To provide quality care for infants and toddlers you must have quality educators in place to nurture and help these young children grow both physically and intellectually.
In order to ensure that they are quality educators you must make sure they have both a healthy mind and body themselves. Having a teacher that is mentally unhealthy can not see to the mental needs of their students. Same goes with their body. A teacher needs to be able to get down to the eye level of their students which means up and down off the floor and bending over, as well as being able to lift and carry the little ones. A quality educator is able to find resources that will help not only the child but the child's entire family. Things like WIC, dental care, health and medical care, childcare, free or low cost food and clothing, Early Head Start and home visiting information, specialists for special needs children, and community activities like mommy and me classes, local parks and museums or swim lessons at the YMCA. Lastly a quality educator is a person who has established skills in communicating, interacting and reacting to both children and their families. You have to be able to talk, work with and solve problems on many different levels with many different types of children and their families on a daily basis.
Having quality educators is important at any level of teaching but having them in the classrooms for infants and toddlers is where they are needed the most in my opinion. This is the age that needs to be nurtured the most for future development. Parents need all the help they can get as it really does take a village to raise any child. Leaving a child at risk without proper support at this vulnerable age truly sets them up for failure. Every child deserves to have a quality teacher to help them reach their full potential.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
An ECE Director's View
I recently conducted interviews with both an in-home provider and a center director at a local child care center. I have come to the conclusion that it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to run a functioning child care center, let alone a quality center on 100% DSHS subsidy.
I ran the numbers myself to see if the providers were merely trying to increase their profits and I was amazed at the results. As income for 30 children I calculated $26,694 per month. For a staff of six at minimal wages the amount was $13,432 per month. Already you are at half your income amount without even factoring in things like facility rent, food, insurance, supplies, utilities, maintenance and possible transportation. I don't see myself being able to survive as a business this way. I want to help every child and their family succeed in learning and preparing for their future, but this can not be done on this income. As an owner/director you can not afford to maintain your personal household if all your funds are going back into your center, but your center will not survive if you do not use your personal funds to fill in the gaps that the lack of center income creates.
I ran the numbers myself to see if the providers were merely trying to increase their profits and I was amazed at the results. As income for 30 children I calculated $26,694 per month. For a staff of six at minimal wages the amount was $13,432 per month. Already you are at half your income amount without even factoring in things like facility rent, food, insurance, supplies, utilities, maintenance and possible transportation. I don't see myself being able to survive as a business this way. I want to help every child and their family succeed in learning and preparing for their future, but this can not be done on this income. As an owner/director you can not afford to maintain your personal household if all your funds are going back into your center, but your center will not survive if you do not use your personal funds to fill in the gaps that the lack of center income creates.
In the Beginning
In the beginning when you are first starting a brand new center there are so many things that you need. The list is incredibly long including equipment, materials, curriculum and assessments for the classrooms and individual students.
With equipment you have to decide what type of center you will have in order to decide what what equipment you will need. You have the basics of tables, chairs, shelves and such that is required for all. The equipment that is thought of less is outdoor play equipment. What type and how big if you are going for structures. Or not having any and going towards a more natural play area with gardens and structures that are more naturally made. Bicycles, slides, swings, sand boxes and such are also types of equipment you have to decide on. Whether you will have preschoolers only or will have infants and toddlers as well. Each age group has to have special equipment that will meet their age appropriate needs. High chairs, cribs, mats, cots, bottles, plates, bowels, sippy cups, regular drinking glasses, sensory tables are different for the different age groups, the height of the table and chairs varying on the size and age of the children. All these things matter and all vary depending on what you want in your center.
Materials are also something that depends on what type of center you want to run. If you are a Montessori School for example, there are specific materials that you would use versus a Bank Street School. Materials include all items that would be included in your math, science, writing, block, art, dramatic play, sensory and literacy areas. Things like paper, books, paints, light tables, magnifying glasses, dress up cloths, small and large blocks, puzzles and all types of toys. Children learn through their play so each item you choose must have meaning to what you are trying to teach them.
When looking at curriculum and assessments more decisions have to be made yet again. Teaching Strategies Gold, CLASS, ITERS, ECERS, Early Achievers, Ages & Stages, Developmental Continuum, ECEAP, Head start/ Early Head start, the list goes on and on. Which ones will you use and how will they work with the guidance techniques you will put into place. Many work well together while others not so much. There are different guidelines and rules for each.
Having a plan of what your overall goals and expectations are for your program will be important when deciding to have a center of your own. This is not something to enter into lightly. While you may have a love of teaching and being involved in the process of helping them grow, it is a tremendous weight that will be put upon your shoulders.
With equipment you have to decide what type of center you will have in order to decide what what equipment you will need. You have the basics of tables, chairs, shelves and such that is required for all. The equipment that is thought of less is outdoor play equipment. What type and how big if you are going for structures. Or not having any and going towards a more natural play area with gardens and structures that are more naturally made. Bicycles, slides, swings, sand boxes and such are also types of equipment you have to decide on. Whether you will have preschoolers only or will have infants and toddlers as well. Each age group has to have special equipment that will meet their age appropriate needs. High chairs, cribs, mats, cots, bottles, plates, bowels, sippy cups, regular drinking glasses, sensory tables are different for the different age groups, the height of the table and chairs varying on the size and age of the children. All these things matter and all vary depending on what you want in your center.
Materials are also something that depends on what type of center you want to run. If you are a Montessori School for example, there are specific materials that you would use versus a Bank Street School. Materials include all items that would be included in your math, science, writing, block, art, dramatic play, sensory and literacy areas. Things like paper, books, paints, light tables, magnifying glasses, dress up cloths, small and large blocks, puzzles and all types of toys. Children learn through their play so each item you choose must have meaning to what you are trying to teach them.
When looking at curriculum and assessments more decisions have to be made yet again. Teaching Strategies Gold, CLASS, ITERS, ECERS, Early Achievers, Ages & Stages, Developmental Continuum, ECEAP, Head start/ Early Head start, the list goes on and on. Which ones will you use and how will they work with the guidance techniques you will put into place. Many work well together while others not so much. There are different guidelines and rules for each.
Having a plan of what your overall goals and expectations are for your program will be important when deciding to have a center of your own. This is not something to enter into lightly. While you may have a love of teaching and being involved in the process of helping them grow, it is a tremendous weight that will be put upon your shoulders.
Becoming an Administrator
So I went to The Department of Early Learning's Licensing Child Care Center Orientation training on Thursday and boy was that a long day. It started at 8:30am and went until 4:30pm, but it was so full of information that it was almost over whelming. There are many things that go with being a director and it is not just the paperwork aspect that takes so much attention. Starting a center from the ground up is scary to think about. Getting approval from licensing is not even a first step. Fire marshals have a lot of rules and you have to be aware of state and local laws. The biggest thing that I came away from this with was to make friends with your licenser and work closely with them. They have an extreme amount knowledge and references, and they truly want to help your succeed. Having to have everything in place before you can even start taking kids and having an income for your center means having to have quite a bit of start-up money. Also needing to have teachers in place before you have kids, (with all their background checks, TB tests, education and certifications and so on) can be frustrating. I originally had wanted to start my own center from the ground up, but after this I think I will be looking into taking over an already established business and just making the changes to fit my views and wants. A very big pro for me is that I have taken this orientation, I do now have all the check lists and incite into what I will need to get set into place when I fist make the decision to have my own center.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Guidance Techniques
In researching different guidance techniques that I would be using in my own classroom, I have come across an article called "Guidance Techniques That Work" from December2005/January2006 issue of JOURNAL OF ADVENTIST EDUCATION. They discuss several different ways of guiding children's behaviors and helping them make better choices. Here are my top four favorites that I think will work well for both the children and myself.
Change the Environment to Promote Behavior Changes-Wise caregivers look for the causes of misbehavior. Are there squabbles over too few toys? Are children climbing because materials are out of reach? Are children whiny and cranky because meals and nap times are too late? Consider changes in the environment that can make you less irritated and the children less frustrated.
Offer Choices—and Be Ready to Accept the Decision-Caregivers know that offering choices helps children develop independence. But conflicts can arise when you are unwilling or unable to accept the choice a child makes. In general, it’s best to offer two options. If there is no choice, state your expectations simply and concretely.
Change the Environment to Promote Behavior Changes-Wise caregivers look for the causes of misbehavior. Are there squabbles over too few toys? Are children climbing because materials are out of reach? Are children whiny and cranky because meals and nap times are too late? Consider changes in the environment that can make you less irritated and the children less frustrated.
Offer Choices—and Be Ready to Accept the Decision-Caregivers know that offering choices helps children develop independence. But conflicts can arise when you are unwilling or unable to accept the choice a child makes. In general, it’s best to offer two options. If there is no choice, state your expectations simply and concretely.
Use Logical Consequences-Respond to inappropriate behavior with logical consequences—the natural result of a particular behavior. A logical consequence for an adult, for example, may be a stomach ache after eating spicy food. For a child, a logical consequence may be feeling cold after going outside without a sweater. This kind of learning goes on all the time. In some cases, we can set up a logical consequence if one doesn’t occur naturally. If a 3-year-old spills milk, for example, one logical consequence is to have the child help with cleanup.The consequence is not punishment and it always relates to the original behavior. It’s not logical, therefore, to deny time in the art center to a child who spills milk—the two things don’t relate to each other. The consequence must also be reasonable. If a child’s behavior poses danger—picking up broken glass or running into the street, for example—stop it immediately. Avoid extremes. If 9-year-old Josh breaks a baseball bat by swinging it against a brick wall, don’t say “You can never play baseball here again.” Show children that you trust them to change and learn. “Here’s a glove for you to practice catching.You can try batting later this afternoon.” For a logical consequence to be effective, you must respond immediately. Make it clear that it’s the behavior—not the child—that is objectionable.
Set an Example-Children learn by watching you.They observe your interactions with children and other adults and are likely to model their behavior on yours. For example, if you consistently talk to children rudely in a loud voice, you’re teaching them that this is the way to treat others. If you tell the director that you are out of glue and then produce a hidden bottle from the closet, you’ll have a difficult time convincing children that it’s not right to lie. Instead, show concern for others, work out conflicts, and respect the dignity of others—both adults and children. In this way, you model behaviors children need to learn for their social and emotional success.
If you're interested in checking out these or some of their other technique suggestions in more detail here is the link I used:
http://circle.adventist.org/files/jae/en/jae200568023707.pdf
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