Practice w/ Stories

Compare the Approach of These Two Directors:

Becky

Becky seemed to have goals that reflect meeting program requirements.  Becky focused on deadlines, and meeting each requirement of the staff.

Becky seems to be using a managing approach, she’s making sure that all of the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted.  

Becky’s approach seems to undermine reflective practices and teacher disposition needed for a caring, learning community.  Juanita seemed frightened to say her opinions since Becky was only concerned about the paperwork, getting it in on time, and by following through with what was created.  Becky did praise Juanita, but she wasn’t inviting when it came to sharing ideas or concerns about any aspect of the paperwork, classroom, children, or community.     

Yolanda

Yolanda seemed to have goals that support her staff in collaboration with program requirements.  Though Yolanda knew what the program requirements were she still took into consideration each personality, and each input of ideas.    

Yolanda seems to be using a coaching and mentoring approach, she’s listens to each persons idea, she adds in the program requirements, and in the end she accommodates her staff best as possible. 

 Yolanda’s approach seems to encourage reflective practice and teacher disposition needed for a caring learning community.  Yolanda asked questions to enlighten the teacher’s thoughts.  She allowed her staff to talk openly and share experiences with the children.  Yolanda did mention paperwork, but she allowed her staff to do what was comfortable for them, and she was also willing to advocate for them.   

There is a huge difference in these two types of directing approaches; I wonder how a director would look like using all three approaches from the triangle? 

Though going according to the rules and regulations seems to be most evident when directing, I hope that I can be a team player and collaborate with my staff in order to create a rich center.  

How do I keep this in mind? 

How do I remember to fall back on these practices of coaching, mentoring, and reflecting? 

“the way that I teach the children, is the way that I should teach my staff.”    

How do I work with "adults"?

How do I work with "adults"?

I think I don't like working with other adults.  When I am in class I get irritated at times when I am working with another adult.  At work I sometimes think to myself, "huh, why am I working with her today?"  I thought that working in the Early Childhood profession I would be working with children, and not adults.  I think it's a control issue that I have, I want things my way, and I don't like when other people do things differently.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am a team player, but there are just some times that some people get on my nerves.  How am I supposed to work with other adults?

I see so many situations when I am at work and even in school, where I think, "how can the teacher deal with that type of people?" I think, "what makes these people think that their actions are okay?"  If I was to deal with these situations I would just want to put these people in their place. 

BUT...

Then I think I was once in their shoes, what am I talking about.  How can I be so "stink" about what these people are going through.  I feel so bad now.  Who am I to be judging these people? Maybe this is how my mentors felt about me when I got into situations.  How in the world did my mentors put up with my failures?

Just as chapter 4 reads, my mentor shared with me my skills, and they also told me what my weaknesses were.  She made me reflect constantly, and revisit how I improved to make sure I made sense of why I am doing what I am doing.  My mentor wouldn't find a quick fix and solve the problem with only a patch, at times she made me go through my problems again and again so that I would grow and end up finding out what works best for me.

Sometimes I may not enjoy working with people that have opposing opinions, but I noticed that it takes working through the problems with that person in order for that person to grow and also for my own perspectives to change.

Other Professions

These are just a few professions that I have listed.  I don’t know much about them, but these are some skills and qualities that I think these professions may need to know, this is the best to my knowledge. 

Firefighter

-Have knowledge about fires

-Have strength to carry and hold people and objects

-Climb

-Cooperation skills

I may need to know about fires if ever I get into a situation where a fire is set in my center.  I may need to have the strength to carry children if ever they are hurt.  I would need cooperation skills to work with other people and come to agreements about concerns in my center. 

Mechanic

-Have knowledge about transportation vehicles

-Have knowledge about parts of a vehicle

-Skills to manipulate tools

-Strength to carry

Being a mechanic has nothing to do with this profession, but I may need to have knowledge about certain transportations if ever I create a curriculum on transportation.

Janitor/custodian

-Knowledge of the products they are using

-Knowledge of their surroundings

-Skills to manipulate the tools they use

-Handy abilities (able to fix things)

I may need janitorial skills to care for my centers.  I may have opportunities where I teach children responsibility and care for our center.  I may have spur of the moment situations when I need to clean quickly and be familiar with cleaning products. 

Police

-Be able to go through obstacles

-Skills to manipulate weapons

-People skills (Communicating and working with people)

-Skills to observe danger

I may need to be the mediator like police are during some situations.  I would definitely need people skills, since children and families surround me.  I would need to observe danger since everyday there are risks.  

Realtor

-People Skills

-Have knowledge about homes

-Have knowledge about the area of the home

-Debating and persuading skills

One day I may want a place to create my center at.  I may have situations where I would debate and persuade parents as well as children. 

Fisherman

-Have knowledge of fish

-Have knowledge about boats

-Have knowledge of catching fish

-Skills to manipulate fishing tools

-Skills to operate a boat

-Have knowledge of fishing seasons

We’re surrounded by ocean; I may have an opportunity to create a curriculum around fish.  I may create a dramatic play going to the beach, and I would need to know about fish and boats. 

Tattoo artist

-Have knowledge about skin

-Skill to manipulate a tattoo device

-Skill to create art

-Drawing abilities

Tattoo artists have nothing to do with childcare, but I love art, and I may have opportunities to create a curriculum around art.  Certain tattoo artists create certain art that may contribute to my activities.  I may want certain art hung in my center. 

Baker

-Have knowledge about food

-Skills to manipulate cooking utensils and tools

-Skills to mix and match foods

-Have knowledge of food tastes

-Have knowledge of food capabilities

I may need to know about food especially if I am serving my children food.  I would need to create nutritious meals that are fun and tasty.  I may need to know how to combine foods so that they go together and so that children would enjoy it.    

Wow!  These different professions may not have similar outwards appearances as Early Childhood Education, but what is asked of these profession definitely have some type of similar aspect.  As I thought of these professions, I only assumed these are the skills and qualities needed; there may be many more skills and qualities that are asked of these professions that coincide with what an early childhood educator may need to know. 

I know that there are many more professions out there, and these are just a few that I listed.  I wonder if the effects of professions skills and qualities depends on culture and the type of society you live in?  It would be amazing to see how different cultures and societies perform different professions.  Are there easier ways of acquiring  knowledge, skills, and qualities of a profession, other then going to school and learning for years to master, in order to be familiar in using them with the children and families.  Will other professions be willing to help out the Early Childhood profession in gaining outside knowledge, skills, and qualities?  What am I supposed to do to get help from people outside our profession?      

My goals

I want to find and explore at least 12 professions around my community within the next year.  

I want to join a club

I want to try something out of my element by the end of 2013

I want to meet 3 new people by the end of 2013

I want to explore a place I have never been, even if it is on this island, by the end of 2013

I want to create a party or meal and just invite random people that I know, possibly by next year.

* I set dates for my goals because I want to make my goals realistic by placing it on a time line, by doing this hopefully I get it done. 

By accomplishing these goals I hope to not only build my own community but also expand it, and share with my community the importance of my profession.  

Imagine if every meeting

Imagine if every meeting that was set up by PROFESSIONALS to make plans for a child started with a reminder that this child is honored. 

I would enjoy having meetings like that; focusing on the child, calm discussions, sharing stories of the child, and honoring the child. 

This type of meetings seems like

·      It wouldn’t cause friction amongst others—People can share what they want without worries

·      Peoples opinions matters—There isn’t a hierarchy of who can speak and when someone can speak. 

·      The child isn’t put down—the people involved can discuss matters of a child without having their ideas criticized and the child himself isn’t forgotten. 

Þ   Forgotten:  meaning the purpose of the meeting (for the child) is not forgotten, the idea to help the child is not forgotten, and the child himself is honored therefore no insults are made on his behalf.   

·      It’s a casual meeting—There isn’t pressure on anyone.  The meeting is comfortable for all participants, and it seems like everyone there was important. 

I have only had experience in this field at one childcare center.  We do have classroom meetings amongst staff on Friday’s, and there are some aspects of the story meeting that resembles my Friday meetings. 

»          We do have snacks at our meetings, made by the main teacher and shared amongst the staff.  Though its not a feast, having a snack during meetings makes the scene of the meeting comfortable for people to eat and converse at the same time.  

»          We don’t sit in a formal arrangement; we sit in somewhat of a circle, more like a jagged circle, at the table area.  Though we are sitting at the children’s table, we don’t have assigned seats, we don’t sit in any order, at times we move around the classroom, and thinking about it this adds to the comfort of the meeting, it allows us be relaxed so that we can focus and not have to worry about other things. 

»           During some meetings we are invited to share stories of the children and say what our concerns and ideas are to help the children and classroom, during other meetings we listen to the teacher and her concerns, and during other meetings we are just preparing the classroom and next weeks schedules.  Allowing to have a voice during certain meetings gives me, and hopefully others, an assurance that what we say matters and that we have a say in our work environment.  If we weren’t allowed a voice I think I would hate working at where I work at, I think that I wouldn’t show passion in what I do because it isn’t my own, it’s someone else work especially if I think it doesn’t look good. 

There could be some changes with the meetings I participate in, but I am satisfied with how the meetings are presented.  Our meetings could be worse, What if we had no meetings?  What if we had meetings like those on TV, people sitting in a big room with a large table in the middle, people are assigned to sit in a certain spot, and everyone is nervous about what is going to be said.  What if every meeting we had was only about concerns of a child?  Maybe that is why my teachers mixes up meetings, she isn’t consistent with what is happening in each meeting so that we keep our mind focus on the over all quality of the childcare, and not just on the child. 

I hope that as I participate in more meetings, I would envision a greater idea of how I could conduct meetings of my own. 

Rethink Daily Routines

Rethink Daily Routines

OH MY GOSH!!! I did this with my daughter.  Well, even though she is in an infant daycare and it’s more accustom for the teachers to receive babies in their PJs still, I somewhat experienced this situation.
 

Just for a side note:  

Infant routines are different then preschool, meaning that when an infant is sleepy its time to sleep and when an infant is hungry its time to eat compared to a preschool setting where there is a more structured routine. 

Also an infant care maybe smaller then a preschool due to the amount of teachers present, the teacher child ratio is different. 

I would almost always bring my child in her PJs, her teacher would receive her and place her in a crib, and if I had time the teacher would talk to me for a few minutes and ask me about my child and how her night as well as her morning was like.  This conversation helped the teacher gain information so that if there were any incidents then she may have a possible explanation for it, but for me as a parent sharing this information let me know that I am now passing my child to someone who actually takes interest in her. 

For me as a parent I would not let me child go to anyone that I don’t know.  I think that not only do children have a hard time separating from their parents, but also the parents have a difficult time separating from their treasures, their child.   

Just the other day my baby said goodbye to me and she went off playing with her friends, but I just couldn’t go.  So the teacher called my daughter to me so that they can sing the goodbye song, which was for me to separate not for my child to separate for me.  I mean it’s so hard, and I just would rather play with my daughter rather then go to school and work. 

As I think about this strategy I think that separating and reconnecting is such a huge aspect of a routine.  I know of some parents who just drop their child off, sign them in, say goodbye, and then leave.  Then there are parents like me who just doesn’t want to leave.  There are children who come in dressed for school and ready to play, while there are some children who are still tiered.  I know that we learned to listen to the cues of the children, we learned to listen to the family’s instructions, we learned to create a routine, but how are we supposed to accommodate these aspects throughout our day?  How do we create our environment to accommodate these different needs, along with providing learning centers? 

I want to try and incorporate the suggestions the “strategy” considers implementing in my center.

·      Create consistent rituals for the beginning and ending of the day that families can participate in

·      Design a cozy corner for families to read and cuddle

·      Provide a dressing area for parents to help children change out of their pajamas and get clothes on or hair brushed

·      Include families in shared snacks or meals. 

I see the importance of routines and including families within them; I especially see this with my own daughter.  I don’t think I would have a difficulty gaining support from families considering that we live in a culture that values family and community.   

Define your community?

Define your community?

Before I can build and support my community I first have to know who my community consists of.

Hmmmmmm...

Who do they consist of?  Children, their families, the staff members kid the program, 

but is that all?  Is there a limit to what my community can consists of?  

I consider my own family

and the family of my staff members as part of my community, I consider teachers and mentors who have taught me as part of my community, I consider my friends as part of my community, I consider friends and relatives of the center'a families as part of my community--anyone who possibly comes into contact with my program is who I consider as part of my community.  Are there any rules as to who can be part of my community?  

Is there an end or beginning as to who can come into and out of my community?  

I hope that as years pass by I can maintain and grow my community.  I feel that I have already began my community with my family.  I grew my community as I go to school, adding teachers and classmates/friends that I acquire a relationship with; I grew my community as I work, adding co-workers into my community.  Is there a limit to who can come in?  Is there a rule to who gets taken out of my community?  There may be people who move, there may be people that had life changes and may not pertain to my goals, or there may be people that me personally got into a conflict with that jeopardized our relationship and therefore removed themselves from my community.  

Knowing what my community consists of, how do they affect me as a director?

Chapter 3 has many insights as to how the community affects our profession.  They are the base of our program.  The community is what makes our program possible; the community is what makes our program thrive.  When we accommodate our program to the community's wants and needs, we would have a stronger foundation.  We will actually have a PROGRAM.  Without the community we wouldn't have anyone to serve.  

How does the community contribute to the program?

The community may not be able to physically contribute to the program, but their personal attributes contribute to the programs design and sense of place.  As we learn about our communities culture, beliefs, and ideas we can incorporate these attributes into our programs own belief, environment, and curriculum.

I believe that it is definitely important for us to learn about our community.  We should know who are community consists of.  We should try our hardest to accommodate and take into consideration the beliefs, culture, and ideas because the community is our professions foundation.