Last month, my early childhood leadership book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center; Lessons Learned—A Director’s Story, was published and became available to you, my colleagues—online, in bookstores, and on e-books. It has been well-received, as evidenced by the messages I have received.
Its purpose was to pull together what I had learned during my 40+ year career—as teacher, director, consultant, and author—and share with my colleagues around the world what we directors of programs must know and do to become effective leaders in our field. This book is written in story form—it is both a how-to and memoir. It covers every age and stage of building an early childhood program:
creating your vision (what do you want your program to be)
hiring and training your teaching team
working effectively with parents
designing the environments for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers
putting all of the necessary organizational pieces together seamlessly
handling misunderstandings, misfires; and learning how to diffuse
and then repair difficult situations
using strategic planning when there is an organizational problem, and
adding new and innovative programs that fit with your philosophy to raise the bar and
challenge your team when they are ready.
And, in all of this, to succeed beyond your wildest dreams!!
Since I have used everything in this book many, many times, I can tell you that these strategies, tips, ideas work—and work well!
So, beyond the book …
When I began gathering my notes for the outline, I realized that I had too much information to share. And so, in Beginning to End I wrote as much as I did, and decided to share more of the details that didn’t get into the book—in this blog.
So, in 2021, I’m going to do just that. Each month I will add a little bit more—beyond the book. I will follow the chapters in my book. From the simple idea of using 3-ring binders for staff and parent handbooks (for ease and efficiency when you update policies or procedures—pull out the old sheet, add the new), to more detailed information about adding a mentor teacher rung to your career ladder, or the nitty-gritty details of delivering feedback to your team.
These posts will build on what I have already written and hopefully assist, encourage, motivate, and inspire you to keep growing professionally!
If you would like me to address a specific topic in Beginning to End in more detail, just send me an email. This book is meant to be a catalyst for sharing with those who have chosen the leadership path—but I believe it has appeal and merit for early childhood professionals at every level.
Stay tuned …