalism is an important skill as a teacher of young children and as an administrator. Adopting ethical practices means to elect choices that benefit children and families; those that maintain health and safety for children, shows respect and acceptance for families, and the ability to know when to create boundaries. Establishing limits when working with children and families can challenge individuals to question how far to go in providing support. Setting up a system of agreements for a preschool provides clear expectations. Staff have a better chance of building relationships with families and with each other as co-workers.
Agreements, in the form of professional standards, can include a list of practices for staff to follow. Some ideas may include the following:
Maintain and establish a professional relationship, avoiding a relationship on a personal level which includes intimacy.
Avoid using foul language during work hours.
I once experienced a situation involving two employees - a teacher and a teacher's assistant. The teacher's assistant was experiencing financial difficulty, so she would frequently ask the teacher to use various personal items including her washing machine, her dryer, and her truck. One day, she asked to borrow a large sum of money to purchase a gift for her son. When the assistant failed to pay the teacher back the money as promised, the teacher felt it necessary to bring the situation to my attention. This could have been avoided if the teacher maintained a professional boundary with the assistant. This takes a high level of objectivity. When looking at the big picture, the consequences of engaging in personal relationship can result in hurt feelings, resentment, and at times, legal ramifications.
Establishing professional boundaries does not mean being a person who doesn't care - it means looking for alternate means of support or providing community resource options without becoming personally involved. It also means knowing when to request for assistance before the situation gets out of control.
I think one of the most difficult hurdles for teachers to manage is the ability to walk away from work without carrying the load of responsibility. This is especially true for teachers working with children from potentially dysfunctional homes. Teachers feel the need to protect children - at times wanting to take children home with them. This is not an easy task, yet we each need to reach a place where we can accomplish this. When discussing these feelings with staff, I explain that we can only control the environment and situation when the child is in school. As teachers, we can provide a consistent, happy, safe, fun environment for children. Regarding home, we can do our best to offer support to parents. If staff have information to suspect child abuse or neglect, we have the responsibility as mandated reporters to file a report ASAP. If, at the end of the day, we can walk away from our classrooms knowing that we did the best we can for children on that day...we have accomplished our goal. At this point, it's time to go home to our own families and take care of them. This is another situation that requires our direct attention. We can only be present for our own children (or spouses, or significant other) if we are able to let-go of work, and focus on their needs...or on our own needs as individuals.
Mental health wellness is extremely important for teachers and administrators. In many situations, teachers and directors can be pushed to challenging limits. There's so much to think about, so many balls to juggle at one time. How does one balance so many expectations? It's important for directors to monitor work hours, work load, and situations of teachers to maintain a healthy work environment and morale. It all connects back to professionalism.
You have to know yourself in order to maintain ethical principals. A true professional is someone with unwavering integrity. Directors are role models to staff, leading by example. If the person in charge is not a strong professional, there's a high probability that staff will receive mixed messages that can create an unhealthy space for children and adults.
Agreements, in the form of professional standards, can include a list of practices for staff to follow. Some ideas may include the following:
Maintain and establish a professional relationship, avoiding a relationship on a personal level which includes intimacy.
Avoid using foul language during work hours.
I once experienced a situation involving two employees - a teacher and a teacher's assistant. The teacher's assistant was experiencing financial difficulty, so she would frequently ask the teacher to use various personal items including her washing machine, her dryer, and her truck. One day, she asked to borrow a large sum of money to purchase a gift for her son. When the assistant failed to pay the teacher back the money as promised, the teacher felt it necessary to bring the situation to my attention. This could have been avoided if the teacher maintained a professional boundary with the assistant. This takes a high level of objectivity. When looking at the big picture, the consequences of engaging in personal relationship can result in hurt feelings, resentment, and at times, legal ramifications.
Establishing professional boundaries does not mean being a person who doesn't care - it means looking for alternate means of support or providing community resource options without becoming personally involved. It also means knowing when to request for assistance before the situation gets out of control.
I think one of the most difficult hurdles for teachers to manage is the ability to walk away from work without carrying the load of responsibility. This is especially true for teachers working with children from potentially dysfunctional homes. Teachers feel the need to protect children - at times wanting to take children home with them. This is not an easy task, yet we each need to reach a place where we can accomplish this. When discussing these feelings with staff, I explain that we can only control the environment and situation when the child is in school. As teachers, we can provide a consistent, happy, safe, fun environment for children. Regarding home, we can do our best to offer support to parents. If staff have information to suspect child abuse or neglect, we have the responsibility as mandated reporters to file a report ASAP. If, at the end of the day, we can walk away from our classrooms knowing that we did the best we can for children on that day...we have accomplished our goal. At this point, it's time to go home to our own families and take care of them. This is another situation that requires our direct attention. We can only be present for our own children (or spouses, or significant other) if we are able to let-go of work, and focus on their needs...or on our own needs as individuals.
Mental health wellness is extremely important for teachers and administrators. In many situations, teachers and directors can be pushed to challenging limits. There's so much to think about, so many balls to juggle at one time. How does one balance so many expectations? It's important for directors to monitor work hours, work load, and situations of teachers to maintain a healthy work environment and morale. It all connects back to professionalism.
You have to know yourself in order to maintain ethical principals. A true professional is someone with unwavering integrity. Directors are role models to staff, leading by example. If the person in charge is not a strong professional, there's a high probability that staff will receive mixed messages that can create an unhealthy space for children and adults.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
In reflection - my response...
This is my response to comments shared this week. First of all, thank you for sharing your thoughts and insight!
It was interesting to observe the limited turn-over of staffing during this past school year. I welcomed one staff back to work for our program - she left the program approximately two years ago. Reason - she had a baby and REALLY wanted to work for the DOE because she felt that the pay was small. Well, she came back to apply for an open position and was completely happy to be back. She missed working with the children and feels that the pay was quite good in comparison to other locations. As for the DOE, she shared that it wasn't what she was expecting. Good for us, as she is a great teacher!
I think that majority of the teaching staff remain working for Head Start because they have a passion to make a difference in the lives of children. I think the reason is directly linked to community and relationships. The teachers have a strong desire to make an impact with children and families. For some of these individuals - especially true for staff that was once Head Start parents - it's a desire to give back to the community.
For all professionals in the field, I commend each and every person for electing to be a teacher of young children. This is not an easy career choice, however it is one of the most rewarding! Whatever the connection to remain in this field, it is a strong, very dedicated commitment.
I have to state that the staff are also happy working for an organization (agency) that sincerely cares about them as employees; offering a safe and healthy work environment. Staff have the opportunity to share their concerns, needs, ideas, and have them considered for program improvement or implementation. This is also another reason why staff retention happens.
Regarding technology for staff development, the advantage is on-line classes. This opportunity is offering me the chance to work on my degree. Without the UHWO online courses, I would need to look at other online courses that might be more costly. The bottom line is - in technology comes wonderful accessibility to gather information at our fingertips. It can also be a dangerous tool, exposing a wide variety of information that can fall into criminal hands.
I agree - limited staff is definitely something that can impact safety. DHS has assigned adult to child ratios for that reason. Classroom environment organization, staff positioning, and other factors play into the element of safety. Staff need to be attentive and direct their efforts into the children and activities. I have witnessed centers with two adults and twenty children - the staff worked together like a well-oiled engine - I call it synergy. It's as if they could read each others minds as teachers. This takes time to develop; for the relationship to reach this level of teamwork. It's truly amazing to witness as a director - I feel a sense of pride as I observe my staff in action. I believe that the work we do is interdependent of each other - I cannot do my work without the support of the teachers, and I believe they require the same level of support from administration. It's a partnership.
It was interesting to observe the limited turn-over of staffing during this past school year. I welcomed one staff back to work for our program - she left the program approximately two years ago. Reason - she had a baby and REALLY wanted to work for the DOE because she felt that the pay was small. Well, she came back to apply for an open position and was completely happy to be back. She missed working with the children and feels that the pay was quite good in comparison to other locations. As for the DOE, she shared that it wasn't what she was expecting. Good for us, as she is a great teacher!
I think that majority of the teaching staff remain working for Head Start because they have a passion to make a difference in the lives of children. I think the reason is directly linked to community and relationships. The teachers have a strong desire to make an impact with children and families. For some of these individuals - especially true for staff that was once Head Start parents - it's a desire to give back to the community.
For all professionals in the field, I commend each and every person for electing to be a teacher of young children. This is not an easy career choice, however it is one of the most rewarding! Whatever the connection to remain in this field, it is a strong, very dedicated commitment.
I have to state that the staff are also happy working for an organization (agency) that sincerely cares about them as employees; offering a safe and healthy work environment. Staff have the opportunity to share their concerns, needs, ideas, and have them considered for program improvement or implementation. This is also another reason why staff retention happens.
Regarding technology for staff development, the advantage is on-line classes. This opportunity is offering me the chance to work on my degree. Without the UHWO online courses, I would need to look at other online courses that might be more costly. The bottom line is - in technology comes wonderful accessibility to gather information at our fingertips. It can also be a dangerous tool, exposing a wide variety of information that can fall into criminal hands.
I agree - limited staff is definitely something that can impact safety. DHS has assigned adult to child ratios for that reason. Classroom environment organization, staff positioning, and other factors play into the element of safety. Staff need to be attentive and direct their efforts into the children and activities. I have witnessed centers with two adults and twenty children - the staff worked together like a well-oiled engine - I call it synergy. It's as if they could read each others minds as teachers. This takes time to develop; for the relationship to reach this level of teamwork. It's truly amazing to witness as a director - I feel a sense of pride as I observe my staff in action. I believe that the work we do is interdependent of each other - I cannot do my work without the support of the teachers, and I believe they require the same level of support from administration. It's a partnership.
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