Teach

Program organization means all members have specific roles and responsibilities within the program.

As you read the following vignette, consider how the Training & Curriculum Specialist (T&CS) and the Program Manager have roles and responsibilities that are separate, but complementary. Pay particular attention to the fact that Tori and Maria share a clear vision of the program's goals, objectives, and mission. Their collaborative efforts ensure that children and youth, staff, and families are secure in how policies and procedures will be carried out on a day-to-day basis.

Tori is a T&CS at a school-age care program located on the installation. She works closely with Maria, the director or manager of the school-age care program. As leaders, their focus is to serve children, youth, families, and staff to enhance the quality of the instruction and care provided at the center. Tori and Maria meet regularly to discuss how to best support program staff, and assistants. In this vignette Tori discusses her upcoming observation in the school-age classroom and shares information about an upcoming webinar.

Tori's role is to support staff in:

• carrying out curriculum 
• classroom management 
• assisting with professional development planning and implementation 

Maria, the Program Manager, knows that the largest resource she is responsible for are the people she supervises. In addition to supervising staff, she also creates a responsive program climate that is welcoming to all children and families. Management tasks can include:

• ordering food and classroom supplies and materials 
• meeting with families 
• hiring staff 
• providing orientation to new employees and many other tasks.

Maria views her role as one of service, striving to balance both management tasks and leadership tasks. Maria and Tori work as a team to bring their individual talents and skills together to enhance the quality of the child and youth program.

Model

Focus on the Big Picture: Program Goals/Objectives/Mission

An important task for T&CSs and Program Managers is to maintain their focus on the big picture. They model and remind staff members that their words and actions support the program's mission. For some staff, it may be a new experience to be part of a collaborative workplace.

Child and youth programs are primarily people-centric workplaces. This means that the most important resources are people. The outcomes are happy, secure children, youth and families. T&CSs and Program Managers understand that people are what is most important in their daily work.

T&CSs and Program Managers must be able to demonstrate and articulate the program's goals, objectives, and mission to staff, families, and community members. They lead with integrity and by example. It's critical to understand that T&CSs and Program Managers are viewed as leaders and therefore are held to a high standard. It's easy to become overwhelmed by daily tasks, but by keeping focused on the big picture and reminding staff (who are often looking to their leader for guidance) that they are working together, leaders help create the best possible program for children, youth, and their families. Families and community members will also view the Program Manager as the key representative of the program.

The following are ideas to help keep everyone in the organization focused on the "big picture" of meeting the program's goals, objectives, and mission:

• Write staff notes of appreciation and describe what they have done to promote the program's goals and mission.
• Acknowledge whole group accomplishments during staff meetings.
• Celebrate when program goals are met (order in pizza, bring a special treat for the staff work room, etc.).
• Revisit and discuss progress on program mission, goals, and objectives during each staff meeting.
• Post the mission statement in prominent places (each classroom, the office, etc.) throughout the program and include it in staff and family handbooks.

Relationship-Based Care: It's Not Just for Children and Families

Caring for children and families is all about relationships. Positive, warm interactions build a sense of trust among program staff, children and youth, and families. Building a strong foundation of care that is relationship-based makes challenging situations easier for everyone to navigate. Just as relationship-based care is essential when program staff interact with children and youth and families, relationship-based leadership is also important when T&CSs and Program Managers interact with program staff. When T&CSs and Program Managers build warm, trusting relationships with program staff, it demonstrates to staff members how they should interact with children and families. It is critical for T&Cs and managers to understand the impact their words and actions have on the individuals they supervise. Just as program staff should focus on children's strengths and talents, T&CSs and Program Managers should focus on staff members' strengths and talents while working alongside staff to strengthen areas of weakness. T&CSs and Program Managers should take time to acknowledge staff members' progress in their professional development as teachers and caregivers.

Establishing and nurturing relationships should be at the core of your practice with children and youth, families, colleagues, and program staff. It is important to build relationships with each staff member to promote trust. You build trust by taking the time to get to know each staff member, honoring and incorporating their customs and culture in your program, and inviting their input on the program. The relationship between a supervisor and an employee can withstand difficult situations when there is an understanding that the supervision relationship is professional and supportive. T&CSs and Program Managers should continuously focus on building partnerships with staff members. In addition, using relationship-based leadership in supervision meetings builds a strong sense of community within a program. Part of relationship-based leadership is knowing that different staff members may need different kinds of support. Just as each child is unique and has a right to experiences and care tailored to their development and needs, the same is true for staff members. Every member of the staff, including T&CSs and Program Managers, is on his or her own professional journey, understanding what it means to provide high quality care and education and embody the program's goals, missions and objectives. Strong T&CSs and Program Managers meet program staff members where they are and work with them to move forward.

Staff members who have strong relationships with their T&CS and Program Manager feel more comfortable seeking the support they need, whether it be training or resources, to provide optimal care for the children and youth and families in the program. In addition, when program staff witness a supportive, strong professional relationship and teamwork amongst T&CSs and Program Managers, this provides a model of how to approach their professional relationships with colleagues.

Culturally and Linguistically Sensitive Leadership

T&CSs and Program Managers demonstrate that staff, children and youth, and families are welcome in the program setting. As leaders, the T&CSs and Program Managers need to learn about the cultural and linguistic practices of the staff members they supervise and to provide resources to staff members to assist them in working with culturally and linguistically diverse families. There are a variety of books, articles, DVDs, and webinars that address cultural and linguistically sensitive practices with children and families. As leaders, the T&CSs and Program Managers need to learn about each staff member. It is best to ask questions directly when one is unsure about how to provide evaluative feedback. Because one person from a cultural group is, for example, uncomfortable with audiotaping herself during a small-group learning activity, that does not mean that all teachers from that same cultural group feel the same way. Once again, the focus is on building relationships and trust between the program leadership and each staff member. Being sensitive to language differences and cultural practices demonstrates an openness to learning about an individual's knowledge and beliefs. T&CSs and Program Managers demonstrate what they want staff members to model with colleagues, children and youth, and families.

In regard to workplace sensitivity, it’s also important that Program Managers and T&CSs avoid blanket statements and management strategies based on stereotypical characteristics of generational groups. While we know that humans, by nature, generalize, stereotypes about generational groups often seen in the popular press are not backed by research. In fact, the 2020 National Academies Press study on the topic indicated that “while dividing the workforce into generations may have appeal, doing so is not strongly supported by science and is not useful for workforce management. Research has shown there is much variation in worker needs and performance within all age groups.”

Observe

Watch the video below to hear staff members share what program management means to them.

Completing this Course

For more information on what to expect in this course and a list of the accompanying Learn, Explore and Apply resources and activities offered throughout the lessons, visit the Training & Curriculum Specialist Program Management Course Guide. 

To support the professional development of the direct care staff members or family child care providers you oversee, you can access their corresponding Course Guides:

• Infant & Toddler Program Management Course Guide
• Preschool Program Management Course Guide
• School-Age Program Management Course Guide
• Family Child Care Program Management Course Guide