Beyond the Book—Zero-to-Three Model (A Parent’s Perspective)

Posted on November 12, 2022 by Marcia Hebert

Making the shift from traditional, individual infant and toddler classrooms to the Zero-to-Three model (where the youngest children and teachers remain together until the child reaches preschool age) brought with it environmental challenges and extra training for teachers and their supervisors, but the benefits we anticipated, and then experienced, far, far outweighed the initial effort required.

The following is a letter from a parent in our John Hancock Child Care Center in Boston. As you’ll read, not only did the children and teachers benefit from the Zero-to-Three model, so did the parents.

“I had the good fortune to send my two daughters to the JHCCC. Kiley attended the Center from the age of 11 weeks until age 5. Caroline attended from 4 months until 15 months. Kiley experienced the entire 0-3 program, while Caroline’s experience was curtailed by the unfortunate closing of the Center. I have seen the pros and cons of both structures firsthand.

As a parent, I preferred the Zero to Three structure. Kiley was able to grow strong bonds to the same set of teachers and children during her most vulnerable and exploratory years. This provided her with a solid foundation to depend on each day. Also, her teachers knew her so well that as she aged and grew, they could anticipate her challenges and adjust to best meet her needs with ease. We didn’t have to re-introduce her to a set of teachers every few months and go through a learning curve as they got to know her. Kiley and her friends developed a sibling-like bond to one another. This could not have been accomplished without the consistency of the classroom over so many years. The families of these children also grew very close as a result of so many shared years together. Parents benefit so much from exchanging advice and ideas about parenting. This is much easier once you have time to develop relationships. I also grew very close to Kiley’s friends, since they were a common group for several years. It is remarkable to watch children grow from babies to toddlers to preschoolers, and I still have a strong affection for those children Kiley shared the Zero to Three program with. All of these individual relationships—teacher to child, child to child, family to family, parent to parent, and parent to other children—resulted in a beautiful, nurturing, strong community.

I am pleased with the care my youngest daughter, Caroline, is receiving at her current daycare. However, I felt like Caroline just got settled in her new classroom last fall and then suddenly moved by herself to the older toddler room with a new set of teachers. Some of the children overlapped, but others were completely new to us. It has taken me awhile to learn the names of the children and to be able to even talk about Caroline’s friends with her. The teachers had to learn Caroline’s quirks and preferences all over again. Only now, three months after her move, can I say that all of us are on the same page. That is a lot of lost time in a young child’s life! I also don’t have the sense of community I felt as a result of the Zero to Three program at the JHCCC. I share ‘hellos’ and ‘goodbyes’ with Caroline’s friends’ parents, but that is about all. I am starting to get attached to the children in her classroom, but soon some will graduate and others will move in from the younger class and there will be another shift in the classroom dynamic. More new faces to learn, more old friends to miss. Caroline’s experience is rich in many ways—she is learning a great deal. She is loved and challenged and happy. The experience is singular though, as opposed to a shared experience. It lacks a lot of the special qualities of the Zero to Three program.

 I hope my experiences help to inform your decisions. As a parent I found this program rewarding for all—children, teachers, and families. Children benefitted from the consistent care and strong attachment with both teachers and friends. Teachers grew closer to their children. They also enriched their teaching background by not being limited to one age group. And families grew closer to one another. We greatly respected, appreciated, and cared for our children’s teachers, as they helped us as well in our parenting. The Zero to Three program truly was a mutually beneficial structure.”

  Sincerely, JW

  Certainly, food for thought! 

For more details on creating positive change for your organization, take a look at Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Child Care, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Professionals, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, John Hancock Child Care Center, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—Inspiration for the New School Year

Posted on September 1, 2022 by Marcia Hebert

Our large childcare center in Boston could sometimes feel unwieldy. There were just so many people, so much activity, so much to do every day, that we all needed a break at the end of the school year to prepare our minds (and environments) for the new year beginning in September. We decided to close our program for the two days just before Labor Day weekend—to children and their parents. We worked, however, and worked hard to get everything ready for the first day. But it was a labor of love and that made the difference.

As we gathered together that first morning, I took the opportunity to thank everyone for the year just passed, and highlight some of the successes and accomplishments of my team. I then moved to the task at hand—preparing ourselves and our many spaces for the children and families arriving next Tuesday. It was important to set the tone for these two days (and the year to come), and so I always prepared a few “words of wisdom” that focused on some aspect of working together effectively.

The following are my remarks to my teachers, dated Thursday, August 30th 2001. Yes, I was a director for many, many years (and I saved everything).

“These next two days are a gift. Enjoy the camaraderie, the enthusiasm, and the time to create. As you think about your classroom environments and space, read, re-read, and read again, “We Believe In…” Our philosophy is embedded in each section of the document, and your classrooms should be the picture to these words. Think big! Think creatively! How could you make these words come to life in your classrooms?

We have come together at this time, in this place, to do good work. I believe that nothing is more important than nurturing and educating the youngest of the young. We all recognize this, for, here we are!

But while we are giving to the little ones, to our teammates, to our colleagues, to our families, we need to give to ourselves as well and receive something back in the process—balance! We spend a lot of energy working in this field. And we need to fill the well back up somehow to keep vital and energized and happy! Everyone does this differently—some of us are spiritual and find our peace inside; others are physical and find that movement and exercise balances them; others read and get replenished. What do you do—to regain composure, lessen stress, take a break? Whatever you do, be certain it brings you joy, peace, and much pleasure! If so, it will be the balance you need. This year, find what works for you.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than knowledge. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think, say, or do. It is more important than appearance, than giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a business, a home, an organization, a team.

The remarkable thing is that we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play the one card we have—and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.

So, this year I’d like you to join me in working on our collective attitude here at the childcare center. Make the conscious shift from negativity, complaining, or gossiping to acknowledging the good and passing on encouragement, praise, and congratulations. There is so, so much more going right than wrong. So:

  • Just for today, be happy.
  • Just for today, live for this day only. Focus your energy on the here and now.
  • Just for today, adjust to what is. Try not to adjust everything to your own desires.
  • Just for today, take care of your body. Exercise it, care for it, nourish it, so that it will be a perfect machine for your will.
  • Just for today, exercise your soul. Do something nice for someone without their knowing it.
  • Just for today, strengthen your mind. Study and learn something useful. 
  • Just for today, be agreeable. Look as good as you can, act courteously, be liberal with praise.
  • Just for today, have a quiet half-hour all by yourself and relax. Think about the big picture and get some perspective in your life.
  • Just for today, be unafraid—to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love. 

Let’s work together on balance and attitude, this year. One day at a time. 

Once again, I am truly pleased to have all of you on board! Let’s make it an exceptional school year!”

Note: The “We Believe In …” document can be found in its entirety in the book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Child Care, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Professionals, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, John Hancock Child Care Center, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—Organizing the Moving Parts of a Child Care Center

Posted on July 18, 2022 by Marcia Hebert

My fourth, and final child care center was large! It was the biggest and most visible of the four I opened and directed during my career. At capacity, there were 200 fulltime children, upwards of 400 parents, and a staff of 65 (mostly teachers). Nearly 700 human beings brought with them many, many moving parts!

With so many people and so much activity, there was the potential for important things to fall through the cracks and not be taken care of. It was necessary to be thorough, organized, and consistent. At the same time, we needed to be flexible, respectful, and fair, remembering the individuality of each short and tall person within our large family. Lots and lots to juggle.

But we did! And we juggled multiple balls very well for twenty years.

This post highlights one of the processes we put in place. These are the “how we did it” details not found in Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center (Yes, this is information Beyond the Book).

“Whose job is it?” was a question I asked myself often when I looked around these 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Yes, 40,000 square feet! Whose job is it to organize, clean, and maintain all of the common spaces within our Center and the many areas that everyone used, but no one owned. The 18 classrooms were easy—the teachers were responsible. But what about all this other space, equipment, materials, supplies, furniture? We all used these at some point in the day.

We decided to enlist the help of our entire staff. Our goal was to keep the Center (which was like a second home to us) looking beautiful and well cared for. We needed to make a fair plan to maintain every square foot, and so, we would all participate.

We made a list of these spaces. There were many—some large open spaces, some closet-size. Here’s a partial listing: the entrance and lobby; the staff meeting room; infant square; the carriage closet; the playground bathroom; the common closets; the hallways; the stairwells (main and back); the art room; the laundry room; the staff room; toddler square; the preschool common; the small and large playgrounds. 

And then, we each chose our space from the listing. 

We would be the person accountable for this area. When we walked by “our space,” we saw what needed to be done. We straightened things; we pushed in chairs; we restored order (whatever that might be); we kept supplies stocked; we picked up trash from the floor; we simply made the space look more presentable. If something was broken, unsafe, needed—we would be the one to tell the director.

Each one of us continued to clean up after ourselves when we left a common space, but this new system guaranteed that an additional set of eyes would give a final look.

Before we began this project, we cleaned and organized every one of these spaces in the Center, so that we would know how each was meant to look; how the shelves were arranged; what went where. This new system was meant to maintain. We would see quickly what, if anything, was amiss, and then fix it.

We also wrote guidelines for the larger shared spaces.

The Staff Room was especially complicated with tables, chairs, a kitchen wall of cabinets, and fridge. Another part of this room had softer chairs and couches to take a break and relax. In this staff space, we made a separate plan for keeping order, since this room had the potential to be a health hazard and took more effort to maintain. Each month a different team from our large staff took on this room. And they cleaned and organized, when and where needed. 
“What was in the refrigerator?” and “How long had it been there?” had been the re-occurring problem before our new system. Now, someone owned the fridge and its contents, and food was easily disposed of in a timely way. Problem solved!

These were the guidelines posted for everyone using our Staff Room:

  • It is expected that each person using this room will take responsibility for leaving the room clean and neat for those who follow. Please clean the tables after you eat; remove trash; push in chairs and return magazines, etc. to the rack/shelves.
  • Label each item you put into the refrigerator with your name and the date. Masking tape and markers for this purpose are in the drawer next to the fridge. At the end of the month, anything old or not labeled will be thrown out.
  • You will find several cabinets marked for the storage of non-perishable food. Again, label your personal items.
  • The tall pantry units have been stocked with paper goods and plastic cutlery for your use in the staff room. Please don’t stock your classrooms from these shelves.
  • Staff room cleaning supplies can be found under the sink.

These were the guidelines for our Laundry Room:

  • This room is for doing laundry only. Nothing else is to be stored in this room.
  • Clean up after yourself when you use the laundry room:
    • Wipe up all spilled detergent.
    • Empty lint screens in the dryers after each use.
    • Place empty boxes by the freight elevator for trash pick-up.
    • Dispose of bleach bottles in the large trash can.
  • Be considerate of your colleagues:
    • Keep the top of machines free of laundry, boxes, toys, etc.
    • If you take someone else’s laundry out of a washer, put it in a dryer and notify that team of its status.
    • Use magnetic laundry tags to keep track of laundry.
    • Notify Theresa when the last box of detergent is opened.

These were the guidelines for the Staff Work Room:

  • The Staff Work Room is equipped with the following: 
    • Laminator
    • Copy Machine
    • Paper Cutter
    • Work Table
    • Work Utensils
  • Please use the equipment with respect for its value and be conservative with supplies.
  • The laminator and copy machine are for your use only after you have been instructed properly by your program coordinator.
  • Place your name on the sign-in sheet when you use the laminator or copier.
  • If either machine malfunctions, call an administrator right away. Do not leave the problem for someone else.
  • Take all your materials with you when you leave. Check the copier for your original.

As you can see, we set the expectations. They were posted. They were clearly written. And they were followed. The additional person/s to oversee these common areas helped greatly. This system worked for us! We were a very large team keeping our Center looking its best. It was a gratifying effort. Everyone participated. Everyone appreciated the results. A win, win, win!

For more details on creating positive change for your organization, take a look at Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Child Care, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Professionals, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, John Hancock Child Care Center, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—The Mentor Teacher Program

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Marcia Hebert

As director of the John Hancock Child Care Center (JHCCC), I knew that the key to a quality early childhood program was to find, hire, and retain the finest teachers! I also knew that we had to provide unique, individual opportunities for their professional growth. The children would thrive if our teachers were motivated, inspired, excited, and passionate about their teaching.

And so, our Mentor Teacher Program was born! The following are some of the beyond-the-book “how we did it” details not found in Beginning to End….

From our Mentor Teacher Program mission statement:

  • To share, learn, and build bridges to enhance personal and professional development. 
    • To foster growth in leadership and peer coaching for skilled teachers.
    • To offer learning opportunities for protégés committed to expanding their knowledge and skills, and to refining their teaching.
    • To create a positive relationship between mentors and protégés so that both can build and reflect on their own practice.
  • To provide a career step for teachers at JHCCC.
  • To provide support for teachers new to the field of teaching.
  • To retain experienced and skilled teachers.
  • To improve the quality of care for children and families at JHCCC.

Mentoring is most successful when mentor and protégé are:

  • committed to reflecting honestly on teaching practice to improve the quality of early childhood care and education,
  • challenged by, and committed to the process of sharing and learning, and are
  • participating voluntarily, suitably matched, and provided with clear guidelines and expectations.

Our Mentor Teacher Program was designed to provide an opportunity for professional development for our teachers. It would bring teachers together from different teams so they could learn from one another. The program facilitated the matching of pairs of teachers as mentor and protégé, and enabled them through training to develop and sustain successful mentoring relationships. Mentoring included guiding, supporting, coaching, tutoring, counseling, problem-solving, and modeling, as methods.

A partnership was formed for a defined period of time between the mentor, a person who was more experienced in a particular field, and a protégé, the person seeking to gain more knowledge. A mentor and protégé were brought together with the help of written applications and interview data collected by the mentor teacher task force. Each partnership created a written agreement which defined their learning goals, how they would spend their time together, and guidelines for managing their relationship. They agreed to observe each other’s teaching, and to meet and exchange information relating to their professional development within a confidential relationship.

Development took place through:

  • Discussion: mentor and protégé discussed experiences, asked questions, provided feedback, and used each other as sounding boards for a wide variety of issues related to teaching.
  • Shared activities: mentor and protégé observed other programs, and attended workshops or conferences together.
  • Observation: mentor and protégé observed each other teaching and provided commentary and feedback.

And we found that the mentoring partnership had advantages over other kinds of staff development and training. The partnership was:

  • more personal,
  • tailored to individual needs,
  • responsive to the talents and abilities of all teacher levels,
  • a long-term commitment,
  • more easily integrated into a busy schedule, and
  • confidential.

The program helped bring people together who might not have met or formed relationships spontaneously. It also facilitated the formation of relationships across the common barriers of culture, gender, roles, and levels of experience. And it provided a better utilization of the wisdom and expertise of our organization. There was now a broad range of people to form partnerships for the exchange of skills and knowledge.

The Mentor Teacher Program was not:

  • a program for poor or marginal teachers,
  • a replacement for good management and supervision,
  • a substitute for excellent teaching practice, or
  • an attempt to replace spontaneous mentoring as it occurred.

The benefits of mentoring were many: 

  • Protégés gained first-hand knowledge from individuals who were experienced teachers and who had already achieved a level of competency in their profession. They worked on development issues in a very focused way by being coached, getting feedback, and solving problems. They understood the perspectives and thinking patterns of an experienced practitioner. And, protégés became better affiliated with a wider group of people.
  • Mentors used their accumulated wisdom, knowledge, and expertise to help others develop. They broadened their scope of contact beyond their peers. They learned the perspectives and critical life issues of others. They developed greater facility with coaching, tutoring, communicating, and feedback. And, they developed leadership and advocacy skills.

The qualifications and responsibilities of our mentors and protégés were few, but important. All participants were selected on the basis of their solid work and performance history. The best mentors and protégés would be those who had a keen desire to learn, share, and grow through personal contact. Mentors and protégés were required to keep certain time and training commitments. They spent one morning each week together and attended a weekly evening seminar from October through May.

Mentor qualifications:

  • a minimum of two years as an early childhood teacher,
  • a minimum of one year teaching in our program,
  • minimally, a lead teacher, and
  • a B.A. degree was desirable.

Protege qualifications: Any teacher was eligible to apply.

To apply for the Mentor Teacher Program:

  • Mentors:
    • Completed the written application.
    • Included with the application, two references from:
      • a supervisor and a colleague, or
      • a colleague and a parent, or
      • a parent and a supervisor.
    • Participated in the interview with the task force.
  • Protégés:
    • Completed the written application.
    • Participated in the interview with the task force.

The successful results of our mentor teacher program were many—a win-win for all of us! Results included:

  • A stronger sense of professionalism.
  • An increased rapport and camaraderie among teachers.
  • The opportunity for master teachers to be recognized.
  • An experience of positive change for mentors and protégés resulting in more effective teaching for both.
  • An increased awareness of possibilities for personal and professional growth in the field of early childhood care and education.

For more details on creating positive change for your organization, take a look at Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Child Care, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, John Hancock Child Care Center, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—Making Successful Transitions

Posted on March 23, 2022 by Marcia Hebert
Design for Early Childhood Education

In my chapter about change in Beginning to End, I touched on many areas of potential upheaval for either my team, the children, or their parents. It always involved a change of some sort. I had learned that people experience change in such different ways—some embrace it and enjoy the process; some dread it, but will accept it; some will resist it as long as they can; and some cannot handle change at all—and leave. As director, I witnessed each. This caused me to think very carefully about how to present changes in my programs—and make them as gradual as I could.

So, when it came to children moving up to the next age group each September, we created a thoughtful and gradual transition for both the children and their parents.

At the beginning of June each year, I sent parents a letter with their packet of transition information. I explained the transition paperwork and process in great detail, so that all questions would hopefully be answered, and parents would feel at ease about the upcoming change. It would be orderly and designed with the child’s and parent’s needs in mind.

The packet included:

  • The child’s new home base and a classroom list—the names of the children and teachers.
  • A letter of introduction from each of the child’s new teachers—their teaching credentials, as well as a few personal tidbits that could be a conversation-starter with a new family. 
  • A transition questionnaire helped us to learn about other family members; languages spoken at home; health issues we should be aware of; allergies; food likes and dislikes; the child’s sleep routine; favorite and least favorite activities; a special item that would bring comfort; any special words used by the child to describe his needs; the child’s reaction to morning separation; previous child care experience, to include the names of any caregivers or relatives the child may talk about; and anything else parents would like us to know about their child—including any concerns the parent had about this transition. All of these answers were starting points to many ongoing conversations. And, long before the child was in the new classroom, teachers and parents had already begun to build their relationship! Such a comforting way to make this change!
  • Transition suggestions gave parents tips on how to make this change as positive as possible for all. For example, trying to spend a little extra time with the child at drop-off or pick-up during the first few days; perhaps picking up a little earlier as well; remembering that transitions can sometimes be stressful for children—tiredness, frustration, regressions are all normal and will ease; that the child’s understanding of time is much different from ours, and that talking about the changes too early may cause the child to become confused or anxious as she waits. The suggestions were always helpful—and appreciated.
  • Throughout the summer, children would have many informal opportunities to visit the new classroom and get to know the teachers. And these new teachers would also visit the children in their current classrooms. As well, both old and new teachers met several times to share relevant information about each child’s routines, likes, dislikes, special qualities, etc.
  • In August, parents were invited to a brown bag lunch with the new classroom teachers and their program coordinator. This was an opportunity to discuss the new environment, the people, the daily schedule, the routines, and the curriculum.
  • The three days of transition (which happened just before the long Labor Day weekend) were the formal visits to the new classroom. For three mornings after breakfast, children went to their new classrooms to became familiar with that environment and the different parts of the day, with their new teachers. By the third day, they were usually ready to stay!

And on the Tuesday, following Labor Day in September, children and parents went directly to their new classrooms! Transition accomplished!

This change was now behind us! We could all move on.

My job as director was to get ready for the next change, for there would always be another.

            “The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”

                                                                                                                Kakuzo Okakurah

I couldn’t have said it better!

If you have other questions about transitions or making changes in general, just send me an email through the contact page. This blog and this book are meant to be shared with others, especially those who have chosen the leadership path. So, please pass on the links! Much appreciated!

Early Childhood Leadership blog—www.marciahebert.com

Here’s the link to the book: Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Child Care, Early Childhood, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—Taking Time to Reflect

Posted on January 14, 2022 by Marcia Hebert
Design for Early Childhood Education

Last year, my early childhood leadership book launched—it is available online, in bookstores, and as an e-book. 

Its purpose was to pull together what I learned during my 40+ year career—as teacher, education director, and consultant to other directors of education programs—and to 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, from creating your vision (what do you want your program to be), to:

  • 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 and misfires, and learning how to diffuse and then repair difficult situations
  • using strategic planning when there is an organizational problem and, finally,
  • adding new and innovative programs that fit with your philosophy to raise the bar and to challenge your team when they are ready. 

And, in all of this, to succeed in your role 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, what exactly, then, is Beyond the Book …

When I began gathering my notes for the manuscript 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, in this blog, more of the details that didn’t get into the book.

In 2022, I’m going to continue to do just that. Every other month I’ll add a little bit more—beyond the book. 

These posts will build on what I have already written and hopefully assist, encourage, motivate, and inspire you to keep growing professionally!

For this January post (which is ordinarily the month for putting into practice something new and helpful), here are some questions to reflect upon that will get you thinking about your own performance with the adults in your program. 

I’m a big believer in writing down my thoughts, and in reading them again and again—so, if you’re a journaler as well, this will get you going. If you have not yet begun the practice of journaling, perhaps this is the year to start:

  • Am I creating a collaborative relationship of warmth, respect, and trust with the adults in my classroom?
  • Do I plan for my day-to-day exchanges with my colleagues and parents? Or, is my communication with them haphazard? Does my communication (both listening and speaking) produce intended results, or repeated misunderstandings? What strategies could I work on as I build relationships?
  • Would I find it helpful to write what happened during the more difficult conversations—what was spoken, what was perhaps not spoken, and how I felt? Could I learn something—for the next time?
  • How well do I handle concerns and/or complaints? What could I do differently (better)?
  • Am I an active listener?
  • Am I a reflective teacher/director? If not, what is preventing me from being one?
  • Do I honor professionalism? Strive for excellence? Practice forgiveness? Bring out strengths?
  • Do I go the extra mile?
  • Do I bring my best to work?
  • Do I let others know how well they are doing?
  • Do I bring out the best in others?
  • Do I tend to look for the best—in people? in situations?

Now, find a quiet place for the next 20 minutes—breathe deeply and write!!

If you would like me to address a specific topic from 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 …

Here’s the link to the book: Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—Setting the Stage for the Children

Posted on November 21, 2021 by Marcia Hebert
Design for Early Childhood Education

When we design our early childhood classrooms, we essentially become the director of a Broadway production. We have an empty stage—filled with possibility. We build the set (walls, flooring, doors, windows). We paint the backdrop scenery. We add the furniture and structures and place each—just so. We add the props (all of the smaller objects that will be used). And when all of this has been done, the actors arrive and perform their play within this space—designed specifically for them.

As teachers, we set the stage every day for our children to act upon it. Our stage, our classroom environment, will determine the outcome of our children’s play. So, we put a lot of thought into our design in order to create successful outcomes for the children. In my book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, I wrote in great detail about the key elements in an early childhood environment. The impact of color, of lighting; the impact of softness, of texture, of natural materials; the impact of display, of placement, of presentation; the impact of order, of organization, of clutter vs. calm; must all be attended to as we “set the stage” for optimal play and discovering, imagining, exploring, problem solving, strategizing, creating—down to the smallest detail.

The materials we select should be attractive, inviting, relevant to the children’s experiences and cultures, and challenging, but not frustrating—that is, developmentally appropriate.

In general, at the beginning of the year, less is better. Too many new materials at once can overwhelm the children. We start by allowing time for them to learn how to use and care for the materials. Take the time to do this in September and keep reinforcing. Your efforts will pay off later. To minimize sharing problems, put out duplicates of basic materials rather than a large assortment of individual, different items.

  • Store materials that go together in the same place (pegs with pegboards, collage materials with paper and glue, cars with blocks). 
  • Use containers for small pieces.
  • Use pegs for hanging clothes or other things that need hanging.
  • Display materials so that children can see them easily.
  • Place materials and toys on low shelves at the children’s eye level.
  • Put books on shelves with covers facing out.

Everything in the classroom should have a designate space. All children benefit from this kind of order. When children know where things are and how and why they are grouped, they can work independently and constructively. And, they can participate meaningfully in cleanup and in caring for the classroom.

  • To show children that everything has a place, label storage places. In the 2’s classroom, use only pictures for labeling. In the preschool classroom, use pictures and words—use upper and lower case, as in “Blocks”.
  • Display the children’s work prominently—at their eye level, beautifully, and framed. 
  • Keep displays simple. When the walls and all available spaces are filled with posters and artwork, children (and visitors) are overwhelmed and find it difficult to focus on any one thing. 
  • Change displays regularly.
  • Where to display? On walls, bulletin boards, columns, tops and backs of shelves, a clothesline with pins, a fishnet, easels, room dividers—so the children can see and touch the display.

An orderly classroom requires storage space. Think in terms of three different types of storage: open storage for materials accessible to the children; secure storage for materials you want to control; and personal storage for children and adults. Use neutral colored storage containers that simply blend into the woodwork. 

And you will know that your environment is working well if the children:

  • make choices and select activities on their own,
  • use materials appropriately and creatively,
  • stay involved with an activity for a sustained period of time,
  • experience success when they play, and
  • help take care of the materials.

And for details and ideas about creating magic within your environments for infants, toddlers, twos, and preschoolers, take a look at my book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—The Teacher-Parent Partnership

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Marcia Hebert

The Teacher-Parent Partnership

In my book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, one chapter is devoted to building a community throughout our early childhood program. The children, their parents, and our teachers are that community. And they have been likened to a three-legged stool. If all three legs are balanced—if the children, parents, and teachers trust and respect one another, work effectively together, and create, together, rich experiences and a best-practice early childhood program—then, that three-legged stool stands solidly. If anything gets in the way of building this community, however, the stool topples.

If anything is to go awry, it is usually the relationship between parents and teachers. So, how do we cultivate a climate in our programs, from the beginning, where parents feel welcome and relevant in our child care centers.

It begins with written beliefs about parents. From our programs’ core beliefs:

We believe that parents should: 

  • feel welcome arriving, visiting, and observing;
  • have confidence and trust in our program;
  • be informed about the program and their child’s daily experiences;
  • know that our program provides a safe and secure environment for their child;
  • know that their child receives personal, individualized care;
  • know that their child fits in and is liked by staff and children;
  • know that their child is cared for in an environment absent of bias;
  • be respected;
  • have a sense of control over their child’s future;
  • feel free to ask questions of staff;
  • have their values and beliefs sought out and respected;
  • know that the program is sensitive to their concerns;
  • have an opportunity to contribute;
  • know that matters involving the welfare of their child are treated confidentially;
  • feel good about themselves as parents;
  • take pride in their children;
  • have a sense of themselves as educators; and
  • have their expert knowledge of their own child respected.

For parents, it is our child care center’s responsibility to:

  • provide daily information to parents;
  • encourage parents’ questions and opinions;
  • seek out parental desires and concerns;
  • promote a full partnership between parents and staff;
  • invite parent input into the programs; and
  • keep matters relating to child and family confidential.

The relationship begins and ends with this set of core beliefs. This is how we will work with parents, and this is how parents expect us to be. They have come to us having read our mission statement about young children. They have come to us having read our vision, and this set of core beliefs. This is what they expect to see, hear, and feel. Our job is to put these words on paper into action – and position that three-legged stool firmly in place.

For more on this topic, take a closer look at Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available on Amazon.com.

Posted in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment

Beyond the Book—The Partnership

Posted on August 29, 2021 by Marcia Hebert
Early Childhood Care

The partnership between the parent and 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.

In Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, available at Amazon.com, I offer very specific ways to work effectively and successfully with parents. What l learned during my long career in early childhood career as teacher, director, teacher of teachers, and consultant, I pass on to you. 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!

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Beyond the Book—Receiving Feedback

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Marcia Hebert

To continue the conversation from the previous post about giving feedback, I want to talk a bit about receiving feedback—from the parents in our programs. 

Parent education and parent involvement are important components in our early childhood centers. But underlying the success of both is the crucial process of building trust.

One way to build this trust is for parents to receive the information they need to be involved partners, that is, information about your school’s philosophy, your policies, and what to do if and when; the routines, schedules, and limits in the classroom; newsletters from the classroom, communications from the director—all of this in print. During parent meetings and parent-teacher conferences, the give-and-take of conversation about the children begins and continues to build the home-school relationship. 

And then, at the end of each school year, we ask our parents to complete a parent evaluation based on their family’s experience at our childcare center. These evaluations are anonymous—we only know whether the child is in our infant, toddler, or preschool/kindergarten wing.

In our evaluation, we write statements about the Early Childhood Program for the Children, The Overall Atmosphere of the Organization, Communication, Policies and Services, and the Children’s Environments. Parents can check Agree, Disagree, or Do Not Know. Here’s an example from Communication:

  • The communication systems keep me well informed each day.
  • I know who to go to with my concerns.
  • I feel confident that my concerns will be addressed respectfully and promptly.
  • Daily conversations and parent/teacher exchanges sufficiently inform me of my child’s progress.
  • I read the messages, articles, and information sent home and posted for parents.
  • Parent meetings, brown bag lunches, and emails keep me informed and help me feel more comfortable in the program.
  • I am comfortable recommending the center to co-workers.

And then, we add a few open-ended questions:

  • The program could better meet my needs if …
  • A recent incident that made me feel good about the program was …
  • A recent incident that made me unhappy about the program was …
  • I wish (the director, assistant director, nurse, teachers) would …
  • Suggestions I have to improve the center or its services …
  • Please write other comments, concerns, questions here …

And did we receive feedback!! Both good and bad. Thankfully, the positive tipped the scales and far outweighed the negative feedback. But still, it was sometimes difficult to read about the center through another’s perception and experience. I read every comment and took every comment to heart. The second read-through was always easier because now I was reading to understand (the initial gut-reaction had passed). I shared all positive comments with my staff. And where it made sense, though negative and difficult to hear, I passed on those comments that were made by several parents. Upon reflection, I agreed with the parents. And these real concerns became goals that we would set, work on, and accomplish. We communicated that to our parents.

Parents added an important voice to our children’s center. I found the annual parent evaluation of our program to be the feedback we needed to hear. And it was important to not only hear from parents, but to act and respond to the concerns unearthed. We made changes and improvements where we could. But we also shared with parents some of our constraints (as in regulations and health policy) when we could not act upon their requests. Knowing what they were thinking was valuable, and including them in our total feedback cycle was a plus for our program.

I’m happy to share more information about our parent evaluations. Just email me if you have other questions.

In my new book, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center, Chapter 5, Adding the Parents is filled with strategies, information, and real-life examples to help us work effectively with parents. I have included a lot of detail, so you can use these strategies “tomorrow.”

It’s so important to keep our three-legged stool on an even keel. Working with teachers, children, and their parents is a juggling act at times, but when people can react to what they are experiencing, and it is heard, positive things can result because of receiving the feedback—and, it is a win-win for everyone in the organization. The end result—trust.

One of the successes of our program was how well we delivered on our promises to the parents.

Check out, Beginning to End: The Life Cycle of a Child Care Center—A Director’s Story, at Amazon.com.These are my real-life examples, time-tested tips and techniques, and all of them worked successfully in my four child care centers. I am pleased to share what I have learned! Take what resonates with you and then, one day, pass on what you learn to the next generation of early childhood colleagues. My best to you!

Posted in Early Childhood, Early Childhood Curriculum, Early Childhood Leadership, Early Childhood Teachers, For Early Childhood Directors, Managing Early Childhood Programs, Performance Management Skills, Quality Early Education and Care, Training for Early Childhood Directors, Training for Early Childhood Professionals | Leave a comment