Blog Assignment #11

In these readings about Sarah, there are many values that I see in her approach that I would like to be able to bring to the center that I am at. I am very much so a person that not only enjoys nature but also respects nature. I like that Sarah has a real conviction to get children experiencing the natural world and also to get them to start thinking of ways in which we could help nature. Another very important feature I see in Sarah is that she is an advocate for the children, in a sense that she is always taking the time to learn about the things children and families are interested in when she has little knowledge on the subject. She is also good at acquiring grants and free resources that are available to educational programs.
In our center we recently held a garden clean up day in order to prep our garden for the children to plant seeds. Children are always asking to go water there plants and look to see any progress that may have been made. We also recently took a trip to a stream where the kids where allowed to swim, explore and even catch fish. I do feel however more emphasis could be put on preservation and care for nature and the animals that live there. I feel that children would take on more of a responsibility for nature if they where taught to see nature as an equal and friend rather than as a resource that we use.

assignment #10

Who is responsible for turnover rate? Is it a reflection of poor directing or teachers that just could not hack it? In the readings Michelle was sure that changes need to made to her coaching, mentoring, and hiring approaches in order to have a staff of self reflective problem solvers. I thought that Michelle was very well versed in coaching and mentoring, her conviction to providing a better experience and environment for her staff was something that I firmly believe in. One of the things that Michelle did that I would implement in my own program if I where director would be the side by side mentoring which allows teachers to get 1 on 1 live mentoring in areas that they feel they are not well versed in. Should continued education be a requirement for teachers? Does it matter if staff are not qualified? and does it have in affect on the children in the center?

assignment #9

How can we introduce new and more innovative methods into our program? How do we get staff and family members excited about trying different things? How can we incorporate family and staff feedback into our plans but still stay true to your vision? In the example in chapter six we read about the endeavors of Director Lettie, a director who was really adamant about trying different things to encourage family involvement and a sense of community in the classroom. One of the things that I like about Lettie’s approach to directing is her openness to feedback from families and her ability to take that feedback and revamp her original plan but also appeasing the concerns of parents and staff. I I hope that through experience I can develop this same sort of ability to build a sense of community in my classroom and also the skills necessary to be a coach and a mentor  that the staff feel listens to their concerns and provides positive feedback and also incorporates these ideas into her own plans.

Are you a good manager and overseer?

This chapter talked about the importance of being a good manager of your program. The writer starts off by telling us a story of director who was great at supporting the staff and loved by them to, but because of her lack of managerial skills they felt unsupported. All the children directly affected by teacher's who feel unsupported in their approaches or times of need? If so how do we as teachers gain support in an environment such as the one in the story in the beginning of chapter 5? and as directors how are we to become a fully well rounded director in which we excel in all areas of the triangle? or Can I be a director who is one sided? Shouldn't it not matter what the director is like as long as the teachers do their job?

Blog Assignment #8

 While reading the two stories I could not help but feel that the director Becky was focused more on the paper work, curriculum, and teacher training, than she seemed to do on the children and families. i mean not once did the families even come up in her meeting. While Yolanda on the other hand seemed more rounded in her approach by advocating for all the groups. While Becky's approach to staff development seemed rigid and training based, Yolanda's seemed to be centered on collaboration and dialogue. Another interesting difference that I noticed between the two different stories was the fact that in Becky's story it seemed as if the teacher was scared to give personal input or even question something that she though could be done differently, while on the other hand in Yolanda's story you can see the openness to questions and change and even listening being done by the director.

While further reviewing the stories I feel that I relate to Yolanda in a sense where I am not  managerial in style but more lax and open in a sense like Yolanda.

Are you a coach or a manager?

How do we direct staff properly? How do we handle sensitive staff that could be easily offended? "The Visionary Director" gives us many great strategies and ideas on how to effectively train and oversee staff. One of the most beneficial pieces of the chapter to me was the part that said that in order to effectively train and oversee staff one must assume the role of a coach rather than a manager and not just any coach but the book uses the specific example of a pregnancy coach, one who will encourage and support and give feedback and respect. By doing this you are able to help build and prepare teachers for what they will face but also build a positive relationship with the teachers. I think that another strategy that I see being effective was how the book said to approach training's as a time of reflection, whether it be on the children's development or even the development of the staff. It is also important to remember that we should not just focus on the weakness of ourselves and others but unstead reflect on strengths to. The book stresses the fact that water runs down stream in the sense that if the teachers are not happy and properly trained the experience of the children will be directly effected.

Blog assignment #7

A leader is a person who blueprints and plans out his strategy and vision in order to prepare for the building of a successful program. A leader is a person who is able to mediate any situation that may arrive. A leader tends to his or her program grooming and watering it to grow to its full potential. Leaders need to be all of these things like the architect he must be able to make a plan that everyone can stick to. Like the mediator he must be prepared to handle staff or family conflict. And lastly he must be like a gardener who tends to his plants daily in order to ensure they grow and remain healthy, Who would of thought that the director had so much holes to fill?