tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57174235350425178122024-03-05T08:44:20.063-08:00Acts of Love: Early Childhood Education WarriorReflections | A journey to change the culture of the early childhood community.Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-81875711400852842132015-01-10T18:25:00.001-08:002015-01-10T18:25:03.835-08:00The Saturday staff meeting<p dir="ltr">I have worked in early childhood for about 7 years and have experienced different types of leadership and different approaches to staff meetings. I've had the opportunity to facilitate staff meetings. </p>
<p dir="ltr">As a center director in Chicago, I found that the evening staff meets were unproductive as everyone was burnt out and watching the clock rather than focusing on the content that I was sharing. After some dialogue with my staff, we agreed to meet in the mornings before work to start our day off on the right foot. It worked, but I could only use that approach for team meetings. I struggled to find a time that everyone could gather. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm now working for a different agency in Wisconsin and inherited the Saturday Staff Meeting. I couldn't believe that this was effective. That people would show up on a Saturday and not complain the entire time. Today was the first of many Saturday meetings that I will attend/facilitate and I have to say that although some folks struggled to engage, I suspect that's more of a personality thing and less of an exhaustion thing. Staff gets paid for their time (which is crucial) and it allows the entire teaching team to get together and visit. This is an agency that operates 6:00 am - midnight, Monday-Friday. It's near impossible for the first staff openers to get together with the 2nd shift closers to even say hello, muchless learn from each other. I also appreciated that a light breakfast was available (especially the coffee).</p>
<p dir="ltr">I think there are pros and cons to the Saturday meeting and it was so interesting to see the way staff interacted and behaved within the context of the meeting. It was super helpful to get an idea of how the culture of the staff has been established and has given me insight into how I'd like to facilitate future meetings. It was very scary to leave the comfort of a job I knew SO well to move to a new state and try my hand at something MUCH more involved, but experiences like today continue to prove that I made the right choice. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm so excited to see how our Saturday meetings develop in the coming months!</p>
<p dir="ltr">-Ms. DanL</p>
Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-48575570627033012232015-01-01T18:58:00.001-08:002015-01-01T18:58:07.298-08:00New Year, New Job<p dir="ltr">So I technically started December 15, but I am very must still feeling like the new girl at work.  This transition has been huge and I am so excited for the opportunity to manage an early childhood program on such a large scale, impacting so many.  This is the job that brought my family back to Wisconsin and for that, I will be forever thankful.  It's still so weird to be in Milwaukee and so close to family.  I love it.  I love that I have a job that is demanding and exciting. I love that I am viewed as a professional and an early childhood expert (heavy emphasis on the professionalism). It's not an easy job, but I love a good challenge and I can't wait to reflect along this journey and see my growth over time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">With joy,<br>
Ms. DanL<br>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-16514581388057476492014-10-02T19:53:00.001-07:002014-10-02T19:53:39.024-07:00How being a mom changed me as a supervisorIt's true what they say, "everything changes when you have a baby." I foolishly thought that it just pertained to my personal life (including my sleep schedule) but now, 8 weeks into this ball game, I can clearly see that much (okay, all) of my life has changed, including my professional outlook. <br />
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Suddenly, it can wait. Those little tasks that I would break my back to get done before leaving after an 11 day can wait, they will be on my desk and in my inbox when I return the next day. I've learned to know the difference between an emergency and "it can wait." Because as you know, babies don't keep. My daughter will only be 7 weeks old once and I don't want to miss a moment with her because I'm fretting over something minuscule at the office. I will never get these moments, these days back again. She and I will never experience another October 2nd, 2014 again. And I've realized my staff is feeling the same way about their families. <br />
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My biggest change perhaps has been in my relationships with staff. I am more respectful of their time and what I'm asking of their time and their energy. There are only 24 hours in the day and I am already responsible for 8 of them. I see them with a new lens that I hadn't previously been privy to, the lens of a mother. I see that these women are all someone important in the lives of their family members. Almost all of my team members are mothers but beyond that, they are sisters, daughters, grandmothers, wives, girlfriends, best friends, etc. They put on their teacher hat when they come to the building but when they leave, they switch their focus back to their other roles. <i>I truly believe that teachers are always wearing their teacher hats, even when they've left the classroom both for the day and for career advancement. Further, we don't take off our mom hats but rather channel our energies in other ways.</i> I find that I now see those relationships as the most important aspect of my role as a supervisor.<br />
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I spend more time focusing on conversations with staff than on paperwork. I want to know what's going on in their lives and how it's impacting their work and how I can support them so that when they're at the center, they are there physically, mentally, and emotionally. <br />
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I also have less time for BS. There is no room for it, quite honestly, as I am trying to get all of my work done so I can walk out of the door with my daughter on time. There can be no drama, no wandering of the mind... I am on-task and focused the entire time I am in the office and I find that to be motivating. I may not get as much paper pushed around in a week, but I know I'm making a difference in the lives of children, families, and my staff.<br />
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Cheers to Friday & the weekend ahead!<br />
Ms. DanL<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-55116511615006202132014-04-16T14:28:00.002-07:002014-04-16T14:28:58.614-07:00Comparing teachers<i>When we compare teachers to each other instead of to themselves, we not only create an undesired parallel process, we diminish the growth of teachers. </i> (That's a DanL original, folks.)<div>
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I met with my preschool team today for our continuity of relationships study and we wound up on the topic about classroom observations and the feedback they receive. This is a team that has had many (many, many, many) observers this program year, including some program staff and some outside agencies (like Teach for America or CLASS). Both teachers mentioned how frustrating it is to hear how good they are. I wanted to hug them both in that moment. We reflected on why people might tell them they're doing well. They were both able to see that from the outside looking in, it looks good: they have a good system of working together to manage the classroom. What those outsiders don't see is the stress, the worry, the anticipation. We also spoke about how perhaps they are not the "squeakiest wheel" so to speak and they are not seen as needing foundational support, they are viewed as competent. Which is good, but also frustrating! </div>
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Be that as it may, we talked a bit about not comparing ourselves to others but to the teachers we were yesterday. We spoke about reflecting on our actions and interactions with children and families. I have agreed to spend more time video recording in the classroom and facilitating more reflective sessions with the teaching team. They both wanted just feedback/suggestions but I reminded them that they are their own toughest critique and viewing the video together would allow all of us to be together and look at that moment again with our reflective lens and build ideas together. I don't think that ME giving suggestions without that reflective piece would be as valuable. I'm so excited to see how this goes!</div>
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Side note: A 7:00am team meeting was WAY better than a 6:00pm meeting. Like <b>WHOA</b>. Coffee in hand, I know my brain was far sharper and more alert than it is when we meet at night, when all I can think about is going home and crashing. I'm interested to pursue this model with other teams who might be willing (I have three classroom teaching teams with whom I plan to meet).</div>
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<img height="400" src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/0d/81/a6/0d81a6a5c57fe936b8389efdd7902486.jpg" width="400" /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="yep, this is true...I want to be joyful always! So true...comparison with others creates a lot of jealousy...and we could use a lot less of that." src="http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/736x/5c/1e/9a/5c1e9ac25ec93c8d6ff28a8e84befd63.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thepursuitofstyle.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-40514943292171282392013-12-27T12:42:00.000-08:002013-12-27T12:42:09.524-08:00Reflective SupervisionDecember was a great month for me as I am thisclose to meeting my goal of meeting with each staff member for true reflective supervision. I know there's one I won't get to as she is on a much-deserved vacation, but other than that, there's just one more appointment for me to keep and I will head into 2014 with my head held high. I think the best part of my job is reflective supervision because it allows me to get to know the teachers and staff in a more intimate way and allows them to share their triumphs and frustrations in a safe place. I'm learning how to guide these conversations and thanks to one of my teachers at Erikson have really learned some great key phrases...<br />
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<i>Tell me more about that...</i></div>
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<i>I'm wondering how that happened...</i></div>
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<i>Is there any truth at all to what that person said?</i></div>
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<i>Help me understand...</i></div>
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I am hopeful that I can maintain my stride in 2014 and continue this great new habit. I've scheduled all of the January appointments for Mondays so there will be no interruptions, no last-minute runs to Admin for meetings. Just me and my homies at the center.<br />
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I like to think of this as my New Years resolution (if I believed in such things). What are you striving for in the new year?<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-8314259741184709532013-10-17T16:23:00.000-07:002013-10-17T16:23:07.035-07:00Leadership CommunityI am participating in a Leadership Learning Community as facilitated by the Ounce of Prevention & Chicago Public Schools' Prevention Initiative program. This is one of 6 learning communities being facilitated this year and I am excited about this opportunity. For me, this is a safe place to share ideas, worries, achievements, etc. Today was our first meeting and we spoke about the goals of the community and set ground rules before creating a list of topics we might like to discuss.<br />
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The question posed today was how we came to understand & value quality....<br />
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I have had an interesting journey to get to where I stand & to become who I am, writing this post to share with you. <br />
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A friend of mine recently asked, "How did you know what to do when you got this job." Honestly? I didn't. But I did know what I didn't like in a supervisor when I was a teacher. So I did the opposite of that. Much of my work has been based on this type of reflection. Of course, some of what I do I have learned from mentors in the field. I am so thankful that I made the leap to Chicago as it dramatically changed my philosophy of education -- in a 180 motion. <br />
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I am so excited to see what this group will bring to each other; I think it's a great opportunity to step outside of our centers and share hardships, problems, and also our triumphs in a reflective & supportive environment. I'm pumped. <br />
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I needed this kind of boost :)<br />
<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-53092877571723317152013-10-01T08:21:00.001-07:002013-10-01T08:21:20.230-07:00Don't you shrug your should--- okay, yes, shrug your shoulders.For a split second this morning, I was upset with a teacher. And then just as quickly as I had gotten upset, I was so over-the-moon pleased with that very same teacher for the very same reason I had originally been upset! Our DCFS licensing representative came this morning for our annual review. I went into the classroom just to let the teachers know that she was here and would likely be coming into the classrooms to see them and this teacher just stared at me and shrugged. I don't know what I was expecting, but realistically, her response is exactly what I want. <br />
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<i>Who cares?</i><br />
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It doesn't matter who walks into our center, we are providing the highest-quality care possible. We don't put on a show to please a visitor. We do our best for the children and their families. This is so important to me as a director, I cannot express it enough. If we're only putting on a good show for visitors, we aren't making the children our priority.<br />
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I love my team.Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-9647572335251227922013-09-09T19:33:00.000-07:002013-09-09T19:33:53.942-07:00When company comes to visit<div style="text-align: center;">
"This year they're real big on family engagement." </div>
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"Just show 'em what they want to see."</div>
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"Where is all the money going that the centers get?"</div>
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-classmates</div>
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It's alarming to me that this is the culture of early childhood education. Giving <i>them</i> what <i>they</i> want, putting on a show, doing the dance for the moment. But what do you do when there's no one around? Isn't that what matters? Who cares if you can put on a good show because there's a visitor. I want to know that there's quality programming being offered after the lights go down and "they" leave the site. Our center is preparing for a federal review with Head Start this year and not only am I not nervous, I'm prepared. We run our program according to the (many) Head Start regulations and I don't care who walks into the center, we operate the same way. My teachers know that no matter who walks into that infant room, they need to wash their hands and put on the booties. Regardless of their pay grade or status. I've heard my infant teachers ask visitors (including the Program Director and myself) to follow this procedure without missing a beat. And to me, that's a sign of a high quality program.Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-14112289505545020802013-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:002013-08-14T05:30:03.446-07:00Wordless Wednesday: Work Smarter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="301" src="http://recitethis.com/quotes/recite-13078-2037313155-1n6lage.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A DanL reminder created on recitethis.com</td></tr>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-56173174749445953172013-08-08T06:16:00.000-07:002013-08-08T06:16:31.396-07:00A hoarding cultureThere's a weird phenomenon that occurs in the field of education; I've seen it in almost every level and in different regions. Ya'll are some serious scavenging pack rats. I mean that lovingly, as I too was once a pack rat. I've learned that not every toilet paper tube needs to be saved and that I can get new crayons, they don't need to be stored up high, out of reach, so as not to be "used."<br />
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I am currently in the process of converting a toddler/two classroom into a preschool classroom and have pretty much finished. There are still some items like manipulatives and puzzles that need to be put into storage so they can be rotated during the program year for new and exciting opportunities. They are sitting on the tables in the classroom and I plan to store them next week. A teacher just approached me and asked, "What you gonna do with those puzzles and books that came out of our room?" She mentioned she's been taking things from the classroom to use. I'm all for sharing. Sharing is caring, right? But when it means that this classroom is being stripped of materials, I'm a little... upset. Classrooms need to have a certain number of each material to maintain licensing standards. Sharing typically means asking the other person (in this case, the director -- me) while scavenging means you're swoopin' in and taking materials that are not developmentally appropriate for your children while no one is looking.<br />
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Funds are tight. We will never have Smartboards in our classrooms or be paid millions. But I promise there will always be new crayons, paper, and markers available -- stop hoarding them.<br />
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Sometimes when I watch that show, Hoarders, I think of teachers. I wonder if there are classrooms that need to go through such a process. I mean, I hope there are no dead cats or tens years worth of newspapers in your classroom, but something tells me there are probably materials in your room I would find you hovered over while chanting, "My precious." Am I wrong?<br />
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<i>Didn't think so.</i><br />
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xoxo<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-24867613906018594142013-07-22T11:08:00.000-07:002013-07-22T11:08:03.427-07:00Motivational Monday: JOYI have had this mantra "Nothing without joy" for a few years now after having been inspired by a dialogue with Amelia Gambetti and Lela Gandini. I now apply this to my personal life as well as my professional life and always *try* to find the silver-lining in every difficult situation. I find that when I choose joy, life is so much happier :)<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-22021121915360119772013-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:002013-07-22T05:00:06.320-07:00We don't know what we don't know...Working with adult learners is a difficult task. Us adult folk think we know everything. I mean, I woke up this morning and made it through an entire day independently. I'm doing well. The learning within the context of our day seems minute. It's not "scary" or "overwhelming" and tends to be task-based within the structure of our normal activities. It's really not scary when you realize you don't know something -- to the Google machine!<br />
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Our most vulnerable moments as adult learners tend to be when we realize <i>we don't know what we don't know! </i><br />
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Pause.<br />
Let that marinate.<br />
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Sometimes, we need an outside catalyst to come along and shake our foundations with a question that truly makes us aware of our knowledge. The joy I find within this type of interaction just cannot be described.<br />
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You learn something new every day, right?<br />
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Knowing this about myself has (I think) made me a better leader within our center. I meet regularly with all of my team and we have scheduled time for reflection. What's going well? What isn't? What do you have questions about? What surprised you this month? What would you have done differently? The conversations that come from these meetings have shifted from task-based and very business-like conversation to more of a "how does that make you feel" vibe. It's a safe place to talk about the demands of the positions my many different team members hold. Our jobs are tough and it helps to have someone to bounce things off of without fear of criticism or punishment (I'm pretty confident that's why I blog). <br />
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I had a reflection meeting with a teacher yesterday who served as a teacher aide for a very long time (think almost as long as I've been alive) and was recently promoted to assistant teacher. She also (!!!) just won a scholarship to pursue her associate's degree (I'm like a proud momma over here). <i>One of my big goals for my team is that we continue to learn and grow. It's all I ask; how they learn and grow is up to them, but we cannot simply be stagnant.</i> She is now in a position to mentor and support the new teacher aide who was hired. We spoke of her progress and areas to really help this new teacher develop and I provoked this conversation with "Well, she doesn't know what she doesn't know quite yet. What have you noticed she might need support with?" Our conversation was so rich and productive!!! We spoke of ways to provoke this new teacher (to nudge if you will) and help her take ownership of her role within the classroom. I think we're a pretty unique center in the way we operate within teaching teams. There tends to be a lack of title association with the division of labor, but more of a sense of "we're in this together." I've seen teachers really work together to capitalize on strengths and develop the areas that may need development. <br />
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Did you have a moment of awareness today in which you realized you didn't know you didn't know something? Wasn't it exhilarating?<br />
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Have I ever told you how much I love my job? Conversations like this are the reason why!<br />
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xoxo<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-8537891314223479872013-06-28T06:14:00.000-07:002013-06-28T06:14:08.879-07:00Motivation from Within<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">source: http://pinterest.com/pin/130674826660950571</td></tr>
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Too often I feel like my teachers give me the stink eye when I walk into the classroom. Not because they don't want me in there but more so because they don't know why I'm in there. What did they do wrong? I remember this feeling as a teacher. I knew that when my boss walked into the classroom, I was in trouble. I carry that with me and work to make myself an everyday presence in the classrooms. I don't want anything to change just because I'm there. I want the authentic experience not only so I can identify & correct any issues with standards, but also because I want to catch them doing things well.<br />
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Every month, I work to catch our teachers doing things well. We had a similar system when I was in middle school and our teachers would find us doing things well and our names would go into a raffle and there was a winner at the assembly. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.</div>
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It's the little things that need the most love & support, in my opinion. It can be things like remembering to enter attendance by the end of the day, thinking of an amazing rainy day activity, staying late to help a coworker, using great language with children, etc. I like to catch everyone at least once a month. Traditionally, I had been using a raffle for semi-fabulous prizes like gift cards to motivate. I've found that as I've tapered that off (I was using my own limited funds for that project), behaviors still exceed my expectations at times! I think the reason for this is the motivation has become more intrinsic. They aren't doing it for me. They are doing it because it makes them feel good. So I'm moving towards sending weekly emails to the team highlighting their good work. I want the team to support each other & I want them to know that their good work isn't going unnoticed. </div>
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<i>Do you think it will be a powerful tool? Do you think I should still be offering gift cards? I'm thinking about doing quarterly raffles... thoughts?</i></div>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-14962074657819850942013-06-21T07:41:00.000-07:002013-06-21T07:41:00.653-07:00The Observation Phenomenon One of my least favorite phenomenon occurs while I'm observing in a classroom. Suddenly, the tone of the teachers changes. There are activities on the table more frequently. Children are engaged in play. Why is it suddenly so calm compared to the chaos I've heard earlier this week?<br />
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Because I'm there.<br />
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And maybe, they have to fake it until they make it. Would that be a terrible thing? If we know that practice makes better (we're never going to be perfect, there is simply no such thing), isn't it a great thing if teachers have repeated opportunities to practice what they know is right? Even if it seems to be just to please me? Will they eventually learn these behaviors as part of their normal teaching tool kit?<br />
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Because I'm <i>there</i>.<br />
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As a director, it's my job to be there. To be present not only within the center, but within their classrooms and within the moments I share with the children and teachers. It's my responsibility to make sure the teachers are using developmentally appropriate approaches with our children and if that means they're faking it until they make it, so be it. Eventually, the readings I share, the comments the Education Coordinator and I make, and the reinforcement they receive will encourage teachers to make the change in their practice.<br />
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Example: We have one classroom that has been struggling to engage children in meaningful activities during self-selected exploration time (choice time) and I wasn't seeing much in the way of small group experiences either. After several conversations and articles (with reflection) and observations by both the Education Coordinator and myself, we noticed something. When the Education Coordinator walked into the classroom, it was quiet. Children were working. When the Education Coordinator asked the Lead Teacher why she thought that might be, the teacher immediately noted that children had learning opportunities set out for them that morning and the children were excited to use the materials.<br />
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And that folks, is what we like to call an "Ah-ha!" moment. A light bulb above the head, if you will.<br />
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xoxo,<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-29940504556139155072013-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:002013-06-14T09:28:20.257-07:00Head Start Parents Grown UpOur Head Start Manager recently asked me to check in with my staff to identify those who are former Head Start parents and of my 8 teachers, 7 of them are former Head Start parents. That last teacher? Just had her first child and I am interested to see if she enrolls her child within an Early Head Start. What does this mean to me as a director of a Head Start program?<br />
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It means that these strong women were once parents entrusting a program like ours to care for and educate their children. It gives me a new appreciation for the population we serve and for the population of my staff. <br />
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I love this kind of moment.Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-70020705536970759912013-06-13T07:31:00.000-07:002013-06-13T07:31:00.224-07:00Building a Lending LibraryI am currently in the process of building a Lending Library with high-quality children's books for our infant toddler center and the families who share their children with us. I'm in the market for Spanish board books and wordless books. English books seem to be in abundance which, while awesome, doesn't do much for our families who speak a language other than English. Think I can find board books in Portuguese? I'm going to try! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a pretty solid start!</td></tr>
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Do you have a Lending Library or any ideas on how to beef ours up? I'd love some creative suggestions!</div>
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xo</div>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-67010217646764702812013-06-13T07:12:00.000-07:002013-06-13T07:12:00.194-07:00The context of languageIf a child has always been told to "pee pee toilet," or "flush the potty," their reaction to you saying, "Flush the commode" is probably not going to be what you'd like it to be. <br />
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As someone who works in a child care center thriving with diversity, I am paying very close attention to language and the context in which it is used with small children. While children absolutely come to "learn," they also come to use with prior knowledge and experiences they are trying to make sense of within the context of school. Things that 'work' at home or are cute at home are not tolerated at school.<br />
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Case in point, the adorable child with ample (and oh so squeezeable) cheeks who has had her cheeks pinched her entire life by family members cannot come to school and squeeze the cheeks of her peers. They simply won't allow it, even though she may be doing this to show affection and love much like her family members do. It's kind of a tough thing to learn, that what's okay at home doesn't fly at school.<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-6167415786514374162013-06-12T07:10:00.000-07:002013-06-12T07:10:52.179-07:00The verdict from licensingI got to work Friday and was super anxious about getting a response from our licensing rep, knowing that she holds the power and if she didn't support my quest, it was pretty much time to come up with a solid Plan B. I am the proud owner of a new purple bruise on my knee as I stood up entirely too quickly and bashed my knee into my desk in a rush to share the good news with my Birth to Three Education Coordinator. It hurt like hell but was quickly forgotten in the heat of the moment. <br />
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Our rep shared her concerns and a forewarning that's not what she would do but that I <i>am </i>allowed to group the children 6 weeks through 2 years however I'd like. And if I take that route, I need to include a detailed plan and can only have 1:4 teacher:child ratio. Sometimes, I think people forget that Early Head Start already requires those ratios and my Birth to Three classrooms are capped at an enrollment of 8 already. I'm golden!<br />
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I just have to find the right way to share my vision with our Executive Director, Program Director, and the Board of Directors. I hope that they can see the benefits of the vision and get past any obstacles, as they will only be obstacles for a short period of time while the benefits will last well into the future.Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-57668173416830679642013-05-10T07:26:00.001-07:002013-05-10T07:26:47.995-07:00Embracing continuity of careMaybe the title of this one should be "Embracing continuity of care and getting others on board too." Because I love it. I want more of it. I just need to convince the 'powers that be' that this is a no-brainer decision and we should move forward with my plan. I've been practicing my case for mixed-age groupings and feel I've spoken with enough colleagues to now be more articulate in the positive outcomes as well as highlighting the challenges and presenting possible solutions. I'm ready! Bring it!<br />
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<ul>
<li><i><b>More family-focused</b></i></li>
<ul>
<li>Mixed-age groupings would better allow us to support the child in the context of his/her family. When children gather within social experiences, they are not segregated by age and forbidden to socialize with other age groups. It is our responsibility to prepare children and help build a strong social-emotional foundation in partnership with the family.</li>
<li>Parents and teachers would have up to three years to build a reciprocal relationship before transitioning to our preschool program; the Birth to Three staff would still be nearby and the relationship could continue into the preschool years.</li>
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<li><i><b>Better assessment data</b></i></li>
<ul>
<li>I didn't even think of this at first, but think about how much more valid the assessment data would be for the children who stay with one consistent and reliable assessor for the first three years. The teacher would have years of prior knowledge to refer to when assessing children's progress.</li>
<li>Parents and teachers would have a stronger relationship and when completing the Ages and Stages Questionnaires together, they would be better equipped to respond to the questions and reflect on the child's growth over time. This safe relationship would also allow an easier referral process if there were concerns about the child's development. </li>
</ul>
<li><i><b>Better for the children</b></i></li>
<ul>
<li>We would essentially be minimizing transitions to the bare minimum. Children could be in the same room until age 3 and then transition to preschool. As they prepare for kindergarten, they transition into their new school and we celebrate. Awesome, right?</li>
<ul>
<li>The alternative to this would be to have one infant (6 weeks to 15 months) and one toddler/two (15 months to three years) classroom as well as our preschool room. This would mean a possible 4 transitions (into the center, into the toddler room, into the preschool, and into kindergarten). Less is more when it comes to transitions for tiny humans.</li>
<ul>
<li>If we use this scenario, I could loop the teachers with the children so they at least have a familiar face. The only concern with that is turnover. We have had pretty low turnover at this location (KNOCK ON WOOD) but if the teacher leaves, I'm sending children into a new room with a new teacher and no familiar teacher to support the transition. I know there are ways to make it work if it's the only option, but right now, it's not the most attractive possibility.</li>
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<li><b><i>Better for our staff</i></b></li>
<ul>
<li>Teachers get very attached to the children they work with and this would afford them three years with their babies before they transition to the preschool classroom. I suspect I would see a boost in morale as those relationships with children are often the highlight of teachers' days at the center. This could further work to reduce teacher turnover as they wouldn't have to learn a whole new group of children but rather could watch their relationships blossom.</li>
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<li>Typically, when I ask teachers about the best part of their job, they say something along the lines of "When the babies get excited to see me come into the classroom."</li>
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Honestly, when we look at all of the amazing benefits, the challenges seem more manageable but also totally worth it! Professional development for our teachers? Of course! Pile it on! We want to make sure our teams are ready, knowledgeable, and excited about working with children for the first three years. Seems like a pretty smart investment.</div>
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Now let's see what our friend at licensing says... I'm hoping for good news.</div>
Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-85481976799104402772013-05-09T08:48:00.000-07:002013-05-09T08:48:08.448-07:00A dance with licensingThe center I work with is licensed by DCFS and we meet and exceed the regulations. I have a phenomenal relationship with our licensing representative who I work with very closely when brainstorming changes. That being said, today I sent an email that may or may not have stressed that relationship.<br />
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The more time I spend in this field, the more I recognize the presence of those who quote standards and regulations that are within <i>their </i>comfort zones, not necessarily what's considered best practice or developmentally appropriate. Some things still make people uncomfortable. As an advocate for tiny humans and their families, I'm an avid reader and researcher. I've invested many hours reading materials about attachment and primary care-giving I strongly believe in mixed-age groupings where the teachers have the professional development and knowledge to support children over the span of their first three years of life.<br />
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I have three classrooms in my very small, close-knit center and I'd really like to change our program model from only birth to three to include a preschool classroom. Ideally, our two remaining birth to three classrooms would be birth to three. I want children to come into the center and stay with their primary caregivers until they transition to preschool and stay with that preschool group until transitioning to kindergarten. Dreamy, right? So glad we agree.<br />
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I had a conversation with my licensing representative and she shared that I cannot mix infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds in the same classroom because it's not safe. "Just think about how big some of your two-year-olds are and then imagine them with infants." I did. I pictured it. And it made perfect sense to me that they be together. Families do not consist of children all the same age, unless you've been blessed with multiples. We don't keep children from younger siblings or cousins. Granted, teachers will require a bit more support with helping children to respect those younger children and planning for such a vast age grouping can be tricky. But that's why we have an Infant Toddler Specialist. <br />
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Imagine my surprise while reading the standards for child care (dude, I read everything) and finding the following:<br />
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"Children may be combined in any of the following ways:</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> 1)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: #ffe599;">in</span><span style="background-color: #ffd966;">fants, toddlers, and two-year-olds may be combined</span><span style="background-color: white;">; and/or</span><span style="background-color: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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2)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>Two-year-old children through five-year-old children may be mixed in any combination; and/or</div>
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3)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>Four-year-old through six-year-old children may be mixed; and/or</div>
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4)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span>Children of all ages may be mixed during the first hour and last hour of programs that operate</div>
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10 or more hours per day.”<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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I'm not one to fight with those who have the power to shut down my program so I sent a sweet-as-pie email asking for more clarification about this section of the standards and whether this meant that I could indeed group them together as I had hoped. Response is pending. <br />
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So I suppose the main point of my presentation here is that if it's permissible by the standards, I'm doing it. I'm moving forward and blazing some kind of trail because it's what's best for our children. I want to eliminate transition as much as possible and create a solid foundation for our children and families. Sure, it means I'll be spending copious amounts of time offering professional development and technical assistance to teachers, but THAT'S MY JOB anyway. <br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">C'est la vie!</span></em><br />
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-59639342492228697152013-04-25T17:10:00.000-07:002013-04-25T17:10:30.388-07:00Grow Your Own Staff!I ask a lot of my team. I have high standards and expect people to rise to meet them. It's a blessing and a curse. We work hard and I love to let them play hard too. We deserve that. I want teachers who love to play. If they can't play, they can't facilitate play experiences for our kids. <br />
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Vacation requests are taken quite seriously. We have a fabulous system that I created last year when I took over the center and basically, vacation is first-come, first-serve and only 2 people can be out at once. This helps to ensure we can stay happy while our colleagues are enjoying their much deserved R&R. Sanity is important in this field so I'm not really looking to decrease the existing levels.<br />
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I'm down a teacher right now because one of our young ladies had her first baby (awww) and after 12 weeks together, she decided she just wasn't able to return to us. This vacancy has caused me many long days and even longer nights at home getting my actual work done. When I spoke of this issue at our recent meeting of directors, one director suggested that I ask teachers to have mercy on me and reschedule their vacation. Sounds easy enough but vacations are few and far between for us and I know that many of my teachers have BIG plans for their time off; some are leaving town and others are spending time with children. Another suggestion was to "hurry up and hire someone." <br />
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I refuse.<br />
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I will not hire another person just for a quick fix. We need someone who will stick with us and be a great fit for our little family. It's worth taking the time to find that great fit than to go through the interviewing, hiring, and orientations on repeat. Ain't nobody got time for that! It's worth taking my time and taking one for the team in the meantime. I will cover to ensure my staff gets the rest they need to be their very best for their children. <br />
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I'm very much interested in growing my own staff. To me, that means promoting from within whenever possible and bringing in new staff into assistant teacher roles where they will have some time in a sheltered place to learn the unspoken culture of our agency and site and all of the requirements that will be asked of them as lead teacher candidates. It's a lot of pressure to come into an agency, especially agencies with multiple funders, and learn the ropes while learning the children and getting comfortable.<br />
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I'm so pleased that I was able to promote one of my teacher aides this afternoon to her next challenge with more responsibility and more reflection! She's been at the agency for quite some time so this was a long time coming but I've had a pretty clear vision of how she would grow and change and take on these new challenges and she has met every expectation and often times exceeded them. I love to check in with her and put my finger on the pulse of where she's going and how I can help her get there. She's almost done with her associates degree and I have big plans for her future; she just doesn't know it yet. But I love that today while we were chatting about her promotion, I asked if she could believe it was happening and her response was "I believe everything you tell me I can do -- you've been right every time."<br />
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I <i>love </i>being right. ;)<br />
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But I also love that I can be the support, the scaffold, to encourage others to continue their journey in the early childhood field.<br />
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Sometimes, we all need somebody to lean on! Ya singing? You should be! <span style="background-color: #eff3f7; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;">♫</span><br />
<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-88227298344864642272013-04-11T07:14:00.000-07:002013-04-11T09:23:50.628-07:00Invest in your staff<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only thing worse than training staff and having them leave is not training and having them stay.</span></i></div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">-Henry Ford</span></i></i><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></i><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh my goodness, how true is this quote?! I always open the Exchange Everyday emails in the morning to find a nugget of inspiration and today was no exception. There it was, staring back at me, the truth of why I do what I do! I love children, don't get me wrong, but I think my true passion is working with other teachers to help them see themselves as teachers rather than glorified babysitters. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one pours themselves into schooling to obtain a degree in early childhood to be called a babysitter. How demeaning! No one would ever think to undermine the qualifications or credibility of a doctor or lawyer, so why do they do it with teachers?! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of our funding agencies require us to send teachers to x-number of professional development workshops during the program year to meet the requirements. I like to call these little chunks "drive-by-trainings." These are the stupid make & take workshops where there is no real application or synthesis of information; you show up, you make something that's developmentally inappropriate and you go back to your program. Maybe you got a handout. It's probably in your car, under the seat, or wadded up in the door. The likelihood of you saving that handout are slim (to none) and if you do, it's in a folder... somewhere. Have you looked at in since the workshop? Do I even need to ask this question?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I value professional development for what it's meant to be. Development. I want teachers to go to workshops and come back feeling empowered and excited. I see this occasionally, but I truly believe it only happens when teachers are responsible for their own development, meaning they reflect on what they're doing in the classroom and what they'd like to strengthen. Together, we identify workshops and conferences that might support the goal and then -- this is the kicker -- they go.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I did some reflecting (!!) on reflective supervision and what that should look like and one of the roadblocks that gets some of us directors is coverage. "Well, I don't have coverage, so you can't go to that workshop you were supposed to attend." This. Kills. Me. I work really hard to plan ahead and block off those times so that this professional development time is protected and actually occurs. We've been fortunate this year (knock on wood) and we've found some great workshops and we're trying a new system.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you return from your professional development, you share. Mind-blowing, I know. But when teachers are asked to share what they've learned at the workshops, I can see the light bulbs above their heads turn on. This is a step that we're continuing to develop but so far, it's been fun! After all, the best way to learn something is to teach it!</span><br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-2086287888698870442013-04-10T08:09:00.003-07:002013-04-10T12:44:09.813-07:00The Reflective Supervision BuzzIt's kind of a buzz-buzz word right now, the latest and greatest -- reflective supervision. All the cool sites are doing it. Funders are starting to require it in some programs. But are we really doing it?<br />
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What is reflective supervision and what does it mean to implement it correctly?<br />
Can anyone do it? Does it take a certain skill set?<br />
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And if people are <i>requiring </i>it, why aren't they providing more training and support on the topic?<br />
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I had the great privilege of working within the Student Mentor Teacher Fellowship with a dear colleague and one of the most important aspects of this program was that someone was responsible for mentoring the mentor. How novel! Why are we so quick to assign this very important responsibility of reflective supervision only to turn around and walk away? This is important work! We need to support the mentor who is supporting the teacher who then in turn supports our children.<br />
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I suspect it boils down to us not thinking about what's best for children -- sad but true. <br />
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We've got a million reasons for not giving teachers the reflective supervision they so desperately need:<br />
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"I have a meeting."<br />
"So-and-so was on vacation."<br />
"Things are just so crazy around here."<br />
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Sound familiar?<br />
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Yeah, we've all said them. I know I'm guilty at times. <br />
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What's more is that reflective supervision cannot happen without a trusting and secure relationship between the mentor and the teacher. What teacher wants to sit down and discuss weaknesses with someone who doesn't care or expects perfection or genuinely seems disinterested?! No one, that's who. It becomes a facade. It's fake. We go through motions because it's what funding agencies want... <br />
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I'm thankful that I've seen the light and refuse to be that director. I am busy. But so are the teachers. We make time for each other to sit together and talk. About everything, even non-school things. We're building a relationship so that when we talk about those areas to develop, it's not so awkward or difficult. Much like we encourage strong relationships with families, we need strong relationships with teachers. <br />
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So what is reflective supervision? To us, it's a protected time to talk about learning and teaching in the context of the center and the individual and to reflect on where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. It's more about the relationship than the content for some of our teachers. They're all at different stages and some are more ready/open for reflective supervision than others.<br />
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I've never had training on the topic and have done a lot of research on it in my own search for understanding. I would love to see more of our funding agencies step up and share not only the requirement, but to also highlight the importance and process as well. It just grinds my gears to hear people say they're using reflective supervision when anyone can clearly see they're just supervising. <br />
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If we want to grow our own, we better start watering these seeds.<br />
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<br />Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-88745749492082354072013-03-22T08:00:00.001-07:002013-04-11T09:24:08.452-07:00Vacat--- Staycation!<br />
I am really fortunate, the agency I work for allows me to take up to 21 days of PTO (Paid Time Off) each fiscal year. That's a lot of days when you allow your brain to translate from calendar weeks to work weeks -- that's 4 glorious weeks of time away; although sometimes it's for less than fun reasons, like a migraine or the flu. Either way, that time is accruing each pay period.<br />
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Let's get to the gritty of it, shall we? Phone call from accounting is telling me I have 200 hours to use by June 30. This, my friends, is 25 days. Which would be fine if I weren't "one of those people" who tends to live at my site. I'm beyond uncomfortable leaving my site for 25 days. That's an entire month and super unrealistic. But no one said you had to take it all at once, right? Normally, you'd be correct. But I sure did get that suggestion. Followed by, take the time and go to Puerto Rico or something. Go somewhere fun. This from accounting. Who deposits my checks each pay period. Do you know something I don't? Because I'm surely not makin' it far with that check.<br />
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<img alt="I can't wait for my well-deserved two weeks of dreading coming back to work." height="223" src="http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/filestorage/monday-vacation-job-work-farewell-ecards-someecards.png" width="400" /><br />
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I blocked off several "mini vacation" periods on the calendar and while it is challenging to prepare the site and the staff for them, I'm certain that they can handle the actuality of the situation. I don't doubt them for a moment. It's the prep work that pushes me slowly into maddness. For example, I had to go to the grocery store and purchase 3 weeks of baby food and formula for the infant room because I'm the only one who does that task (since it almost always involves using my own funds & waiting for reimbursement). To do that, I had to put together the infant menus first and so on and so forth. I got it all done.<br />
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It's done. I am for the most part, ready to peace right on out of that building for the next 2 weeks. I have to check in on one of those days to meet with a coworker and facilitate an amazing staff meeting -- OMG. This staff meeting is going to be amazeballs. We're going to view a video I got from Reggio Emilia, Italy that focuses on the infant-toddler centers and I am SO FREAKING EXCITED. So much to plan though to make sure it goes smoothly... but I'll have all of this time at home to get it done! (See, always working!)<br />
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I think we all know that there's no real way to turn off that portion of your brain unless you really are fortunate enough to escape to a locale with a beach, blue water, and umbrella drinks. I intend to leave that portion of my brain on and to start cooking the things that have been marinating in my brain for the past year that I've been in the position of Site Director and prepare myself to really be the agent of change. And I'll be working on my NAEYC Program Portfolios because if I don't, they will haunt me in my sleep.<br />
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<img alt="Sorry your post-vacation workload has completely negated all the benefits of your vacation" height="223" src="http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/filestorage/sorry-postvacation-workload-completely-workplace-ecard-someecards.jpg" width="400" /><br />
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Just another day in the life of an exhausted Site Director! I just know that when we finally achieve the honor of accreditation at our site, it will be my 3rd accomplished site (100% baby!) and my 1st infant-toddler accreditation. Maybe I should be a NAEYC consultant and help other programs accomplish this honor as well. HEY! There's an idea!<br />
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Let's put that in the tank for marination!<br />
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Get ready to hear lots more from me as I begin my 2 weeks stay-cation here in blustery Chicago effective 5pm tonight!!<br />
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XOXO<br />
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5717423535042517812.post-31851186264747879412013-02-18T16:29:00.002-08:002013-04-11T09:24:31.717-07:00Motivational Monday: OrganizationI pride myself on being semi-well-organized. I love to file things and because of my background in Head Start, I am a binder fiend.<br />
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I started my position as Site Director in May and have been moving non-stop ever since. And I mean that. There hasn't been a dull moment or a "Hey, what do I do next?!" moment or even hesitation... we just keep moving right along! My office has become a bit of a dumping ground. When partial orders arrive, I stash the first part in my office so I can deliver the entire order to the staff and better track what I've given them. Our RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) books arrived for the month, I stashed the box in my office to get it out of the way and as a reminder that I need to plan a semi-fabulous literacy activity for our families this month. Things have quickly accumulated and I have been too busy to <strike>notice</strike> <strike>care do something</strike> organize.<br />
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Today I spent most of my day in the classrooms. This isn't unusual but since we're currently mid home visit season, I'm needed more than usual. Perhaps it was the time away from the office that pushed me. Or the spring-like weather. Or filling in my March calendar. Who cares?!<br />
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I organized.<br />
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<img alt="If loving organization is wrong, I don't want to be right." height="280" src="http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1327344455925_2374872.png" width="400" /><br />
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I finally started to do the things I meant to do in May when I took this position. I reorganized the file cabinet to make it fit my filing system. I went through the piles (and I mean piles) of paperwork on my desk and found things I had been meaning to follow up on (AND DID!!!) and everything quickly found a home. Somewhere to belong.<br />
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Ladies & gentlemen, I found my desk today.<br />
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I cleared that baby off and man, it looks good!<br />
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Today was a great reminder that we need to take some time to make our lives feel more organized. The world of early childhood is unpredictable and ever-changing. But having a system that keeps you sane? Priceless. So I spent about an hour of my own time, past when I wanted to leave -- okay, I really wanted to leave at about noon but no one would hear of such a thing -- and let myself clean up. <br />
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The best part? I think tomorrow when I arrive, I'll be inspired to keep going! And maybe even tackle the "stuff to get done" list that I refined this evening!<br />
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Cheers!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="No, I don't have time to organize that closet. I'm too busy pinning organization ideas on Pinterest. " height="280" src="http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1345249859688_3915202.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugh! I always find the BEST ideas online and never take the time to follow through! <br />
Now's the time to start!</td></tr>
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Crabby Sunflowerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02253703363523453912noreply@blogger.com0