Power in Partnerships

Wellington Village Schools Collaborative Classroom – Westwood Elementary
Miss Fox – Hired 2002, BA-ECE
Miss Melissa – Hired 2000, AA- ECE

 

We are fortunate to have collaborative partners in our Head Start program. Those partnerships include three school systems:  Lorain City Schools, Elyria City Schools and Wellington Village Schools. This week I went to Wellington. For that partnership, we are hosted in two classrooms in Westwood Elementary. I was in Miss Fox and Miss Melissa’s room, but only got to spend time with Miss Fox.

 

Miss Melissa was covering in the other classroom for an absent teacher to whom we all send well wishes. Miss Katie, a Wellington Village Schools’ teacher, was the second teacher while I was there. Miss Katie is also a disability interventionist who works with the children with special needs in both preschool classrooms.

This week I did the start of the day. For the first half hour, I helped with daily setup. I enjoy that first half hour because you watch the room gradually prepare to receive children. At Westwood Elementary, children are received at the curb by the teachers. So they all file in together. Miss Fox made me part of the morning welcome which I particularly enjoyed. I got to interact with each of the children.

I enjoy watching each teacher’s approach to making learning fun. Miss Fox used name cards with first and last names. All the children read each name by sounding out the first letter of the first name. When children would start with the last name, she used it as an opportunity to reinforce that we read from left to right. Then she made sure to include sounding out the starting letter of the last name so that the children knew if what they had mistakenly called out was correct. A child’s name being identified was followed by a moment of recognition and going to hang up book bags and coats. You could tell how the children have progressed in knowing the letters in their name by what Miss Fox emphasized. There was elegance to it.

The children clearly knew classroom rules. Breakfast was orderly. Three year olds opening milk containers are serious. But the concentration gives way to smiles as spouts give way to determined fingers. I left shortly after breakfast. At that point, the children were taking turns brushing teeth.

Turkey pictures with scissor-cut feathers were on the lesson plan. I know this because I traced the feathers. I would have liked to have been there for the picture making. My daughter is grown. I haven’t had a hand-crafted turkey picture on my refrigerator for years. There isn’t anything store bought that is more festive.

What I Learned from Miss Fox

The joy Miss Fox takes in teaching makes being in her classroom energizing. Her approach to teaching twinkles. I do not know how else to describe it. When you look at the bright stars in the night sky as they interact with our atmosphere, you get a visual treat. Miss Fox is like that as she interacts with children. It is just fun to watch.

Memorable Moment

I was asked at breakfast to share my favorite number. The three children at my table all had one. After much consideration, it was recommended to me that I make “8” my favorite number. It is easy to write and has symmetry. My favorite number is now the highly-recommended number eight.

Linking It Together

Two years ago I was at a community meeting with Wellington Superintendent John Nolan when the idea of collaborating became the topic of conversation. It took almost a year to work out the details, obtain the necessary approvals and meet licensing requirements. It involved a team of people and continues to take the dedication of all involved. With Thanksgiving coming soon, I thank LCCAA staff for all they are doing in Wellington and thank those from Wellington Village Schools for working so well with us.

I am in Columbus next Friday and we are closed for the Thanksgiving holiday the following week. So this is my opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I am back in the classroom the first week of December.

Something A Little Different

Cold and flu season caught up with me this week. So I opted to keep my congested self out of the classroom. That makes this week’s post a little different.

Years back in a job where I spent much of my days facilitating meetings, I got in the habit of doing regular "process checks" with groups. My standard questions were "are we moving too fast?", "too slow?", and "what are your concerns at this time?"

As part of my classroom visits, I have not been directly asking teachers and staff those questions. I have been observing and listening, though. So here are the answers to those questions from my perspective.

 

ARE WE MOVING TOO FAST?

 

For some employees, the changes being made in Head Start and in our program are unsettling. If I had a dollar for every "well, we used to..." that I hear, we could easily fund a college scholarship program for Lorain County Head Start children. (That is a dream of mine and a topic for another post.)

Many times the comparisons with the past are a means to highlight something that really worked well in its day. Yesterday’s success stories are worth remembering. But circumstances, funding availability, funder requirements and client need all change. Consequently, good things get changed, too.

The other reason I believe I hear those words is an underlying desire to return to a point where there were fewer uncertainties. It is that hindsight is 20/20 phenomena. I enjoy those celebratory moments when a plan has finally come together; however, those moments take time to achieve and we have to live in the every day. This leads us to the next question.

ARE WE MOVING TOO SLOW?

I think the short answer here is “no.” It takes time to adapt and become the change we envision. That will happen in time. There are no shortcuts.

For instance, developing relationships takes time. It would be nice to have deep ties overnight. There is a comfort in being with people you know so well that you can anticipate their actions and reactions. There is a joy in being able to take action you know will please others because you absolutely know what is important to them.

A desire to be on the knowing side of change does not mean we are moving too slow. It just means we need to have patience and remember to enjoy all the good that is happening today.

CONCERNS AT THIS TIME?

In the past, we were very focused on process and task compliance. This year there is a developing expectation that teachers are managing their classrooms toward desired outcomes. It is a big shift. We are not abandoning compliance issues but nor are we using compliance as our only standard. As we transition, the concerns around this are numerous and understandable. This is a long-term change that will become clearer as we make progress.

We did see fierce competition for enrollment this year because the State of Ohio expanding early childhood funding. This has been good for children and families. For us, it did bring a few more children with behavior issues into our classrooms than in years past. However, our program is adept at handling special needs. Head Start requires at least 10 percent of enrollment include children with disabilities and we have exceeded that requirement for almost a decade.

Handling special needs along with all the other back-to-school demands is understandably stressful for teachers, staff and parents. Everything comes at once. As usual, we are starting to see that following protocols and using experts makes the difference. The process helps teachers, family service workers, and parents figure out what each child needs and talk through the specifics of what will be done.

LINKING IT TOGETHER

Not having all the answers makes people anxious. Process checks in this environment help separate what needs to be done differently from what does not.

Shauna Matelski, our Head Start Director, gets excited about every child in the program. She speaks enthusiastically of how home-based children get one-on-one attention. She champions the work of our Early Head Start program that serves babies and toddlers. She is proud that Head Start provides an inclusive environment for children with special needs. She wants every three year old to love their time in school. For every four year old, she wants their pending transition to Kindergarten to be a celebration of school readiness. Shauna's enthusiasm inspires me.

That enthusiasm serves as a backdrop for me as I observe and listen to how staffs are supporting each other in this time of change. We tend to believe change is happening too fast, yet we just want it to be over as fast as possible.

Getting back to those “well, we used to…” comments. The comments would not be made if there was not a deep level of care. We might not be able to replicate what was, but we can pull from past success to build future ones. Being in the classroom is showing me that new success stories are already in the making.

Two Sticker Day

Classroom 102
Hamilton Learning Center
Miss Betty, AA-ECE; hired 1997    
Mr. Adam, BA-ECE; hired 2014 (pictured below)

 

These days I tend to do my puzzling on my iPad. I found out today that my electronic endeavors do not hold a candle to doing a jigsaw puzzle with three year olds. Every correct piece is a joyous celebration complete with group cheering. That includes the pieces that only fit because the puzzle was made of foam and children are not above whacking two pieces together with their fists. To a three year old, that still counts. We would all stop and take three seconds to admire the achievement. The same child cheered when the correct fit was found, too. In fact, we cheered a little louder because we knew the piece had a proper home.

That is a theme in Room 102. They cheer. They sing and celebrate. They even dance. Oh, and the children (and CEOs) earn stickers. Through it all there is embedded learning. If you are not watching for it, you might miss it. For instance, the big rug in the room has alphabet letters around the border. There are loose carpet squares with letters. The children get to pick their sitting squares. When they match their choice with the correct spot on the rug they get a sticker. These are three year olds; yet, they are truly mastering letter recognition. Mr. Adam also asked them to name something that started with their letter or he did so himself. It all happens so seamlessly, the children just drink it in. Oh, and celebrate with a smile when they earn a sticker.

I got my first sticker for helping with clean up. My second one was for cleaning up, too. Technically, I could have had a three sticker day. I sat at the letter K spot on the rug and properly matched my carpet square. Miss Betty did have to show me how it all worked. Next time when I do it all by myself, I am a shoe-in for the extra sticker.

What I learned from Miss Betty

Miss Betty transitioned between leading and supporting without pause. I admire that. A challenge to team teaching is that you have to work with someone else as equals. As the situation demands, you have to either take control or defer to the other teacher based on what is best from moment to moment. It looks easy when done well by teachers like Miss Betty. It is what I want for very classroom, but the truth is each teaching team has to want it enough for themselves for it to become their daily routine.

What I learned from Mr. Adam

I do not know if Mr. Adam has trained himself well or if he simply is not predisposed to speaking sharply to children. I do know that he is unfailing poised and positive with the children. The child that yanks a toy away from another child is encouraged to remember classroom rules about grabbing and is given an opportunity to show that other child respect. The child that fails to use walking feet is asked to remember the rule for next time. Mr. Adam tells them over and over what is appreciated. Through his skill, the room is filled with praise, especially in the areas where a child struggles but is making effort.

Memorable Moment

Here’s the scene: Elmer’s glue in squeeze bottles, construction paper for ripping into small pieces and seven young preschoolers. We were making candy corn pictures. It was a hoot. Mr. Adam showed the children how to squeeze lightly to get dots of glue. In more than one case, dots quickly gave way to blobs. Fazed not in the slightest, the teachers encouraged more construction paper pieces to cover the oozing areas. There were a couple of pictures where blobs became puddles. Those pictures may still be drying next week.

Linking It Together

I truly enjoyed my morning in Room 102. Not only was I welcomed, I was welcomed to come back. It is a room that is a pleasure to be in. You would think that would translate into excellent student attendance; yet, even in this room we have attendance challenges.

I mentioned seven preschoolers. Morning enrollment for that classroom is actually twelve. Both teachers expressed their concerns about how children’s absences stymie learning. One child that returned after being out ill for just over a week had regressed and was clearly reorienting to being back in class. Both teachers were thrilled to have him return and were back-tracking with him as necessary to regain lost ground.

A few children were out pending required physicals. State of Ohio child care licensing dictates that within 30 days of admission every child have documentation on file of a physical exam within the previous 12 months and that an updated exam be filed every 13 thereafter until the child is attending Kindergarten. This is a health and safety requirement with an emphasis on preventing the spread of communicable diseases. For various reasons not all parents make the deadline. Most of the children will be back within a couple of weeks. In the meantime, teachers wait to welcome each child back.

For me, being in Room 102 made for an excellent Halloween treat. We did celebrate with a special video on the Smart Board and every child (and one CEO) left with a small sack of candy. Many of the children were up past bedtime having trick or treated the night before. So the children were happily tired. Top that off with dancing, learning and singing and I suspect there were some seriously good afternoon naps.

Future Focused

I divided my time this week between centers. On Tuesday, I was one of about 14 Rotarians reading in the classrooms of our Hamilton Center. I was in Room 101 with Miss Horton and Miss Logan.

Jackie reading to children at the Hamilton Head Start Center 

The Elyria Rotary Club also provided books to every child at Hamilton. Special thanks to the Rotary Literacy Committee, Cheryl Steris and Kathy Runser. We look forward to your next visit in January.

Classroom 11

Hopkins-Locke
Miss Terri, AA-ECE; hired 1994

Miss Zenaida, BA-ECE; hired 2014

Miss Nilsa, Family Service Worker; hired 2013

 

My other classroom visit was to Room 11 at Hopkins-Locke. Room 11 is our English as a Second Language room. Both teachers speak English and Spanish. The teachers organized a social with parents celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. According to hispanicheritagemonth.org, the special recognition dates back to 1968 and begins each year on September 15 which is the independence day of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Within the 30 day celebration, Mexico, Chile and Belize also celebrate their independence days.

One of the many things that I admire about Head Start is how it seeks to embrace all children and families. As a Head Start grantee, we are encouraged and supported in providing community responsive services. Our Spanish-speaking classroom is an excellent example of how we do this. Our outcomes show that the children progress better and are better prepared for an all English-speaking Kindergarten classroom through this approach. Families that could struggle based on language barriers instead have teachers very sensitive to their issues and concerns.

Room 11 has both morning and afternoon children. I attended the morning session. Every child had a family member or special person with them. Lunch was a Hispanic potluck. There were rice and beans, tamales, chicken in fried tortillas, and a secret-recipe dipping sauce. (The amazing sauce needs a talking dog like the baked bean company either to get the dog to spill or sell the sauce to the masses.) There were also craft stations and the children and their siblings were actively engaged in play. The amount of work both teachers put into making the day special was clear to see. It was a celebration in every sense of the word.

Both teachers and the classroom’s Family Service Worker were very busy interacting with parents. Miss Terri is a gracious hostess. She was thrilled to have parents and families in the room. She spent her time making sure everyone, myself included, felt welcome and special. Miss Zenaida shared with me that the classroom does at least one parent involvement activity per month.

Memorable Moment

I was talking with a parent and she smiled and nodded, smiled and nodded. You already figured out what I should have figured out before I started the conversation. She speaks very little English. With her English like my Spanish, we both smiled and nodded quite a bit. Thankfully, not everything has to be put in words.

What I Learned from Miss Terri

While talking to Terri she pointed around the room and talked about she wants the parents with younger children to choose Head Start for those children, too. She is already in recruiting mode for 2015, 2016 and beyond. She is recruiting the best way possible, she is engaging parents and working hard to give families all that Head Start provides in the here and now.

What I Learned from Miss Zenaida

With all that was going on in the classroom, I did not get enough moments with Miss Zenaida. In speaking with her, I will say that I look forward to speaking with her some more and getting to know her better. I know I am glad she chose LCCAA as where she wants to work.

Linking It Together

Actions really can speak louder than words. I hear employees talking about how committed they are to their jobs. Based on what I am seeing, I believe what I am hearing. When I walk into a room full of parents and children and see two teachers who were instrumental in making that happen, I cannot miss the message that they truly care. That they share my thoughts about how what we do today has everything to do with what our services are like in the future is incredibly rewarding. In organizations that are together and getting it done, leadership comes from everywhere and everyone.

When you combine all the good that is Head Start with employees committed to its success, you get what I am grateful to call today’s LCCAA’s Head Start program. My schedule does not permit me to be in the classroom next Friday. Stay tuned, though. I go back into the classroom on Halloween. I imagine my memorable moment is going to be quite fun.

Thinking of Those Inside the Box

Hopkins-Locke, Classroom 12
Miss Margie, AA-ECE; hired 1994 (pictured below)
Miss Dawn, BA-ECE; hired 2014

I had a special morning stop at the Hamilton Center to wish Nancy Harper a happy retirement. After 45 years in Head Start, Nancy returned to see another group of children come into the program. That she came back and used her knowledge and experience one more time, even this briefly, is greatly appreciated. She will be missed.

I got to Room 12 in time for the last hour of the morning session. In the first five minutes I was greeted by a self-appointed welcome wagon of three children. There was a brief inquisition of my name, clothing choices and favorite playtime activities before I became old news. I did learn that one planned to be Spider-Man for Halloween. My Spidey-sense is that he will not change his mind. He sounded very definite.

When I walked in, Miss Dawn was helping the children take turns drawing on the Smart Board. Miss Margie was working the room. Based on the displacement of storage containers and number of dirty paint brushes, the only stations more popular than drawing with Miss Dawn were the paint table and kitchen center. With a five-minute warning it did not seem like long before both teachers started singing a cleanup song. Many hands do lighten the load, but you still have to leave plenty of time. Lighter is in no way quicker when three- and four-year-olds are involved. After a group trip to the restrooms, it was back to the room for lunch with freshly washed hands.

Lunch was Mandarin oranges, vegetable medley, homemade beef stew and corn muffins. Between the carrots in the stew, broccoli in the medley and the yellow cornmeal in the muffins, the children were eating a good portion of the rainbow. They eyed the stew with suspicion, but most tried at least a bite. Plenty of bowls were emptied. I liked that it had pearl onions in it like my mom's Irish stew. My table mate did not share my enthusiasm for onions. She handled it well and quietly returned the uneaten half of her onion to her bowl. She liked the carrots much better.

The children ate their fill and knew the cleanup routine. Parents began arriving and the room cleared of the children's hubbub one youngster at a time. Parent greetings to children were equal parts behavior check-ins, whether the morning had been fun and what was learned that day. Few children left the room without hugs for both teachers and reassurances that everyone would be back together on Tuesday.

I have not square-danced since 5th grade gym class and Room 12 does not have anything remotely related to a square dance caller, but how things move in the classroom has the same well-orchestrated feel.

The children not picked up by noon are walked down to the office so that teachers can go to lunch. Even as Miss Dawn was escorting two or three children up the hall, Miss Margie had the greeting activity for afternoon children in place.

Memorable Moment
I walked past an appliance box at least five times before I noticed it. One side was cut open to the room.  A children's-sized, upholstered chair just fit inside. I had heard about Miss Margie’s and Miss Dawn’s inventive use of cardboard. I asked if it was a reading space. It turns out it is something even better for children still adjusting to classroom life. It is the "be by myself box." The teachers explained how it means different things to different children. There is just something wonderfully creative about a really big box.

What I Learned from Miss Dawn and Miss Margie
These two teachers are very much team teaching. While each is her own person, they share one another's deep respect for the individuality of children. It was one of the first things I noticed as they jointly managed their room. I started keeping count of the number of times they adjusted their tone of voice, use of personal space, eye level, and voice inflection to meet the needs of a child. Some children they playfully teased. Some they quietly coaxed. Others they spoke to with authority and let the pause that followed take as long as necessary to get acknowledgement from a child reluctant to take direction. I lost count of the examples somewhere around 34. That was well before the first pair of hands were washed.

Linking It Together
A challenge I face in getting to know staff is that as soon as they know I am there, they become much more conscious of their behavior. It comes with the job and is simple human nature. But that heightened awareness, I am finding, takes a distant second place to leading their classrooms.

I watch how connected the children are with their teachers. I look to see if the children become confused or unsure. If things were being done differently for my benefit, the children would be thrown off a bit. That is not happening.

With Miss Dawn and Miss Margie and the children effortlessly recite the classroom rules. The children moved seamlessly through transitions. Not quietly or without the normal, barely restrained energy levels of the pre-K crowd; but the children clearly knew what was expected of them. The teacher’s build learning into every aspect of the day; but I did missed circle time and group learning. I am confident that those moments went well, too. The children's actions and reactions say it all. Especially the one's enjoying their time inside Room 12's creative use of an everyday box.

To the cooks in our kitchen, Barb and Lillian, thank you for the delicious, cooked-with-care beef stew. No disrespect to the folks that make canned and frozen foods, but there is no substitute for wholesome, straight-from-the-stove food. Your efforts were well appreciated by the children and adults in Room 12 and everywhere else in the program.

The Power of Choices

Hopkins-Locke Center, Room 2
Miss Julie, AA- Concentration in Early Childhood; hired 1997 (pictured)
Miss Nilda (Floater), CDA; hired 1999

This week I was in a classroom with a head teacher and a floater. Our 11 floaters are experienced in the classroom with most being former assistant teachers. They substitute for absent teachers or have temporary assignments if we have vacancies. Presently, we have three head teacher vacancies which are keeping our floaters especially busy.

I started with Miss Julie and Miss Nilda before children came in for the day. There is much to be done between clocking in and greeting children 30 minutes later. While I was there a brief staff meeting was held for all teachers. We took down the chairs from up on the tables. Putting the chairs up helps the custodians clean the floors each night. Teachers sanitize the table tops each morning. They also stage their lessons and organize the room based on the day’s planned activities. It is all about getting the day off to a good start.

In Room 2 the children are welcomed one of four ways: a bear hug, a smile, a tickle finger hand shake or a high five. The children know to find their name tags and vote on which welcome they will get by matching their tags with their choice. This technique allows Miss Julie to find out which children like hugs and which ones are more reserved. It also helps her gauge whether a child is tired or may have had a challenging morning. One by one, Miss Julie literally makes the moment when children go from being with their parent or guardian to being in the care of staff a personalized hand off.

Some of the children took a few seconds to choose. Most, however, knew what they wanted right away. Either way, a confident preschooler stands tall and smiles. There is such power in choice, especially when your choices are respected. Whether you are 3 or 53, being where you are welcome and have a say in what happens makes for a good environment.

What I Learned from Miss Julie:
The children seek out and gather closely around Miss Julie. Unfazed, she lets them know their turn is coming without taking any focus away from the child in front of her. People who are in the moment are calm, responsive, focused and decisive. I was truly inspired by how present Miss Julie was with the children. It is a skill she has clearly cultivated, and how she uses that skill is a gift.

What I Learned from Miss Nilda:
Getting back to choices, I could not help but notice that during free play Miss Nilda guided children without making choices for them. The rooms are organized with toys and defined spaces for children to use as wanted. She asked each one what was next. After helping to set up as needed, she left them to their discovery.

Memorable Moment:
At one point a child was crying and another child went out of her way to find him a tissue. The crisis was over by the time she could get the tissue to the other child. Such natural empathy bodes well for that child becoming a future counselor or doctor. Regardless of what profession, interpersonal skills are some of the most difficult to learn. She will likely go far.

Linking It Together:
With recent restructuring, resignations and retirements, almost half of our staff is newly hired. All of our site administrator positions have new people in place as well, though only one is a new hire. This makes us both old and new. Employees are navigating the changes. Most are navigating very well.

For the last few years, I’ve heard often from employees across the agency that they felt micromanaged. In response to that, we are managing differently this year. We cannot let go of stringent licensing requirements or program performance standards; but we are focused more on setting expectations and less on issuing edicts. We created a new Practice-Based Coaching Teacher position to support staff differently.

Many organizations fall into the trap of designing systems and setting expectations based on their poorest performing employees. Not surprisingly, when expectations are eroded, morale suffers. Instead, we choose to address each employee's performance issues with them. When employees need support, attention or correction, they will receive it as the individuals they are. We believe this approach is more appropriate for the standard of professionalism our staff is capable of and more effective in general.

This year we are choosing to celebrate all of those who are good at what they do. We are sharing specifics of what makes them good so that the goodness can spread.

There truly is power in choice. Teachers structure their classrooms to be places that children flourish. Organizations are no different. We all have to choose what we want for ourselves and our co-workers. Each morning the children in Room 2 figure out how to get going with a good start. This year, we are doing that, too.

Two Tours...Two Thumbs Up!

Thursday and Friday of last week I had the privilege of showing off two of our Head Start Learning Centers to a visiting friend. My friend has experience both in Community Action and in public schools. She was excited to see that we are operating true centers of learning in our Head Start classrooms.

In touring the Hamilton Early Learning Center on Thursday, we were very much struck by how everyone is in new school year mode. Teachers are dealing with children adjusting to being away from parents and guardians. Parents are learning the rhythms of the centers and classrooms. But, just like every year, everyone is working to meet others’ needs and program requirements despite the challenges.

We saw example after example of teachers structuring and managing their classrooms for children’s success. With so many new teachers, both hired and promoted from assistant teacher roles, it is not only a new school year for them; they are also in new jobs. Even those that were head teachers now have to learn to team teach.

While outside one classroom at Hopkins-Locke on Friday morning, we heard a teacher leading a circle time activity. The children started laughing—like belly laughing.  Just as I was about to peer into the room to see why, she said, “That’s right, now wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.” The physical fitness activity the children were enjoying was likely part “I am moving, I am learning”, a Head Start initiative promoting healthy body mass and wellness in preschoolers.

We met home visitors between weekly sessions with children and their reports were encouraging. We are thrilled to have Home Base and the funding for the 48 children back this year. Family Service Workers were much focused on children’s records and meeting with families. Food service staff and their mandatory hair nets were highly visible and more than a little busy, especially Friday at Hopkins-Locke as the center welcomed fathers into the classroom for a spaghetti lunch. Participation was very good. My guest commented more than once on the cleanliness of the buildings. So a big thank you goes out to the custodial staff, Tony, Al and Barb.

I will finish with the Early Head Start stating clearly that last does not mean least. With 939 children in Head Start and 40 in Early Head Start, the Early program tends to get overshadowed. The Early program serves children from birth to three years old. The teachers in our “baby rooms” complete the same assessments and screenings as in Head Start. My guest astutely commented that Early Head Start classrooms are as thoughtfully structured as the Head Start rooms.

Whether they are joining their child for spaghetti or just trying to learn more about Head Start, our visitors are important. Our classrooms function best for all when they are welcoming and well-structured. The strongly functioning teams my friend met are wonderful representatives of the Head Start community and the goals we have to provide education to our youngest and most vulnerable community members.

Congratulations on a great start to the year!