Year: 2014

Mentor Coaching: A Key Ingredient of Ongoing Professional Development for Teachers

I bet you’ve just conducted – or are getting ready to conduct – many hours of training for your teaching staff.  I’m sure that the training covers a multitude of topics – curriculum, lesson planning, and ongoing assessment, just to name a few. You probably also have in-service dates scheduled for additional teacher training throughout the year. It’s important to have a plan in place to support teachers in between large and small group trainings – to provide individualized guidance to teachers as they implement what they learned in the trainings.

Mentor coaching is a critical part of a comprehensive professional development plan. It provides teachers with hands-on support that is custom designed to meet each teacher’s needs. It builds each teacher’s capacity and fosters continuous improvement. And, finally, it raises CLASS scores.

A high quality mentor coaching program includes:

  • Assessment of needs. Review the CLASS scores and other observational data and determine the teacher’s strengths and areas for improvement.
  • Setting goals. Ask the teacher what they’d like to work on. Starting with what the teacher wants to improve on will increase buy-in.
  • Ongoing observations. Either in person, or long-distance, provide ongoing observations of a variety of skills.  If this is being done long-distance, the teacher can send videos to the mentor.
  • Reflecting and sharing feedback. Through guided questions and activities, the mentor provides an opportunity for reflection as well as specific feedback.

Looking for long-distance Mentor Coaching? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Essential Tips: Supporting the Work of Our Home Visitors

Tip #1:  Be safe and take care of yourself.

Ensure that your program has procedures in place for the safety of Home Visitors – such as providing safety training to staff members and establishing clear rules about safety practices.  With as much time as Home Visitors spend taking care of the families they serve, they may forget to take care of themselves.  Home Visitor training should address boundary issues and personal time.

Tip #2:  Provide training specifically geared to Home Visitors.

Home Visitors are responsible for bringing the Head Start or Early Head Start program into the family’s home.  Like other staff, their training plan should include topics such as screening and assessments, lesson planning, and building relationships with parents.  In addition, their plan for professional development should also include training that is specifically designed for their needs. Suggestions for topics could include: home as a child development environment, parent education techniques, and observing parent/child interactions.

Tip #3:  Establish a system to observe your Home Visitors and support their professional development.

Observing Home Visitor practice is an essential part of the home-based program, especially as it pertains to supporting parents in their role as their child’s primary teacher.  The observations can be used as a tool to assess Home Visitors’ work with families as well as to track Home Visitors’ development over time.  In addition, the observations can be utilized as a training tool to build on the Home Visitors’ strengths and address areas that need improvement.

Interested in training for your Home Visitors? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Getting Back to Basics

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Head Start, I think about how Head Start began – and it’s evolution over the years.  It’s important that Head Start staff is familiar with the history of Head Start – as well as its mission, vision and guiding principles.  Understanding the purpose and intent of Head Start provides staff with valuable information – and perspective – as they go about their daily work.

As we all know, Head Start has a language of its own.  It’s critical that all staff is familiar with the basics of Head Start – the Performance Standards, the content areas, self-assessment, community assessment and ongoing monitoring, just to name a few.  It’s important to understand that everything we do is to ensure that children are school-ready and that families are fully engaged and become self-sufficient.  It’s also crucial to understand the importance of accountability – having systems in place and staying Review-ready. These are all functions that are important, not just because we’re required to be in full compliance, but because they are best practices for people working with children and families.

Staff often talk about how much work Head Start is.  It’s true – it is.  But it’s also very rewarding.  The joy that teachers experience when a child learns something because of their efforts… the joy that family services workers feel from linking families to needed services… the joy that we all feel from knowing that we’re making a difference in the lives of children and families – these are the rewards.

Looking for training on “Head Start 101: Getting Back to Basics”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

The Life of a New Head Start Director

Are you a new Head Start or Early Head Start Director?  Let me offer you my congratulations! This is a wonderful opportunity and, as I’m sure you’ve already found out, the beginning of an exciting journey.

As a Head Start Director, you are responsible for ensuring that the children and families receive high quality services, that your program is fully compliant with all regulations, and that you provide great leadership to your staff.  I know what you’re saying…….. I have a million things on my to-do list… so many things to address.  Where do I start?

We’ve found that there are 3 key areas for Head Start Directors to focus on:

  • Build relationships.  Having good working relationships is key.  Take time to build relationships with the staff – the staff at your office and the staff at the centers.  Get to know your Policy Council and Board members.  Reach out to your community – to other service providers.  And establish a good relationship with your Program Specialist.
  • Plan well and create systems.  Good planning is essential in Head Start.  Whether you’re designing training for your staff or preparing for a successful Federal Review, plan with your key stakeholders.  And be sure that the planning consists of setting up systems in your program – spelled out in your policies and procedures manual.
  • Provide strong leadership.  One of your most important roles is to provide great leadership to your staff.  Share your vision with the staff – and the critical role that the staff plays in your vision.  Make strategic planning a priority – set goals and monitor the progress frequently.  Communicate your expectations and provide staff with feedback and support.

Looking for “New Head Start Director Training: The Keys to Head Start”?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Essential Tips: Creating Impactful Training for Your Staff

Tip #1: Take time to recognize staff accomplishments and program successes

Even though training days are always busy, it’s important to take time to acknowledge successes and achievements in your program – and the role that staff played in it. Also recognize staff’s accomplishments – getting a degree, learning a new skill or reaching a goal. There’s always enough time to recognize the people who are serving our children and families.

Tip #2: Use a combination of training techniques to engage all types of learners.

Since everyone absorbs information differently, it’s critical to present information in a variety of training styles. We find that the most successful technique is a combination – presenting the new information followed by a practical experience. Begin by sharing the information via lecture and a powerpoint presentation. Follow it up with a high level of interaction – lively discussion and hands-on activities for participants to “experience” the new information and put it into practice.

Tip #3: Follow up pre-service training with regular training opportunities throughout the year.

People take in new information a little at a time. Instead of presenting a lot of new information at once, create multiple training opportunities for staff. Create a comprehensive, layered plan to provide training to staff throughout the year – once a month if you can. Lay a foundation of learning and then build on it – a little at a time.

Interested in impactful training for your staff? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

A Time for Reflective Supervision

Reflective supervision and coaching is becoming more of a growing need in Head Start. The more we ask staff to be involved in the emotional needs of families, the more staff requires emotional support. Reflective supervision provides an opportunity to explore the many emotions and experiences that occur in a relationship – relationships between the supervisor and the staff person, between the staff person and the parent, and between the parent and the child. It is essential to understand how each of these relationships affects the other.

Reflective supervision and coaching provides an opportunity to:

  • understand the experiences that each of our families brings to us;
  • understand the beliefs and experiences that our staff brings to their interactions with children and families; and
  • incorporate the new knowledge from these understandings to increase the staff’s skills in working with children and families through a shared partnership with the supervisor.

Training on reflective supervision includes hands-on practice with emotionally-sensitive listening and responding skills. Supervisors are provided with role plays, real-life case scenarios and sensitive, constructive feedback through coaching. The training experience will serve as a model for creating a Head Start setting in which reflective supervision will be put into consistent practice.

Looking for training on reflective supervision and coaching? Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Case Management: An Opportunity to Achieve Positive Family Outcomes

The Family Service Worker is the first point of contact for our families. They play an essential role in your program, especially in the area of case management. Case management is a process that was not well-named as our families aren’t “cases” and our job is not to “manage” them.

We see case management as a process that includes:

  • establishing a good working relationship with the family;
  • implementing a goal-setting process with the family;
  • linking the family to services and resources;
  • following up with the family regularly and maintaining good documentation; and
  • “closing the loop” to ensure that the family receives all needed services.

“Closing the loop” is a follow-up system that confirms that each family is linked to all needed services.  The Family Service Worker systematically checks in with the family on a regular basis assisting the family in accessing services, following up to ensure they are satisfied with the services, and providing guidance and support until the child and family receives all needed services.

We utilize a family strengths-based model, utilizing each family’s individual strengths, to assist them in achieving their goals. Strong planning and organizational skills as well as keeping families engaged are keys to successful case management. An effective case management system leads to positive outcomes for children and families.

Looking for case management training for your Family Service Workers?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Teachers: Time to Reflect, Renew and Re-energize

We are often asked how to keep good teachers motivated . . . as well as how to just keep them.  In the face of the many changes in Head Start, teachers have more data to collect, more paperwork to complete and more things to focus on than ever.  It is challenging to find ways to keep good teachers motivated to practice their craft and also to find ways to retain good teachers.

We’ve found that successful teacher training in this area includes the following 3 points:

Reflect back on why teachers got into this field.

Take time to help teachers remember why they got into the teaching field.  Help them get back in touch with the joy that they experience from teaching children.  Reconnect your teachers with the feeling that they get when a child learns something because of their efforts, when children become ready for Kindergarten because of their skills, and when children learn to love school because of their talents.

Renew our understanding of the new requirements in Head Start.

It’s true – the expectations for Head Start teachers are different than they used to be.  Because of CLASS and Recompetition, the focus for teachers has changed and they feel pressure to get high CLASS scores.  Teachers have to collect more data and fill out more paperwork, because of the new school readiness requirements.  The reality, however, is that there are new requirements in Head Start and it’s important to accept them.

Re-energize teachers to accept the changes in Head Start and reclaim their passion for teaching.

Let teachers know that we acknowledge that they have different responsibilities than they did in the past.  Because the face of Head Start has changed, there are new expectations for teachers (and other staff).  While these changes are numerous and challenging, they are here to stay and it’s important that we accept and embrace them.  It’s critical to help teachers reclaim the passion they have for teaching – to remind them of why they became a teacher and why their daily efforts are so important in the lives of young children and families.

Looking for training for your Teachers on renewing their passion and joy for teaching?  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

The Role of the Center Director

Center Directors are instrumental in running a high quality Head Start and Early Head Start program.  The position of Center Director is like a mini-Program Director.  They are leaders of your centers – or as we like to call them, your “school readiness academies.”

We’ve found that effective and efficient Center Directors take the following approach to running their center:

Strong leadership and accountability is the foundation.

Center Directors are the leader of their center and are ultimately responsible for everything that occurs there. Roles and responsibilities of Center Directors include leading their staff, monitoring their center and data management, just to name a few.  Center Directors are charged with ensuring that school readiness and family engagement services are provided at their center.

Excellent customer service is provided to everyone.

The Center Director is the point person for many people inside and outside of the program.  Interacting with children, parents, staff and community partners is an everyday occurrence for Center Directors.  It’s essential that Center Directors understand what excellent customer service looks like and know the importance of providing it at all times.

Compliance monitoring is conducted regularly.

It’s critical that ongoing monitoring is a daily occurrence at the center, led by the Center Director.  Health and safety checks in the center and on the playground, classroom observations and folder checks are just a few of the items to be monitored at centers.  Being in compliance with all Head Start Program Performance Standards and other regulations is fundamental to a successful Head Start and Early Head Start program.

We provide training for Center Directors that is focused on developing strong leaders.  Give us a call at (704) 451-3255 or email us at kristinecortina@hsessentials.com.

Effective Communication Results in Better Outcomes

“It’s not what you said, it’s the way you said it.” How many times have you heard that? Poor communication is the cause of many challenges – challenges that can affect many areas of your program.  Child and family outcomes will not be as high as they could be if high-functioning relationships are not in place. Effective communication is critical for building relationships between teachers and families – and that includes both the children and their parents. Family service workers and home visitors must build strong relationships with parents. And communication is key to building successful working relationships between staff and co-workers.

So, how can you solve communication problems? We focus on 3 factors that help build effective communication skills and successful relationships.

Build a secure foundation.

When building a relationship, you have to make the person feel safe and secure. This is true whether we’re talking about a teacher working with a child – or a family service worker or home visitor working with a parent. When the child feels safe and secure, they are ready to learn. When a parent feels safe and secure, they are open to talking about and addressing issues as they work toward self-sufficiency.

Demonstrate professionalism.

Act like a professional” is overused and often misunderstood. Professionalism doesn’t mean working a corporate job or wearing a suit but rather, demonstrating a professional attitude. It means conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity and accountability. It means communicating appropriately and always finding a way to be productive. It involves boundaries, intentionality and ensuring that the customer is always heard.

Focus on outcomes.

When children feel safe and secure, they learn more and their assessment scores are higher. When family service workers and home visitors build a true partnership with parents, parents engage more. They feel safe and are more willing to address the challenges in their life. When staff have strong working relationships with each other, everyone is more productive. Accomplishments thrive.

We provide staff training on effective communication, building relationships, and professionalism. We can help increase the child and family outcomes within your program. Give us a call at (704) 451-3255.