Bridges to Success

Hamilton Center
Family Service Workers’ Office
AM FSWs: (pictured from left to right) Jessie Smith, Dana Daniels, Jackie Verda, and Kim Shannon (not pictured).

I changed it up this week. Instead of a classroom, I spent time in the Family Service Workers’ office at our Hamilton Head Start Center. Our Family Service Workers (FSWs) have a unique job that does not readily compare outside of Head Start. Part of the job is registration, not unlike the staff at the hospital who gather all your information before testing or admittance. It also involves front-line advocacy. That role reminds me of the fitness staff circulating on the floor at a gym. The ones right there to show you the ropes and help you get the most out of your membership. The most visible part of the FSW’s job is enrollment recruitment. Anyone who has attended a school or training of their choice has encountered a recruiter; your experience with the recruiter was likely one of the deciding factors in making your application.

I worked at the meeting table just inside the door. Maria Vasquez, the supervisor, put me to work monitoring student files. She gave me a crash course on how to review and set me loose. The files are divided by requirements:  a section for enrollment and eligibility, a section on health and assessment, a section on authorization for student release. A complete file easily has 20 to 30 required documents. Most documents have multiple sections and fields with asterisks indicating leaving the spaces blank was not an option.

File-keeping and proper documentation are big deals in the Head Start world. Incomplete records result in findings by auditors and licensing authorities. Missing assessments or out of date records can also yield findings. When you realize that almost every piece of information is used daily in some way, you know this is not an unreasonable standard. Most importantly, this information is used to serve children and families in the best way possible. Its accuracy is important.

The FSWs are a study in task management and perpetual motion. They popped among phones and email and parents tapping on the door. There was a literacy event with fathers that had each FSW staying in contact with teachers. Attendance was done by the time I arrived, but attendance follow up was in progress. FSWs have responsibilities related to meal counts. We also continue to recruit. Two new placements were being processed which was the source of happy smiles. Giving a child and family a new beginning never gets old.

What I Learned

The morning held few surprises, but was valuable nonetheless. I hear from the Head Start supervisors and managers about the importance of family engagement. When one of the FSWs said that being accessible to parents is an over-riding practice for her, I was pleased to see how priorities are shared. That FSW said that she gets out into the hallways when parents are in the building just to make contact. I have been told in the past that helping parents set goals is all about understanding what they are dealing with on a daily basis. Being in the hallway is a very smart approach and provides a FSW ripe opportunity to be of service.

Linking It Together

Our administrative offices are in downtown Lorain. I drive over the lift bridge on Erie most mornings to get to work. This time of year it is rare to get stopped because the bridge is up. The center lift sections of the bridge are actually grated metal and driving over the metal makes your tires rumble. I think Family Service Workers act like that bridge. They help parents get where they are going. They reassure parents that stops and starts are to be expected and that you can still usually hear the radio over life’s rumblings. When turning up the volume is not enough, it is good to know that help is at hand to figure out what else to do. 

When Stars Align

Hopkins-Locke Center
Room 6
Mrs. Jennifer, Masters-ECE, hired 2014
Mrs. Geetha, BA-ECE, hired 2008

When Stars Align

The State of Ohio implemented the Step Up to Quality rating system for preschools and day care centers several years ago. This year the system was updated from three starred levels to five starred levels. SUTQ already influences which programs are selected for additional funding opportunities. It is also driving improvements in training and credentials of both teachers and administrators.

Currently, all LCCAA's Head Start centers have earned three stars. While pleased and proud, we are already looking and working to increase our rankings. We have locations that will move up to five stars within the next 12 to 18 months.

This brings me to my weekly classroom visit at Hopkins-Locke, which received notice that its three star rating was renewed while I was on site. I walked into Room 6 mid-morning to find students "ice skating" on carpet using paper plates as skates. The theme of the week was ice and snow. There was snow in the water table with utensils and toys to manipulate it into shapes and structures. We ate ice cubes filled with fruit and fruit juice. All of these activities grew from the creativity and dedication of the two teachers. We played in the gym area where every child found fun in pedaling, climbing, sliding, throwing balls or balancing on movable stepping stones. In the course of playing we identified colors, counted and shared quite nicely. Gym was followed by time with the Spanish teacher who visits all classrooms weekly. It sure felt like a five-star experience.

What I learned from Mrs. Geetha

Geetha personally shopped for the fruit and made the ice cubes as a treat for the children. Those fruity ice cubes sparked plenty of conversation. However, some of it involved the candor of young children and their well-voiced fruit preferences. I admired how Mrs. Geetha handled the feedback. She was graciousness personified.

What I Learned from Mrs. Jennifer

I asked Jennifer about the new curriculum we invested in this year. The curriculum aligns to our classroom evaluation methods and student assessment systems. Our objective was to strengthen lesson planning and help teachers more readily link children's learning with intended outcomes. Her observations were balanced and clearly stemmed from seeking to understand and use the materials in the best way possible.

Memorable Moment

I had two memorable moments. The first was in another room. A teacher, Mr. Mark, did a science experiment with the children using eggs. Submerse an egg in pure vinegar for at least 24 hours and see what happens. You can also add food coloring to the vinegar like Mr. Mark did. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say the students used the word "squishy" at one point.

The second memorable moment involved playtime in the gym. I played basketball with a very focused boy. He slam dunked and threw for three pointers and made up both his score and mine as we went along. His scoring was creative but surprisingly fair. When I made a more difficult shot, he gave me three points. He cannot add and subtract yet so the numbers were all over the place. Following one of his all-star, long-distance throws that caught the rim and circled twice before dropping through the net, he declared himself the winner. I conceded.

Linking It Together

When I am at the centers I notice all of the things that still need addressing. Sometimes it is little “just do it” types of things. Other times I know that we have to finish addressing underlying issues before the changes being made result in day-to-day differences.

As part of Step Up to Quality, we are required to do an annual staff survey. We conducted ours earlier this month. We did so knowing we were only 80 working days into a significant staffing change (adding team teaching and bachelor degreed teachers). Our Educational Services Team used a survey designed specifically for early childhood environments and 57 employees took it anonymously.

Many valid frustrations were documented. Some related to recent changes and others related to areas we are working to improve. For instance, we are working through a plan to provide stronger employee recognition and performance evaluation. It has not been a small undertaking; and it will be several months before we begin training management staff on new forms and procedures. All staff will not be involved until the new school year in the fall.

There was one shining statistic that says we are and will continue to make progress. One of the last questions in the survey asked staff to rate their commitment to teaching in early childhood:  92 percent said they are committed to doing what they do as their life’s vocation. A whopping 74 percent of those rated themselves as “very committed.” A full 53 percent rated their commitment a 10 out of 10.

This high level of commitment shows itself with eggs in vinegar and paper plates as skates. It shows itself as meaningful lesson plans. It shows itself with children who feel safe and secure to learn. It is demonstrated in the encouraging words and patient addressing of behaviors. It is a commitment born inside each individual teacher and no amount of training will create it or make up for if it is lacking. We talk about the new energy in our program. The buzz is coming from teacher commitment; and I believe the strength of it will allow us to work out the rest.

Winterfest 2014

'Twas the day of the Fest and all through the center

decorations and children's art were displayed for all who would enter.

Parents and guardians were poised in the gym

Waiting patiently and expectantly for the children to march in. 

At least one teacher wore fuzzy antlers, one brought an instrument

It was a guitar, and not surprisingly, it added greatly to the merriment.

Microphone in hand, Ms. Rose got the festivities under way

It was hard to tell who was more excited when the songs began to play. 

One classroom at a time the children took to performing

The audience watched on with big smiles forming.

Winter Fest marks mid-year and is a source of great joy

All are proud of the accomplishments of each girl and boy. 

The event went smoothly and quickly with more than a little laughter

Teachers took the children back to the classrooms and loved ones followed after. 

I am told there were cookies and punch before all went home for Winter Break

Here is hoping that the time off is filled with the best memories one can make. 
 

 

Personally, I wish you a Merry Christmas. I hope this season of giving and receiving keeps you safe and in the company of those who are important to you. May all the that gives you joy and brings you peace be with you this holiday season. 

Leaps in Learning

Hopkins-Locke Center, Room 10

Miss Leslie, AA-ECE, Hired 09-2014

Miss Devon, BA-ECE, Hired 08-2014

This week I was joined by our Head Start Director, Shauna Matelski. Together we went into Room 10. We stepped in while the teachers were doing a group teaching. As we listened in, I could not miss the big smile on Shauna's face; then she leaned in and whispered “concept development.” Three-, four- and five-year-olds can and do master abstract ideas. Children, like adults, constantly take in new information and process it in ways that allow them to better understand the world we live in.

The children were examining antlers from a show-and-tell item one of the children brought to share. They practiced saying the word “antlers” by sounding out the syllables. Free play followed and there was more creative thought in the form of seashells and moldable play sand. The water table was a popular learning center with toys that promote learning about mass, movement and density. Talk about big concepts! Yet, young children reason through why some objects float and others sink. They know full from empty. By the time they get to Kindergarten they will have successfully taken in concepts such as time, space and quantity. That is pretty amazing when you think about it.

The room had a table with natural objects found in the woods, including leaves, twigs and seed heads. One can easily imagine how conversations went when those items were examined. There was also a fish tank. Well, all our classrooms have a fish tank.

Miss Devon showed a couple of the children a round, hollow shell and the children talked about how snails live in such shells. Shauna asked the children what other items could be found on beaches. The children were almost speaking over each other sharing their beach stories. One student even became the questioner. She wanted to know if anyone had ever seen a whale. I shared that I would like to, but have not had the pleasure.

What I Learned from Ms. Leslie

There is an English-as-a-second language student who is from an African country in Room 10. Miss Leslie spent time during free play with her at the vocabulary station. There are audio games at the station which the children enjoy. Miss Leslie was keyed into each child's needs. She is a teacher who makes sure the quiet ones are doing okay. She supports them in ways that bring them out of their shell, so to speak.

What I Learned from Ms. Devon

Ms. Devon has an enthusiasm for sharing knowledge. When the children bring ideas to her they are excited about, Ms. Devon gets equally excited. It is not something you can fake, at least not in the long run. Children know. So, ideas flow freely in Room 10. What I saw was her asking questions to find out more and sharing observations that prompted the children to think deeper. The children carry out ongoing dialogues with her. It makes for a very vocal group of children who are unafraid of sharing their ideas.

 

Memorable Moment

I watched Shauna carefully get on the floor and equally carefully get off the floor after circle time. She has a knee injury that has to be considered. Here's the thing, Shauna has impressed upon me that educating young children means everything, people included, have to shift closer to children’s eye level. So I was not surprised to see her getting down on the floor and at their level. I watch Shauna do what is in the best interest of children every day.

Linking It Together

Our annual report comes out next week. In it the agency's commitment to developing a learning culture is featured. We are committed to getting every position in the agency filled with staff members that have the experience, knowledge, and skills for each job. We provide training and support that allow employees to continue to grow. We are working to make sure that staff routinely know how appreciated they are for judiciously using their abilities on behalf of those we serve. 

That is all big picture stuff that, in practice, comes down to thoughtful questions about seashells and being sensitive to student needs. Each time we help a child grow more comfortable with speaking English and each time we act as a spring board for young minds to share their ideas,we are creating that learning culture. It was equally evident last week when a young charge was encouraged to crawl. It was evident in the first classroom I went into at Hamilton Center when every child’s ideas about the story being read were incorporated into the lesson. 

This week, it occurred to me as I experienced the high degree of chatter in Room 10 that I am hearing more and more from staff. In the months and years ahead, we will systematically bring employee wisdom and commitment into decision making and strategic planning. We already have plans in place to make that happen. There is so much knowledge and goodness in our agency and we need to use all the good ideas, abstract or otherwise, to get things done.  

Acting With Distinction

Hamilton Learning Center
Room 109 - Early Head Start
Leanna McGuire - Hired 10/2011, AA-ECE (pictured)
Trinity Bajaras - Hired 10/2012, AA-ECE

Morning meetings put me in the classroom in the afternoon. I had decided early in the week to go into Room 109. So it was truly coincidence that just prior to my leaving a management meeting to go spend time in an Early Head Start room our Early Head Start manager was gushing about her staff. She was also explaining the differences between teaching elementary, pre-K, and infants/toddlers. Her point was that acting on the distinctions makes for more effective programming.

Our Early Head Start program is fully enrolled with a waiting list. We are funded for 40 children in the Early program. Twenty-four children are center-based and 16 are home-based. Each center class has two teachers and eight children. There were five sleeping “friends” when I arrived, the others having already been picked up.

You know when you are in an Early room. The cribs and high chairs are your first clue. It looks a little like an old re-run of John and Kate Plus 8 with multiples of everything-only there wasn't any bickering going on and no film crew. The teachers in Room 109 know their “little friends” and “bigger friends” and adeptly tag-team everything to meet the children’s needs and foster their development.

By the time Leanna opened the curtains to let the children begin to rouse gently and quietly, I was apprised of the waking preferences of each child. We did get to have floor time with the room’s youngest friend as she woke up well before the others. She is nine months old. Floor time involved board books, rolling over and getting up on little knees to inch forward. Leanna is encouraging her to crawl by placing toys tantalizing close. Pushing forward resulted in a victorious fistful of something fun and colorful and a pretty big, self-satisfied grin. It was happiness as defined by a baby.

I was able to stay until all of the children were picked up. All the bedding had to be stripped for laundering. The teachers do the laundry on site. We sanitized the tables, high chairs and cribs. In between, they caught up with email and other computer work.

MEMORABLE MOMENT

I love watching children sleep. You appreciate them differently. All three little friends in cribs had partially kicked off their blankets, so their small hands and feet were free. Thankfully, the room was comfortably warm and there was no need to disturb them by fixing blankets. The two bigger friends on cots were on their stomachs and were clearly in deep, restful slumber.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM LEANNA:

Leanna is an anticipator. Much of what she said involved sharing her thoughts about what would likely happen with each child from whether diapers would be wet to which child would be hungry for snack upon waking. On a deeper level, she was clearly engaged in each child’s physical, social-emotional and cognitive development. Her actions were deliberate with each child in terms of reaching new milestones. Plus, she shared what she is doing and why it matters. It makes working with her super easy. I could see her vision and readily figure out how to be part of her plan.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM TRINITY:

I witnessed Trinity showing people how much she cares about them by doing for them. She checked a Frozen chapter book out of the library for a two-year old who knows and adores almost every character. In fact, that bigger friend identified most of them in the book while eating his snack. Clearly Sven and Olaf were two of his favorites. Trinity was always in motion making sure supplies were at the ready and that favored things were in the places the children liked to play with them. It is a different form of anticipation. Trinity seems to anticipate the joy she brings others with her acts of kindness.

LINKING IT TOGETHER

What Leanna and Trinity are doing is what management is focusing on, too. At that meeting the extended management team was reviewing quarterly and year-to-date outcomes. The quarterly meetings are also used for the professional development of the team. One theme that has been reoccurring in management training is “how are you setting your staff up to succeed?” Managers and supervisors are striving to be in front of needs and issues, anticipating as much as possible. They are also considering what is important to each staff member and working with staff to make changes that will be appreciated.

There is a welcoming vibe at Hamilton Center. It starts with Tammy at the front door and works its way through every office and classroom. For all the hustle and bustle that goes on, it is still a place you are glad to be. When I see staff working together as well as they do at the Hamilton Center, I take heart that managers and staff alike are overcoming challenges by drawing on each other’s abilities.

When you look at the sleeping face of a very young child, you are quickly reminded why we are here. If you are like me, you also feel gratitude to be able to make a difference and you get re-energized to keep doing more.

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.