Why Workshops (Alone) Won't Work!

On a recent Saturday morning, I woke up at my usual 6 a.m. and couldn’t fall back asleep. Rather than lay in bed, I decided to get a jump start on the day and get some work done before my girls woke up. A half an hour into writing my training plan, coffee still warm, and with Youtube videos playing in the background, I heard these little feet pitter-patter through the hall headed to what had to be my bedroom. To her surprise, Kailey didn’t find me there but she wasted no time tracking me down in my favorite spot on the couch. The predictable, “Good morning. What are you doing, Mommy?” belted out of her high-pitched mouth and it became clear that her going back to sleep was not going to become a reality any time soon.

I thought it would be a good idea to distract her or at least try to keep her busy for me to wrap up what I was working on, and to keep her from waking her sister. I grabbed one of the new puzzles from the shelf and started to hand it to her. She was excited and interested, but instead of giving it to her to explore, I did what any person well-trained in early childhood education new better than to do: I started lecturing my first grader on how to put together a puzzle with many small pieces. Step by step, I told her how to look at the pictures and match the same colors; put all of the straight edges together; fill in the middle; so on and so forth. My ultimate goal was to be very clear about all of the instructions so that she would follow the directions and let me get back to my work…because at six, she should be able to handle a 75-piece puzzle on her own, right?

Just imagine for a moment how this scenario went. You guessed it, she did the exact opposite of what I thought I had thoroughly explained. She looked at the puzzle, dumped the pieces on the floor, and looked at me with a straight face and said, “um, I need help, please.” Take a deep breath, she’s got this. She doesn’t really need help. She’s put together many puzzles and this one is no more difficult than any she’s done before. It’ll be easy, match the pink corners, straight edges, connect the middle. Exhale. After about five minutes of trying to reassure her she could do it (by herself), she finally decided to give it a try. I returned to my work for ten minutes only to look up and discover that although she had connected quite a few pieces, the picture wasn’t right. I had just spent minutes explaining what she needed to do only to have to come back and demonstrate it and coach her through it. What a waste of time! She still needed me to show her as she worked on the puzzle.

That’s when it hit me! I was writing a workshop plan for teachers who would leave their classroom, attend the training to “receive information,” and then go back to their schools to figure out how to put the pieces together. We were doing it all wrong! In this moment, I realized why workshops alone don’t work. Here are a few takeaways and suggestions for how to make it work:

1.       Out of context, the information doesn’t make as much sense. Imagine if I had given the exact same instructions while she had the puzzle in front of her. She could have started to apply them, and once she got the hang of it, wouldn’t have needed me anymore. Here’s what to do instead: provide in the moment coaching and training and allow teachers to do as they learn. The connections happen much faster and scaffolding becomes much more meaningful.

2.       You can’t guarantee the material will be applicable to the work setting. The instructions I gave were based on my own experiences in completing puzzles and my approach to the process, but I didn’t factor in things that didn’t apply. I insisted that she use the image on the picture and copy it, but it wasn’t until the end that I realized that she was never going to be able to do that. The two pictures just didn’t match! Ask questions about the tasks that are suggested and find out if they’re even feasible. Have an alternative method just in case.

3.       Hands-on training may save more time thank you think. If I had only let her put together the puzzle as I explained it to her, the process would have been much smoother. There is great value in modeling your expectations and working together. What’s the saying? “Tell me and I forget; teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” Yep, the concept totally applies here.

I know what you’re thinking, this won’t always work and you have to send teachers to workshops. When you do, just have a plan to support them in implementing what they learn. Hopefully it won’t be as painful as the puzzle situation I had with my daughter, but I’m sure there’s a way you can make it work.

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Before You Make a Change, Consider this!

I’ve been growing a plant in the office at work for a few months and it began to outgrow its original pot. Not that I’m a green thumb or anything, but I watched my grandmother care for plants my whole life so, if nothing else, I knew it was time for a new pot. After weeks of procrastinating, I finally bought a pot big enough. However, it wasn’t as simple as changing the environment if I wanted to keep that plant alive-- I soon discovered new issues.

My new dilemma was that the pot was now big enough, but the amount of soil was no longer sufficient to supply my plant with the nutrients it needed. Its new environment lacked necessary resources to sustain the growth that was in progress, so you can imagine what I had to do next—get more dirt! Going through this process with a plant made me wonder how this shows up in our classrooms and early childhood programs on a regular basis.

As leaders, we will change our expectations for teachers (e.g., curriculum, assessment, planning time, engaging with families, etc.), but we don’t always provide them will all of the tools and support they need to accomplish the new goal. We think that simply providing new materials or relating the expectation is enough, but it’s not. When you change one part of a system, you have to consider how it impacts others. The truth is…sometimes, we don’t adjust our expectations to factor in reality. To help alleviate frustration for both you and the teachers, here are some things you should consider before making changes in your program:

1.       Does the teacher already have the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to successfully carry out this new task?

2.       Will the necessary tools and resources be available when they need them (e.g., training, technical support, materials)?

3.       How will this change impact their current routine, and what adjustments will they have to make?

4.       What will I need to do to help facilitate the implementation of the new change?

I think it’s safe to say that if you can answer each of these questions, then your new change may be ready to go. If not, it may be a great idea to slow down and spend a little more time planning, or even solicit the teachers’ input to help navigate it. Change is inevitable, and all changes won’t be easy, but we can do our part to show that it’s a shared effort and we’re all in it together.

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Four Ways to Be a Better B.O.S.S.

My first experience as a leader was really all about wanting to be a “boss.” I simply wanted authority and the opportunity to tell others what to do. Needless to say, that didn’t go well nor did it last long. Over time, I learned to focus on building relationships and gaining influence with those I was responsible for, and that led to them welcoming my thoughts and allowing me to serve them. After taking a break from my supervisory roles, four years later, I find myself back “in charge” of others. Here are four things I’m pursuing this time around that may also work for you in your childcare program:

1.       Be Present- when engaging with teachers, give them your undivided attention. Dedicate time to spend in the classrooms, meet with them individually and in small teams. Hear their thoughts and ideas, and make an effort to see their perspective. Try not to dwell on the past or obsess over plans for the future; instead, focus on the here and now and what you can do in the moment to make progress for your program.

2.       Offer Optimism- You have to set the tone for positive energy. Be mindful of your thoughts and conversations when speaking with and about teachers. Reframe negative comments and provide positive remarks instead. As much as possible, think about what you can say “yes” to. Some of my leadership training has taught me all about learning to say “no,” but find ways to encourage and empower your team with small gestures that encourage and affirm their ideas.

3.       Provide Support- encourage your teachers when times get rough, and cheer them on when things go well. Solicit their ideas to challenging tasks and work with them to develop solutions. Consider mistakes teachable moments and use them as opportunities to provide training and guidance for improvement. Be a resource for your team; that doesn’t mean you have to be the “go-to” for everything, but that you can point them on the right path to seeking their own solutions.

4.       Implement a Strategy- develop systems that will set your team up for success. Revisit your mission and develop clear goals for working toward it this year. Train and orient your new staff and help them find their place in your program. Approach professional development with a wide-eye view for all staff and individually for each teacher. Complete self-assessments to identify your strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan for improvement that supports the success of the whole program.

I’m sure you’d agree that this is easier said or done. No worries, we can take some of the guess-work out of the implementation. Download this BOSS BINGO sheet for some ideas on how to take your leadership to the next level.

Top 5 Things I Wish I had known as a Director

Author Flora Q. Gomez

I often think about my time working as a director in an early childhood program and wonder how different things would have been if I had known then, what I know now. As time passes and I gain new experiences and insights on leadership in early childhood education, I frequently ask myself what I would do differently if I could relive that period of time. In my reflection, I have realized that my conclusions are usually from my own point of view. Recognizing that the experience I had as a program administrator affected so many, I thought it would be more interesting to learn what my team would like for me to have known.

In a series of conversations with teachers I have worked with in the past, here are five common themes I discovered that the teachers wanted me and other directors to know:

1.       Relationships matter!

As the old saying goes, “people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” Directors come with education, experience, and skill sets needed to get the job done. What tends to get in the way is the neglect to build relationships with the people in the program; primarily teachers, parents, and children. As a leader, it is important to build strong individual relationships with those in your program and just as important to foster relationships between them. 

2.       Don’t assume that teachers know how to meet YOUR expectations.

Teachers also come to the table with a wealth of knowledge and experience and it can easily be assumed that they know how to fulfill the expectations of your program. Not necessarily! Each program has its own culture and way of operating that may be unlike what teachers have done in the past. Some concepts and ideas in the field are universal, but the way they are carried out can be very different. Take the time to train teachers in the way you want things done.

3.       Building a community of collaboration means everyone wins.

The early childhood program often involves very specific tasks to be done by specific people; however, there is still an opportunity to establish collaboration as opposed to working as separate entities. Create an environment where communication is frequent and information is shared between teams. Some roles and responsibilities may overlap, and even if they don’t, staff should be aware of how they can support others while still fulfilling the obligation of their own jobs.

4.       Involve those involved.

When possible, involve those impacted by change in the decision-making process. While it is not feasible to seek suggestions and input for every program decision that needs to be made, allow staff, parents, and children an opportunity to be included as much as possible. Solicit their suggestions and feedback and incorporate their ideas. This validates their place in the program and relieves you, the director, from carrying too much weight on your own.

5.       Don’t take the job too seriously.

Sometimes, it is perfectly acceptable to leave the pile of papers on the desk to go and enjoy the scented play dough and bubbles in the toddler classroom or even a prank, or two, with the teachers! Directors can become so overwhelmed with the business of running a center that little time is taken to have fun on the job. Find opportunities to participate in early childhood activities you love with the children and teachers in your program, and all of your hard work will be that much more rewarding.

Original post published by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership July 5, 2017.