I am an Assistant Director at a childcare center so I communicate with families on a daily basis. I am a very outgoing person. I greet each person as they walk through the door in the morning and I tell them to "have a great evening" before they leave for the day. I have worked at the same center for years so I know all of the families and they all know who I am. Most of the clients at my center are very nice, and they reply when I speak to them, but there have been times when I have had to deal with some clients who are not as friendly.
Many of our parents are in a rush to pick up their children and leave at the end of the day. I understand that, but when someone pretends they do not hear me speaking to them, gives me the cold shoulder, or ignores me, I can become a little irritated. Most of the time it is because they are on their phones so it isn't just me they aren't paying attention to. They are too busy talking on their phone to notice anything going on around them, sadly sometimes this includes their child.
Another reason a parent at the center may not acknowledge me is because tuition is due and they have not paid. In this situation they are in and out of the building so fast is is nearly impossible to catch them. They pretend not to see or hear anyone.
Then the individuals who do not ever speak to you, avoid you at all costs, and act like you don't exist, ask to speak to you in the office. So I think, maybe they want to make a payment or something has been going on in their personal lives that may explain their rude behavior. Unfortunately, this is not usually the case. So my patience is once again tested when they have the nerve to complain because breakfast is served too early, or their child has paint on their clothes.
I love my job, I love the families that we serve, and I love the children that we work with. I have had to deal with some individuals who are inconsiderate and unfriendly. In this situation, I always try to make sure I speak with them every opportunity I get. I know it doesn't feel good to be ignored or for someone to give you the cold shoulder so I make a point to communicate with all of my clients to be sure we are meeting all of their needs to the best of our abilities. Even if they make us crazy sometimes! :)
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 2, 2013
Journal 3
Pg. 18
This situation happens too often in childcare. Families tend to get very excited about birthdays. In this scenario, I would speak with the family about bringing a different type of treat with out peanuts for the party. Although there is not a child in the classroom with a peanut allergy, some children are very sensitive to nuts and it is just a precaution. All nut products are banned from the center due to allergies. I would explain that I am very sorry or the inconvenience and explain that it is a policy for the entire center not just for one classroom.
Pg. 19
In this situation, I would probably not allow the staff member any extra early Fridays off unless she switched Fridays with a co-worker. It would set precedence with other staff members and they would expect to get off early as well. Once you make an exception for one person everyone expects it.
Pg. 22
I would mention that I was planning to use those ideas for the bulletin board and if he/she wanted to work together to for ideas for a lesson then we could do that instead of taking ideas that I had worked so hard on.
Pg. 23
I would ask the child in front of her father what happened. I would also reassure the father that I keep a very close eye on the children at all times and that she did not cry or mention the incident. I would tell them that each incident is documented and reported to the families and the office. I would apologize and speak with the child about communicating when she gets hurt by another child in classroom.
This situation happens too often in childcare. Families tend to get very excited about birthdays. In this scenario, I would speak with the family about bringing a different type of treat with out peanuts for the party. Although there is not a child in the classroom with a peanut allergy, some children are very sensitive to nuts and it is just a precaution. All nut products are banned from the center due to allergies. I would explain that I am very sorry or the inconvenience and explain that it is a policy for the entire center not just for one classroom.
Pg. 19
In this situation, I would probably not allow the staff member any extra early Fridays off unless she switched Fridays with a co-worker. It would set precedence with other staff members and they would expect to get off early as well. Once you make an exception for one person everyone expects it.
Pg. 22
I would mention that I was planning to use those ideas for the bulletin board and if he/she wanted to work together to for ideas for a lesson then we could do that instead of taking ideas that I had worked so hard on.
Pg. 23
I would ask the child in front of her father what happened. I would also reassure the father that I keep a very close eye on the children at all times and that she did not cry or mention the incident. I would tell them that each incident is documented and reported to the families and the office. I would apologize and speak with the child about communicating when she gets hurt by another child in classroom.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Journal 2
Pg. 2
I currently work for a childcare center that is owned by a church. We frequently interact with the board members and the commission members of the church. We also work with the children and families that attend our center currently and that have attended our center in the past. We network with other agencies that come in and work with our children such as counseling services and speech therapists. We work with the public school systems and the teachers of the schools nearby our center. We interact with the vendors, maintenance companies, and other outside individuals that come into our center and we communicate with frequently.
Pg.4
I think additional information would depend on the age of the child. When children cannot speak yet they may bite because they are frustrated but they can not form the words they want to speak yet. Also, I might have said it is unfortunate but biting is developmentally appropriate for (depending on the age of the child). Also a toddler might be teething and that may be the cause of biting and if this is the case we will give the child a teething ring or something to comfort him/her.
Pg. 9
I visualize my center as focused toward working for and with families. I want any center I ever work for to be able to provide families with resources that they may need to be successful. I want families to feel safe dropping their children off each day and I want parents to feel like they are learning new things daily.
My center is affordable compared to competitors.
My center uses developmentally appropriate practices. They have a curriculum that is based on the Early Learning Guidelines and it changes bi weekly.
We do use positive discipline strategies at our facility. Delivering I messages, getting on the children's level, and redirection are a few examples.
Some strengths of the center our having long lasting relationships with our families. Some of the children at our center have been there since birth. We get a lot of business by referrals from our families. Our families have a lot of trust in us with their children.
We have an older facility, we could do use some physical improvements.
I currently work for a childcare center that is owned by a church. We frequently interact with the board members and the commission members of the church. We also work with the children and families that attend our center currently and that have attended our center in the past. We network with other agencies that come in and work with our children such as counseling services and speech therapists. We work with the public school systems and the teachers of the schools nearby our center. We interact with the vendors, maintenance companies, and other outside individuals that come into our center and we communicate with frequently.
Pg.4
I think additional information would depend on the age of the child. When children cannot speak yet they may bite because they are frustrated but they can not form the words they want to speak yet. Also, I might have said it is unfortunate but biting is developmentally appropriate for (depending on the age of the child). Also a toddler might be teething and that may be the cause of biting and if this is the case we will give the child a teething ring or something to comfort him/her.
Pg. 9
I visualize my center as focused toward working for and with families. I want any center I ever work for to be able to provide families with resources that they may need to be successful. I want families to feel safe dropping their children off each day and I want parents to feel like they are learning new things daily.
My center is affordable compared to competitors.
My center uses developmentally appropriate practices. They have a curriculum that is based on the Early Learning Guidelines and it changes bi weekly.
We do use positive discipline strategies at our facility. Delivering I messages, getting on the children's level, and redirection are a few examples.
Some strengths of the center our having long lasting relationships with our families. Some of the children at our center have been there since birth. We get a lot of business by referrals from our families. Our families have a lot of trust in us with their children.
We have an older facility, we could do use some physical improvements.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Journal 1
I am taking Early Education classes because I love working with children. I am currently working on obtaining my Directors Certificate of Mastery. I am the Assistant Director of a childcare center so I work with families daily. I use what I learn in my Early Education classes when working with the families I come across daily. I hope to gain better leadership and communication skills in this class.
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