This post was originally published by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.
I often think about my time working as a director in a child care program and wonder how different things would have been if I had known then, what I know now. As time passes and I gain new experiences and insights on leadership in early childhood education, I frequently ask myself what I would do differently if I could relive that period of time. In my reflection, I have realized that my conclusions are from my point of view. Recognizing that the experience I had as a program administrator affected so many, I thought it would be interesting to learn what my team would like for me to have known.
In a series of conversations with teachers I have worked with in the past, here are five common themes I discovered that the teachers wanted me and other directors to know:
As the old saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Directors come with education, experience, and skill sets needed to get the job done. What tends to get in the way is the failure to build authentic relationships with the people in the program; primarily teachers, parents, and children. As a leader, it is important to build strong individual relationships with those in your program and just as important to foster relationships between them.
The child care program often involves very specific tasks to be done by specific people. However, there is still an opportunity to establish collaboration as opposed to working as separate entities. Create an environment where communication is frequent and information is shared among teams. Some roles and responsibilities may overlap, and, even if they don’t, staff members should be aware of how they can support others while still fulfilling the obligation of their own jobs.
Teachers also come to the table with a wealth of knowledge and experience. It can easily be assumed that they know how to fulfill the expectations of your program. Not necessarily! Each program has its own culture and way of operating that may be unlike what teachers have done in the past. Some concepts and ideas in the field are universal but the way they are carried out can be very different. Take the time to train teachers in the way you want things done.
When possible, involve those affected by a change to participate in the decision-making process. While it is not feasible to seek suggestions and input for every program decision that needs to be made, allow staff, parents, and children an opportunity to be included as much as possible. Solicit their suggestions and feedback and incorporate their ideas. This validates their place in the program and relieves you, the director, from carrying too much weight on your own.
Sometimes, it is perfectly acceptable to leave the pile of papers on the desk to go and enjoy the scented playdough and bubbles in the toddler classroom—or even pull a prank or two with the teachers! Directors can become so overwhelmed with the business of running a center that little time is taken to have fun on the job. Find opportunities to participate in the early childhood activities you love with the children and teachers in your program and all of your hard work will be that much more rewarding.
Flora Gomez is an Assessor and Training Specialist at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. She is an experienced preschool teacher and trainer, mentor, and coach for early childhood educators. Her mission is to teach teachers to impact children!
Many of our Teachstone staff members are parents, or enjoy nieces, nephews, godchildren, and “little friends.” It’s wonderful to welcome new additions to our staff family (the latest arrived just last week!) and to connect with the youngest children. Many others are former teachers and educators, who still keep track of their students’ accomplishments.
Whether you are writing your transition plan, preparing to return, or have already returned to in-person learning, you, like many other educational leaders, are likely facing many challenges and unknowns.
As you continue to craft and refine your plans, reflecting on the considerations below can help you more effectively build a blueprint for a successful reopening.
In the wake of the widespread civil unrest after the killing of George Floyd, the national conversation about the inequities in the educational opportunities provided white students and students of color has been amplified. Due to racial and socioeconomic segregation, Black students, and other students of color, are more likely to attend poorly funded schools. EdBuild, a non-profit focused on fair and equitable school funding, reports that high poverty school districts that predominantly enroll children of color receive on average, $1,600 less per student than the national average. By their calculations, there is a $23,000,000,000 gap between funding for schools that primarily serve high poverty Black students and those that predominantly serve white students. Schools that predominantly serve high poverty white students, only receive $1440 less per student (EdBuild, 2019).
I recognize and admit to having a chip on my shoulder about the field of early childhood education - and, at times, disbelief that others may not see that period of time as the power-packed years in our developmental timeline which can lay the groundwork and set the course for much of the rest of our lives.