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Stop
re-inventing the wheel!
Do
something once, make notes for next time and file them in Tickler
Files! Ticklers are sanity savers!
Think
about the last big thing you had to do, such as the first day of the
new school year. Was it at all hectic? Were there some things you could
have done prior to the actual day that would have made the day go more
smoothly? Were there some things you wish you had purchased or
delegated? What do you wish you had done differently? Ticklers are the
answer!
You need Tickler Files for:
· Each
month (Be sure to file a copy of this year's monthly parent and staff
newsletters in each month's file. You'll find that they are great
springboards to writing next year's newsletters for the same month.
·
Each special event such as Graduation Program, Halloween
Carnival, Christmas Program, Spring Break for Schoolers, and Easter.
For
example: Muffins with Mom for Mother's Day - clean the microwave the
day before, buy squeeze butter, pretty paper napkins, orange juice,
classical music CD, CD player, make sure edges and underside of table
are not sticky, and that the trash can is not gross. 75 moms came last
year with most coming between 7:45 and 8:15. There was a lot of waste
so try mini-muffins next year.
· Parent News Board
- Stick stuff in here as you come across it and you'll have new things
ready to post when it is time to change the board.
·
Monthly Parent Newsletter - As you think of things throughout the
month you need to remind parents about (names in jackets, breakfast
stops at 9:00 a.m.) etc., write a reminder and stick it in the Tickler.
Then when you sit down to write the Parent News for the upcoming month,
it will practically write itself. No "writer's block!" (You can also
make notes for next year on things you forgot to include.)
· Monthly Staff Newsletter (See Parent News)
·
Staff Training - What are you noticing about your staff this
month (good and bad) that you want to address at the next training or
staff meeting? Does your staff need an update on the Minimum Standards?
Following schedules? Did you hear about a good training seminar you
want some of your teachers to attend? Put the info in this Tickler and
when it is time to plan for your next training seminar or Staff
Meeting, you'll have a great start!
Did you see a cute idea for
a summer craft while reading a magazine in the doctor's office in
February? Make a note and file it in your June Tickler
Always
check the Tickler for the upcoming month on the third Wednesday of the
current month and you will never forget anything again.
Here's
an extra hint about Ticklers: Write a reminder to yourself to order
Mother's Day and Father's Day crafts and file those reminders two
months ahead of time. These holidays occur so early in the month that
they can sneak up on you. This will save your sanity AND the extra
postage you usually spend on expedited delivery!
 Eliminate
the problem, save the staff!
Many
times we avoid addressing staff problems until they become too big to
ignore. However, if you do not say anything, most people will lie to
themselves and think, "It must not be a problem that I leave my class
out of ratio for a few minutes to go microwave my lunch every day,
because no one ever says anything." Meanwhile you're thinking, "She
knows this is against policy and she must know how unfair this is to
her co-workers. When is she going to get her act together?"
Immediately
addressing problems prevents bad habits and performance issues from
taking root. Confrontation does not have to be angry or negative. Sit
on the same side of the desk and say, "We need to talk about ____ ,"
tardiness, attendance, gossip, dress code, leaving class out of ratio,
or specific teaching problems in the classroom such as transitions,
circle time, handwriting, incorrect worksheets, parent interaction, not
enough singing, take home papers, whatever.
Remember that your
goal is to maintain or enhance her self-esteem while eliminating the
problem behavior. Compliment her on something she does well. Describe
the problem in a friendly, factual manner. Discuss causes and the
effect the poor work habit is having on the team. Ask for the
employee's suggestions for solving the problem. Listen. Offer your own
suggestion if necessary. Identify and write down the solution the
employee agrees with along with any specific actions required by each
of you. Agree on a specific follow-up date. Both of you sign the paper.
Ask the employee if she would like a copy.
I knew a wonderful,
mature teacher, Ms. Gina, who was 10 minutes late for work every day.
She was so fabulous with the babies and their parents, and she was
never absent so her supervisor was reluctant to address her only poor
work habit - the tardiness. After four months, she finally spoke
to Ms. Gina about her tardiness and discovered that it was Gina's
passive-aggressive answer to a new vacation policy that the owners had
put in place four months prior! Addressing her tardiness allowed her to
vent about the new policy. She felt "heard" and the tardiness stopped.
She was "acting out" in order to get attention and have a conversation!
There
are some wonderful books available to give you the words you need to
make this easier: Perfect Phrases
for Managers & Supervisors by M. Runion and How To Say It Performance Reviews by
M. Runion and J. Brittain. Perfect
Phrases for Dealing With Difficult People by S. Benjamin is
great also.
Outstanding
ideas for the white board!
Your
white board can be a wonderful teambuilding tool! Just google
"funny questions for friends" (buzzle.com has some good ones.) or save
one of those question formatted emails that make the rounds ever so
often and write a different question on your whiteboard each week. With
these conversation starters your staff will discover things they have
in common and will smile as they learn surprising information about
each other.
Here
are a couple of fun ones to get you started: If you were going to be
stuck on a deserted island, which 1 book, movie, and food would you
take along? Or, what did you usually get in trouble for when you were a
kid? Change the question weekly and watch the smiles and camaraderie
increase in your workplace!
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See you
next month with more new and exciting ideas and information!
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 ebruary
and early March are usually cold, gray, wet and dreary and your staff
and the children can get the blahs. A great way to generate enthusiasm?
That good old standby, Prop Boxes! Make 5 prop boxes in plastic totes
to rotate from class to class.The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood,
Veterinarian, Cab Driver, and Restaurant. Tape a complete list of the
items each contains inside the lid so they can self-check before
passing them on to the next class.
If
you have a large indoor play area, surprise everyone by erecting an
Obstacle Course and make a schedule so each class gets a turn.
Use
these ideas to beat the blahs and it will be springtime before you know it!
After
constantly reminding my boys (3 and 5 years old) that they needed to
use good manners not only with grown ups but also when dealing with one
another, I was very proud to hear Joshua say from the back seat one
day, "Zach, may I have a piece of gum, please?" Until the younger one
responded, "No, but thank you for asking so nicely."
Parent Newsletter Ideas:
Re-think Valentine's Day. Usually the
parents
address the valentines because the children are too young to write, and
the teachers distribute them because the children are too young to
read! Not much fun for the kiddos. Remind parents to let the children
write their own names on their valentines. Even very young
children can "scribble write" their names and then mom or dad can print
it after that. Scribble writing is an important pre-reading and
pre-writing skill! If they do not address the valentines TO any
particular children, the children can distribute the valentines
themselves too. This way even 18 month olds can enjoy Valentine's Day!
"A life
of reaction is a life of slavery, intellectually and spiritually.
One
must live a life of action, not reaction."
--Rita Mae
Brown
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 ext month:
- Motivating your staff!
- Motivating yourself!
- The glory of checklists!
- ...AND
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