Marcia Hebert's Blog

After the planning, designing, arranging, and equipping has been accomplished, we will quickly know if the environment we have created for the children is or is not working! Our observations of the children’s behavior will tell us what we need to do next, and whether we need to improve the environment, the materials, or the activities.

Here are a few questions to guide our observations:

How do children choose where they play?

• Which areas and materials are most popular? Which are rarely used?
• Do any children need help making choices?
• Are children able to find and return materials independently?
• Do the traffic patterns allow children to move easily about the room, play safely, and protect their work-in-progress?

How do children use the materials?

• Do they have the skills to use the materials successfully?
• Do they use the materials appropriately and creatively?
• Do they know how to care for the materials?
• Are there enough materials to keep children involved?

How do children interact with others?

• Are they able to play successfully near and with one another?
• Are any children isolated?
• Are children talking together about what they are doing?
• How do they ask for help from adults? From other children?

Once we have observed what is happening within the classroom space, we know very quickly whether or not there are problems that need to be addressed. Children’s behavior is a good indication of how the environment is working. Problem behaviors can typically be attributed to a few possible causes; more importantly, these problem behaviors usually disappear by making some minor changes to the environment. Here are a few examples:

• If children are running in the classroom, most likely there is too much open space. Perhaps the room is not divided into smaller areas, or perhaps the activity areas are not well defined. A strategy to correct the behavior would be to use shelves or other furniture and carpeting to carve the space into areas of interest, that is, interesting areas with open-ended materials just waiting to be discovered and used. Running out-of-doors is wonderful, but if we inadvertently create indoor runways for children, they will instinctively take off and use them!
• If children wander around the room, unable to choose activities, it could be that the room is too cluttered. Perhaps the children can’t focus. Or, perhaps the choices are not clear. Or, maybe there is not enough to do. A strategy would be to de-clutter the space. Simplify the layout of the room and the materials. Oftentimes, less is more when it comes to materials. Just choose the most interesting and engaging things to put out. Select items that can be used in many many creative ways! And possibly, add more choices from which the children can choose, and introduce them during morning circle with a choice tray, a choice board, or a visual poster.
• If children mis-use materials and resist clean-up, it could be that the materials on the shelves are messy. Or, perhaps the display of materials is not orderly. Or, maybe the children don’t know how to use the materials appropriately. A strategy would be to make a place for everything. Use picture labels (add words for preschoolers) to show where materials go. And provide consistent guidance on how to clean up. But, more importantly, when adding new materials to the room, introduce them to the children first – and show how these materials are to be used, and where they will be stored. Set the expectation up front.

As we gain experience and mastery over creating environments that work for both children and adults, we quickly know when something is amiss and correct it as soon as possible. We read the room in seconds; listen for anything louder than it should be; and then act.

I have learned that much of what happens in the course of our days (the good, the bad, and the ugly) has its beginnings in the environment. So, it behooves us to take a good look at our spaces every now and again. Yes, to evaluate.

So, how are your classrooms working?

I have spent a good deal of time consulting, coaching, and mentoring around this topic; troubleshooting for directors, and observing, finding the problem, and then strategizing possible solutions. If you would like a second set of eyes and ears to evaluate your classroom environments, let me know.

Teachers who are aware of the power of the environment arrange their spaces thoughtfully and intentionally to send the messages they want children to receive.

When we think about the youngest in our care, the infants, toddlers, and twos, I believe that both teacher interactions and the environment should answer all of the concerns that children as well as parents have. They want to know that:

They belong here, and you like them. So, within the classroom:

• At the children’s eye level, there are displays of photos of the children at play and with their families. Photos that are laminated, under plexiglass or in unbreakable frames give these youngest children the opportunity to study, touch, or carry them around without tearing.
• Make sure that the materials, pictures, and books honor the ethnic and individual traits of the children and their families.

This is a place they can trust, and they will be safe here. So, within the classroom:

• Limit environment changes to help children know that they can depend on the room arrangement. When changing toys and materials, always leave some of the favorites in place. These little ones will be looking for them!
• Cushion surfaces where children are learning to move without interfering with their newly acquired balance.

This is a comfortable place to be. So, within the classroom:

• Include homelike touches, such as curtains or valances, floor cushions, plants, and small lamps.
• Provide soft furniture, stuffed chairs and couches.
• Use soft textures and furnishings to help tone down noisier sounds. Soft colors, soft lighting, and soft sounds help to create a peaceful space.

They can move freely and explore on their own. So, within the classroom:

• Have enough space for children to roll over, crawl, creep, pull up, stand, cruise, and walk around as they grow and change – which, at this level, happens quickly!
• Present a variety of materials on low shelves. These materials should all be intended for the children’s use. Containers should be labeled with pictures so that children know where to find and return materials.

You will take care of them. So, within the classroom:

• Set up areas for routines.
• Designate a crib, cot, or mat for each child.
• And, have many places where you can curl up, comfort, and cuddle a child.

As the children move through their preschool years (three to fives), we extend and enhance our environments to send the following messages we want them to receive:

This is a good place to be. So, within the classroom:

• Furniture is clean and in good repair.
• The walls hold the children’s art, displayed attractively, at their eye level – with large spaces of blank wall (to minimize both a cluttered look and an overwhelmed feeling when there is just too much to take in).

You belong here. So, within the classroom:

• Each child has a cubby, basket, cot, mat – marked with his name or picture.
• Furniture is child-sized.
• Pictures in books, on the wall, and in the learning materials include people from different backgrounds – children within the classroom are represented in all of these things.
• Each child’s work is displayed and protected.

This is a place you can trust. So, within the classroom:

• Equipment and materials are arranged consistently so that children know where to find the things they need.
• Shelves are neat and uncluttered, and materials are labeled so that children can make choices easily.
• A daily schedule, with words and pictures, is displayed so that children know what to expect.
• Routines, transitions, eating, napping, toileting, are predictable and consistent.

There are places where you can be by yourself when you want to be. So, within the classroom:

• Small, quiet areas accommodate one or two children.
• A beanbag chair or large pillow invites a child to be quiet and alone.
• Headphones for cd players, tape recorders, or computers allow for individual listening.

You can do many things on your own here. So, within the classroom:

• Materials are stored on low shelves that children can easily access; are organized logically (paper is near the markers and crayons, animals and people are near the blocks); and are located in areas where they can be used.
• Shelves are labeled with both pictures and words, and show children where toys and materials belong.

This is a safe place to explore and try out your ideas. So, within the classroom:

• Protected and defined quiet areas encourage small group activities.
• Smocks and cover-ups are available for messy activities so that children can express themselves without fear of getting dirty.
• Protected space for building block structures is clearly defined, and out of the way of “people” traffic.
• Toys that haven’t been used for a long time are rotated, and new things added to keep children’s interest. Changing everything in the environment at once, however, can cause some children to be a bit unsettled, so prepare them in advance and keep some of their favorite, familiar things.

So, the questions are:

• Have you thought about the power of the environment – that it can work for, or against you?
• What positive messages do you want to convey to your children and parents?
• And then, how can you design and arrange your classroom environments so that these messages come through – subtly and subliminally?
• And finally, as you take a walk around the classrooms in your program, what messages do you receive from the environment?
• Bottom line – how are you doing?

My next post will be about evaluating the environment, so stay tuned for “how it’s working,” and then some tips and strategies to use when children’s behavior indicates that something is amiss.

I love creating aesthetically pleasing environments for children! I love the possibilities within each space! I love moving furniture to get just the right placement! I love finding the perfect container for our nature walk treasures! I love adding unique materials to the shelves! And, I love to watch the children discover all that is waiting to be discovered!

Many years ago, when I opened my first child care center, my instinct was to re-create (as closely as I could) the home environment that the children had lived and played in before coming to me.

We had all natural wood furniture, curtains on the windows, and lots of soft spaces. We had baskets of green plants, pottery vases filled with pussy willows, and mason jars full of wild flowers. We baked breads and cookies. Through open windows, we heard the chirping of birds, the wind through the trees. We watched rainbows, shadows, and sunshine on the carpet as the light transformed our space. Outside, we made good use of everything – the pine needled paths through the woods, the pond where we ate snack in our canoe, and the hilly landscape that invited us to roll and roll in the summer and slide on the snow all winter long.

As I look back, I realize that instinctively we were taking our inspiration and shaping our ideas from those places where we experience the world of people and things most fully – through our senses. Our child care environment appealed to our senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. And, it did so naturally! Everything somehow fit together – the color, the light, the natural beauty, the smells, and the sounds.

And, I learned that it is the aesthetic elements of life that make the world a rich experience. They stimulate and nurture our many moods. They are the elements we have in the places where we live – and I think they are the elements we should especially have in settings where children and adults spend their days together.

I am a huge fan of creating inviting, homelike, and aesthetically pleasing environments for young children. These little ones essentially “live” with us five days of the week. Shouldn’t we strike a balance between the living and learning of their days?

Fast forward to my fourth child care center – thirteen years later.

I am reading early childhood environment trends in one of our professional publications:

“The aesthetic appeal is all about color, lighting, display, texture, nature, sounds, and smells; and the warm, home-like feel is about softness, real-life materials blended into the child’s world of things.”

Sometimes, we just know!

The partnership between the parent and the teacher cannot be underestimated. When it is built on mutual trust and respect, everything else falls into place. Everything!

This poem, by Ray Lingenfelter, says it all:

Unity

I dreamed I stood in a studio
and watched two sculptors there.
The clay they used was a young child’s mind
and they fashioned it with care.

One was a teacher.
The tools she used were books and music and art;
One was a parent
with a guiding hand and a gentle, loving heart.

And when at last their work was done,
they were proud of what they had wrought;
for the things they had worked into the child
could never be sold or bought.

And each agreed she would have failed
if she had worked alone;
for behind the parent stood the school,
and behind the teacher stood the home.

I’ve always loved this poem.

In this life, we don’t go it alone. When we learn how to connect with one another and appreciate what others bring into our lives (and into the lives of our children) – how rich it all becomes.

If you would like to further discuss the parent relationships in your program, contact me at marciahebert@earthlink.net. I have lots to share.

My next series of posts will focus on Environments for Children.

Even in the most competently run early childhood programs, parents have concerns and sometimes complaints. And, they have a right and a responsibility to express their concerns and to receive thoughtful responses.

There are some general strategies to use in these situations – strategies that will also help us continue to build positive relationships.

Give these concerns your immediate attention.

Find a place to talk privately and invite conversation. If the parent is too emotional to have a conversation, let the parent vent (getting everything out now will diffuse some of the initial emotion). And, set another time (within twenty-four hours) to have the conversation.

Meanwhile, we can gather more information from the teachers’ (perspective) and begin to piece the problem and a resolution together. If a parent concern is passed on to you by someone else, make contact with the parent as quickly as possible. The longer a person stews about a problem, the more confused and out of proportion it can become.

Listen closely.

Be fully present. Keep an open mind. Get all the information from the parent (perspective). Let your concern show. And, avoid reacting before you have heard everything the parent wants to say. This one is tough, because the temptation to jump in is so strong. Patience, patience, patience at this time will set the appropriate tone for resolution.

Summarize the issue in your own words.

Before you end your conversation with the parent, repeat the issue in your own words. This approach serves two purposes: the parent is reassured that you have listened and that you understand; and, you both know that you agree on the issue.

If there has been an error, admit it.

Sometimes, we make mistakes. I “growl” when this happens. I also find it helpful to take the blame for whatever, whomever, and then move quickly to how we can correct the situation. Our honesty will be appreciated – admitting a mistake is one way to build trust. This I know, an apology goes a long way.

Enlist parents help in solving the problem.

What will it take for the parent to feel that the situation is being handled appropriately? How will we be sure the problem does not repeat itself? Together, decide what might be done to remedy the situation and develop a plan.

Set a date to evaluate the success of the plan.

If you develop a plan, and it is working to most everyone’s satisfaction, wonderful! If not, go back to the drawing board and try something else. I have found that as long as people know you are working on the problem, they are likely to stay with you and continue to help with the resolution.

Let a parent know when a policy will not change.

Policies in early childhood programs have been written because they insure the well-being of children first; they have been written to be in compliance with state and national standards; and they are the foundation of the operating organization. There’s no wiggle room in a policy. It is what it is.

When a parent’s complaint is not one you are able to do anything about (for example, changing your policy on sick children at school), express understanding and explain the reasons you must keep the policy as is. I have found that parents appreciate knowing the reasons, the rationale, behind everything!

Always treat the parent with respect.

We say this so often, it should be a “duh” moment – of course we should always treat parents with respect! But, I think sometimes we miss the mark and get tangled up in an emotional joust with a parent.

I think it is important that each person leave every conversation with self-esteem intact. Parents who have expressed a concern and feel they have been treated well will also be assured that you care.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Truer words were never written.

Thank parents who express concerns. Let them know that you think of them as partners.

As a director, I reflected upon every interaction with parents. I found it extremely helpful to write down what happened during the conversation – what was spoken, what was not spoken, and how I felt. I always learned something – for the next time. For there would always be a next time.

I’d love your thoughts on this topic. What have you tried that works? Please share –there is a large readership here, and we can all learn from one another.

As early childhood educators, helping relationships develop naturally and authentically between parents, teachers, and children is what we do. Some of us do this with ease. Some of us need a little guidance. And some of us have used the strategy of building the parent relationship through the child with much success.

Parents have the inside scoop on their child; they already know what makes their little one “tick.” So, let’s tap into this parent wisdom; learn what they have already learned about their child; and begin the dialogue by focusing together on their child. By doing this, a couple of wonderful things will happen: We will know much more about the child, and be able to more quickly meet his individual needs. And we will gain the trust of the parents when we include them, their experiences, their expertise, and their thoughts, in our world.

To get at this “parent wisdom,” we can ask thoughtful and intentional questions about their child. And then, we can listen closely to the answers that will undoubtedly give us more insight into this child and this family. I’m not suggesting a questionnaire to be completed by the parents. But, rather, engaging questions that can, and should, be asked over time; asked informally, naturally, without effort, and when the appropriate moment presents itself; asked during relaxed and enjoyable casual conversation.

Getting the parents’ perspective on many topics and learning from them will build a partnership based on mutual respect and trust. The give and take of positive conversation is a plus. Each interaction moves us toward our goal.

Should a problem arise, what we learned can be pieced together to help us better meet the needs of the child and family. And, down the road, if that difficult conversation is needed, the foundation for it will already have been built.

Here, then, are a few examples. They are essentially conversation starters. They are questions that will get to the heart of the child – the answers to which will uncover a little bit more of the child’s spirit, temperament, family culture, social-emotional health, physical health, learning style, and interests.

• How did you choose your child’s name?
• What especially delights your child?
• What brings on the giggles?
• In what type of a setting is your child most likely to be quiet? more outgoing?overwhelmed?
• What does your family consider good behavior – for your child’s age?
• Are there traditional family games or songs your child enjoys?
• How does your child like to start the day?
• If overwhelmed, what are ways you and your child cope?
• What are typical signs of illness? do they come on quickly? slowly?
• What are sure signs your child is hungry? tired?
• At what times is your child most likely to be talkative?
• What does your child enjoy doing when playing alone? when playing with adults? when playing with other children?

Think what we could learn from the answers. Could we better accommodate each child and family if we had the answers? 

We can learn a lot from the parents in our programs. To recognize that they have much to teach us is the first step in building the partnership.  And, when we have their trust, they will share with us.