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.
Introducing new and innovative ways to our program requires that people have a strong enough voice to speak out for the change they wish to see. Perhaps teachers could take the initiative to bring the other teachers as well as the director in for a meeting to discuss ways of improving their program. They could sit down and brain storm together, no dream too ridiculous or large. Every idea would be welcome and appreciated. To get staff and families to be excited about trying new things we need to evoke excitement ourselves. We could also do research on programs who have made similar changes and show everyone the positive outcomes winch resulted from the changes made. This would make change a more believable, and achievable reality for those who might be more close minded and stuck in their ways of always doing things the same way. What changes are you personally excited about making?
ReplyDeleteAloha Maika,
ReplyDeleteFamily involvement is very important. How would you incorporate families in your program? How would you encourage family involvement? How would you use their feedback to make changes in your program? How would you support family and staff bonding? How would you build a community in your program? You said that you liked Lettie's openness to feedback. How can you be more like her? What tips can you learn from her directing style?
I feel that the hardest thing is to get staff members excited and to help find ways to continue making or work environment appealing to the staff. How we as staff members approach and think of our jobs and schools reflects what and how we do things with the children. Parents also feel and pick up when there is a situation among staff members. I also think that Letties openness and ability to communicate with both her staff and her parents is a very positive way to let people know that she does take pride in her classroom and it important for her parents and staff to know that she is available should she need them.
ReplyDeleteI think that introducing new and innovative methods into a program is a good idea. I am personally willing to accept and try change. At work, my lead teacher has put up a comment box. Parents are able to write on a sticky note their thoughts and concerns. The only thing that I noticed is that none of the parents have used it. I wondered why that was the case. Maybe they are not comfortable filling out a paper and placing it in the comment box. Maybe they would rather talk to a teacher face to face. I believe that staff and family feedback is important in the learning process for a director to better the program and the staff members as a whole.
ReplyDeleteHi Johnathan,
ReplyDeleteI have encountered multiple discussions in the argument, should preschool teachers be qualified with a degree? Some directors have expressed their preference for their teachers to be lead qualified with a minimum of an AA degree, though it is not a requirement. A personal experience I had was with a lead teacher who felt superior to her assistants and aids because of her ECE degree. She gave me a certain amount of respect since I have an AA degree in ECE.
This superiority affected her interactions with our associates. You could clearly see a difference of how she treated me and other staffs. What kind of relationship should staffs have amid the center? What struck me most was how she asked, ‘Why should I have a ‘partnership’ with my assistant?’ Relations amid staff affect the center, staffs, and children. I believe that our profession should not require qualifications. Rather, centers should be focused on the atmosphere of its team. Teamwork is a crucial and essential piece that all centers should inspired to expand. What is needed to teach children? How can you ensure everyone in your staff understands the center’s philosophy and goals?
Working together ensures contribution, reflection, and evolution.
Hi
ReplyDeleteI agree with oyu on how open Lettie was on getting feedback from the parents. I feel that that's what made her little outdorr project such a huge success in bring in the community as well as getting the job done. Aside from bringing together the staff in the center, what about the families? What are some ways you can build a strong relationship with them? Afterall Lettie didn't just have the help of her staff, she had her staff and the support of the families from the center.
Sometimes it is hard to get parents to be involved in the program. I think it is because they think of a preschool as a "day care" so they do not really care about what we do. They just pay for us to babysit the children. Some approaches that I do is having things for the children do bring home and do. How would you have parents give you feedback? How would you get parents who seem to not care involved? What are some approaches that would help your staff build relationships with their families?
ReplyDelete