Journal 6

1)      The director gave all of the child’s information to the teacher without discussing it with the mother.  The teacher posted the child’s information sheet and highlighted the father section when she should have just asked the mother about it privately.  She also told all of the other parents that Eric was a biter. The teacher from Eric’s old school gave all his records to the new school.  The teacher also discussed Eric’s behavior with the new director. 

2)      The two teachers talking on the playground should not be discussing children’s family issues with each other.  The teacher telling all the other parents that Eric was a biter violated his confidentiality.  All of Eric’s information should not have been shared with anyone.  It is the parent’s decision what information the school receives. 

3)      No, I do not think the two directors should have had a discussion.  If the new director thought it was necessary to speak to the old director then she needed to consult the mother first.  The old director violated confidentiality by sharing information with the new school.

4)      The mother and the new director should have been in the meeting.  After the mother and the director discussed all the issues, then the director should have met with the teacher and Eric’s mother together. 

5)      Yes, the teacher should have introduced Eric to the class and asked to them to be nice to their new friend.  The teacher could also have mentioned that everyone is unique and it is not nice to make fun of people who are different. 

6)      An introduction to the classroom would have made Eric’s day easier.  It is important for every new child to feel welcome and wanted.  Eric should not have been isolated at lunch.  Children should be able to have a comfort item from home if it makes them feel better.

7)      I do not think the conversation at the restaurant should have occurred.  You never know who is listening, such as a new parent.  It is not appropriate to discuss children outside of work especially when it is about the child’s personal family life. 

8)      The staff lounge would be a more appropriate place for such a conversation, but it still isn’t okay.  It is not appropriate to discuss a family’s personal matters amongst co-workers. 

9)      I think all staff members might need a re-training on confidentiality, welcoming new families and children, and what should and should not be discussed between co-workers.  I would apologize to the mother for everything that happened and ask if there was anything could do to help her. 

10)  No, in my opinion the mother should not leave her child there.  The child is never going to trust his teachers because he heard them talking about him.  He was embarrassed. He is not going to be comfortable with the other children because he was not even introduced to them properly.  He had all his personal items taken away and he cried his first day there.  I think the mother should find a better center for her child.

Journal 5

Staff Meeting Agenda

Monthly Theme: Farm Animals

 

Monthly Readiness Skill: Identifying Animals

 

Curriculum: Old McDonald Had a Farm, Books: Five Little Ducks, Drawing/Painting animals, circle time: gather plastic animals and talk about them,

Lesson Plans & Coming Attractions:

            -Music and Movement: Old McDonald Had a Farm

            -Art: Painting/Drawing Farm animals

            -Bulletin Board: Pictures of animals, farm, barn

            -Story: Five Little Ducks

            -Games: Guess the Animal

            -Blocks: Build a barn, animal homes

            -Dramatic Play: what to do on a farm with animals

            -Sensory Table: hay, grass, or water

 

Teacher Designated Planning Time: Resources are available to all staff members in the front office. Teachers can schedule planning time on the calendar.  Each teacher is allowed one hour per week out of the classroom for planning.

Orientations, Events, and Celebrations: All events are scheduled in advance with director approval.  Please create of list of needed supplies for your room.  All teachers will be responsible for preparing their own room for each event.

Monthly Classroom Observation: I will discuss my observations later with each teacher one on one.

Continuing Education Courses: I will try to help everyone find information they need about trainings.  There are resources in my office that everyone may use. 

Journal 4

I have come in contact with many people who do these things on a daily basis. The one that bothers me the most is when someone does not make eye contact with me. It makes me feel like they are not listening to me. I also feel like it is very rude because some people do it on purpose. I think eye contact is a really important part of positive communication and active listening.  I try to make eye contact as often as possible.  It does not bother me too much when someone does not use my name. I think this is because a lot of people mispronounce and misspell my name. Although, when people do mispronounce and misspell it, that bothers me. I think using someone’s name is polite on a professional basis. I feel like if I know your name, you should know my name. I have had parents who only talk to me when they have complaints.  I find this to be surprising.  I think parents should want to communicate with their child’s caregiver as often as possible, not just when they think something is wrong.  Sometimes this hurts my feelings and I do not like the closed communication. If parents talked to you on a regular basis, maybe they would not have complaints at all.   When someone gives me the cold shoulder I find it to be very rude.  I think if someone is upset with me they should just be up front about it instead of not talking to me or being rude. 

Journal 3

2.1
I would not allow the parents to bring the cookies.  A child in another room could end up in your classroom and they could be allergic to nuts.  The policy is stated in the handbook.  Since they have not made the cookies yet I would suggest to the parents they simply leave the peanut butter out of their cookies. 

I would suggest the teacher talk to other staff members and try to switch shifts.  I would not force anyone to give up their early day.  "Emotional Scheduling" can be a huge issue in child care.  You have to make the schedule based on the needs of the center. 

2.2
I would approach the co-worker at an appropriate time.  I would talk to her about sitting down together and working on lesson plans.  It is not fair that she would just steal all the work I had just done.  Also, her input could be very helpful.


I would try to set up a meeting with the father and the director the same day. I would apologize for the situation and reassure the father that I do my best to watch the entire room throughout the day. I would also reassure him that if I had been aware of the incident I would have followed the proper procedures. I would address the child with the father and tell her how important it is to tell me if she is hurt.