Want to get young children to nap easier? Let your older fours who don’t nap rub the backs of the little ones (2’s). The older children become the role models who the young children look up to.
For fire drills and lining up, pair them with partners for more safety. This also creates leaders and helpers.
submitted by Cynthia Castain, My Space to Grow
We use the children’s name tags to mark their place at the circle and place for snack.
submitted by Lynne Connors, Joyful Beginnings in Lafayette, CA
1. This too shall pass.
2. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.
3. Be a positive leader – It’s okay to admit you’re not perfect and you too can grow and learn… Your staff, children and parents will grow with you.
submitted by Mindy Karo, Intercommunal Preschool
A fun ice breaker for staff meetings is to ask teachers to name any child they’ve worked with past or present that the will never forget and why. It usually inspires others to hear the impact that the child/student/teacher have had on each other.
submitted by Minie Lopez, Happy Hall School
Remember to use your parents as the valuable resource they are. You probably have artists, distributors, foreign language speakers or chefs amongst your parents already. Use them. It’s cheap/free help for your school and it connects them more to your facility (which can result in future referrals).
submitted by Marc Lariz, Play ‘N’ Learn Preschool
This past Saturday we had our first of two PACE Leadership & Teacher Training Day in Oakland, CA.
Thank you to all who participated and made it such a successful event!
At our Leadership session we collected Tips from you the real experts! This week I will post some of the great tips that were submitted that day. It’s great to have a tip come from our members and event attendees who are living this every day!
How do the best managers keep employees productive and happy? There’s no deep, hidden secret. Your best strategy is to treat employees the way you want to be treated. These guidelines should help bolster morale and retention:
◊ Trust your workers. Be open and honest with them, and be prepared to take risks based on their suggestions.
◊ Treat them as individuals. Get to know your employees, and listen to their concerns as well as their ideas.
◊ Take the rules seriously. Handle individual concerns and disciplinary issues promptly. The entire team will respect you for this.
◊ Set objectives with clear outcomes. Keep careful records so everyone knows where he or she stands.
◊ Be fair, but not a pushover. Don’t try to win employees’ favor by saying “Yes” to all their requests, but don’t make “No” your default answer either. Provide reasonable explanations when you do have to turn them down.
◊ Communicate effectively. Hold regular team meetings to address important issues. Ask employees for their ideas on improving your workplace. Listen to their opinions and concerns.
◊ Provide plenty of training opportunities. Professional development helps keep employees motivated and on the cutting edge.
◊ Give credit where it’s due. Celebrate workers’ successes whenever you can – individual achievements and team victories alike.
◊ Delegate responsibility. Smart delegation frees you up to deal with the highest-level issues and helps employees stay engaged in their work.
From Managebetter.biz – Insider eNewsletter 3/11/2011
Excerpted from Jeffrey S Bormaster, Supervision for Success 2012
Good management culture exists when:
◊ employees are valued, respected and supported
◊ health issues are treated seriously by the organization
Demands on staff are at the right level when:
◊ staff are able to cope with the volume and complexity of the work
◊ work is scheduled sensibly so that there is enough time to carry out the allocated tasks and individuals are not expected to work excessively long hours
Staff feel in control when:
◊ they are given a say in how they do their work
◊ the amount of control they have is balanced with thedemands placed upon them.
Good relatiohships exist when:
◊ there is good communication between supervisors and employees
◊ employees are not bullied or harassed
◊ supervisors regularly provide fair and specific feedback on the work done
◊ supervisors ensure that rewards (salary, promotions and allocation of tasks) are perceived as fair and in proportion with competence and effort
Good change management exists when supervisors:
◊ communicate to employees the reason why change is essential
◊ involve employees and recognize their views
◊ clearly understand the objective of the change
◊ ensure a supportive climate for employees
Employees understand their roles when:
◊ they know how this fits in with the organizations wider aims and objectives
◊ jobs are clearly defined to avoid confusion
Good training and support practice exists when:
◊ employees receive suitable and sufficient training to do their jobs
◊ employees receive support from their supervisors, even when things go wrong
◊ the organization encourages people to share their concerns about health and safety and work-related stress
◊ the individual is fair to the employer – they discuss their concerns and work towards agreed solutions
Excerpted from Jeffrey S Bormaster, Supervision for Success 2012
From “Leaders Guide to Managing Workplace Stress” www.profilesinternational.com 2010
Stress is the root cause of anxiety and depressions – affecting over 36 million people in America’s worforce (American Psychological Association).
◊ 62% of Americans say work has a significant impact on stress levels
◊ 52% of workers are more stressed because of work than home
◊ 61% of workers list heavy workloads as a significant impact on stress levels
◊ 54% of workers are concerned about health problems caused by stress
Typical examples of work-related stressors are:
1. Lack of control
2. Time/deadline pressure
3. Poor relationships at work
4. Excessive travel
5. Lack of consultation
6. Work overload
7. Understaffing
8. Organizational change
9. Threat of redundancy
The Wall Street Journal reported that 33% of people surveyed considered quitting their jobs because of stress and 14% actually did.
Excerpted from Jeffrey S Bormaster, Supervision for Success 2012
From Leading for Results, January 2012
Management experts caution leaders to avoid micro-managing at all costs. But some managers can’t see the difference between keeping a close eye on operations and actively interfering with an employee’s work. To be fair, the line can sometimes be razor thin. Here’s how to balance your legitimate need to monitor work with a staffer’s freedom to get the job done.
◊ Focus on the end result. Your job is to give assignments, set goals, and step in when a project goes off track or an employee needs help. Don’t obsess over the details as long as standards are being met. Let the employee do the actual work.
◊ Don’t impede the flow. Yes, you have a right to know where the project stands or how the employee is doing. But don’t insist on endless progress reports, nor nitpick at how employees do their jobs. Ask for a quick overview or watch employees for a few minutes, and then stay out of their way. Don’t step in unless the employee asks for assistance or you spot a major mistake waiting to explode.
◊ Measure the right data. Are you tracking how many widgets Joe assembles in an hour but not whether they’re up to quality standards? Don’t send the wrong message by emphasizing performance at a granular level, or your employees will concentrate on satisfying short-term goals without regard for the big picture.
◊ Don’t slow employees down. Micro-managers can reduce productivity when their employees don’t feel they can make a decision or take any action without prior permission. Show employees you trust them, while keeping an eye on their most important tasks so you can guide them appropriately.
- Adapted from the Manage My Employees website Great Expectations
Excerpted from Jeffrey S Bormaster, Supervision for Success 2012
