Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership: Eight Strategies to Ignite Passion and Transform Program Quality

Contents

Chapter 1

Creating a Collaborative Vision Statement

Chapter 2

Infusing the Learning Community with Positive Energy

Chapter 3

Developing Purposeful Professional Development Plans

Chapter 4

Engaging in Continuous Quality Improvement

Chapter 5

Igniting Passion through Engaged Leadership

Chapter 6

Facilitating Effective Professional Development

Chapter 7

Using Strengths-Based Coaching Techniques to Increase Engagement

Chapter 8

Embracing Change—Letting Go of the Status Quo

Appendix A

Creating a Vision Statement to Ignite Passion, Intentionality, and Engagement

Appendix B

Crafting Affirmation Statements

Appendix C

Vision and Goals Summary

Appendix D

Sample IPDP Summary Sheet

Appendix E

Sample Professional Development Planning Sheet

Appendix F

Your Immunity to Change Map

Resources

Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership

Eight Strategies to Ignite Passion and Transform Program Quality

Susan MacDonald

Copyright ©2016 Susan MacDonald

Published by Gryphon House, Inc.P. O. Box 10, Lewisville, NC 27023 800.638.0928; 877.638.7576 (fax)Visit us on the web at www.gryphonhouse.com.

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Disclaimer

Gryphon House, Inc., cannot be held responsible for damage, mishap, or injury incurred during the use of or because of activities in this book. Appropriate and reasonable caution and adult supervision of children involved in activities and corresponding to the age and capability of each child involved are recommended at all times. Do not leave children unattended at any time. Observe safety and caution at all times.

Privacy Statement

All of the stories of leaders are authentic; the names of people and organizations have been changed to preserve the privacy and business confidentiality.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: MacDonald, Susan, 1961 June 14-

Title: Inspiring early childhood leadership : eight strategies to ignite passion and transform program quality / Susan MacDonald.

Description: Lewisville, NC : Gryphon House, 2016.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016027997 | ISBN 9780876596517

Subjects:  LCSH: Early childhood education--United States.

Classification: LCC LB1139.25 .M33 2016 | DDC 372.21--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016027997

Dedication

To my mother, whose commitment to providing unconditional love to the hundreds of children who were blessed to spend their days in her care provided the foundation for my ongoing passion for creating strengths-based environments for children to thrive in.

Dorothy Elizabeth MacDonald holding Susan Elizabeth MacDonald.

Introduction

This book explores how leaders can find new and empowering ways to adapt to the evolving world of early childhood education. Research into the immense, lifelong value of education at this stage of development has created a wave of reforms designed to increase the quality of early childhood programs. The research and its many resulting initiatives are aligned with the field’s long-standing commitment to provide quality education and care to all children.

The field of early childhood education is at a crossroads. On one path is the current research that documents the vital importance of high-quality learning environments for young children. Down the second path are the ideas and practices that have been pervasive in the early childhood field for decades. Today’s leaders of early childhood programs are faced with a multitude of questions:

How do I motivate and inspire teachers?

How can I be more effective in observing and giving nonjudgmental feedback?

How can I be more confident in my role as a leader?

How can I manage my time more effectively?

How can I keep up with and help teachers align their programs with the newly articulated standards and quality initiatives without being overwhelmed and adding to the stress my teachers feel?

Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership is the reflection of the insights cultivated through my rich professional experiences supporting quality in early childhood programs. Throughout my career, I have supported these programs in many different ways—as a coach, consultant, professional speaker, college instructor, licensing supervisor, and director of a Reggio-inspired preschool. In each of these roles, I was able to see the stresses and challenges of truly creating a supportive, educational, and vibrant learning community. Over the years I have designed and delivered a myriad of leadership courses focused on supporting early childhood directors in reenergizing their programs, embracing change, and aligning with new standards and initiatives. I have seen firsthand the negative impact that stress can have on the culture and climate of a program. I have been inspired to write this book to support directors in moving past their challenges and envisioning new possibilities for creating high-quality learning environments fueled by positive, engaging energy.

The goal of this book is to help you tap into the energy, passion, and engagement needed to truly lead early childhood programs. All too often, the words I hear from directors describing their energy for their work include overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted, flat out, or drowning. These are key descriptors for a negative spiral. Leading from a place of low energy and negativity increases the challenges for directors and makes strengths-based program transformation impossible. The strategies laid out in this book are designed to support directors in finding new ways to reduce the levels of stress and move into a unified, engaging system for leading with passion, intention, and purpose.

This shift from overwhelmed to focused, engaged leadership is truly what facilitates quality transformations. I have seen the shift many times in the directors that I work with in leadership groups and as coaching clients. One of the most vivid examples of moving from a point of overwhelming negativity into a fully engaged and inspirational leadership role is my encounter with Lyn. When I met Lyn, at the first session of a five-part Directing with Vision and Clarity course, I thought she had mistakenly come into the wrong room. The course was being held at a community college and Lyn’s appearance—sullen expression, head down, wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up—made her appear much more like a disgruntled college student than the leader of an early childhood program.

After Lyn introduced herself to the group, two things were evident: she was in the right place, and she was in a crisis of leadership. When she shared her journey to her leadership position, it was inspiring. Lyn had quickly moved from being an assistant teacher to becoming a director who purchased the program and the building from the school’s founder. Her focus and drive had helped her achieve her dream of running and owning the program. However, that focus and drive had eroded under the stresses she felt as she faced staff challenges, new Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) requirements, and an overwhelming sense of low energy across the program. On that first day of the course, Lyn shared with the group that she was seriously considering tossing aside her dream of running a high-quality early program and selling the school. Lyn wasn’t just in a negative spiral; she was at the very bottom of the energy vortex. Although the course had more than twenty participants, the heavy drained energy that Lyn brought was permeating the whole classroom.

The focus for this first session was for each participant to write a vision statement that reflected their hopes, dreams, and aspirations as a leader in their program. Somehow, just thinking about all that was possible began to create a subtle shift in Lyn’s demeanor. Her hood came off, and she volunteered to share her vision with the group. In that vision was the hope for the future that would guide Lyn into fully embracing her dreams for herself as a positive inspirational leader and her vision for all that her program could be.

The journey up the spiral was not always easy for Lyn. She faced challenges and setbacks, but she stuck with her vision and developed a clear action plan for achieving her goals. Lyn became acutely aware of how her energy was reflected throughout the program, and she refused to let setbacks push her back down into the negative spiral. Her focus on staying true to her vision allowed her to implement many changes that have enhanced her program and her confidence in her own leadership abilities.

Lyn now speaks nationally about her leadership transformation and inspires others to shift to strengths-based leadership! Working closely with her and many other leaders in similar low-energy states has been my inspiration for writing this book. The strategies you will find here are designed to help you customize your own journey to increase your engagement and passion for the vitally important work of leading early childhood programs.

The key premise of Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership is that a positive, strengths-based leadership system is the key to transforming quality in early childhood programs. Across the field it is evident that the stress of leading early childhood programs is on the rise. Increasing demands from the many new quality initiatives and standards have contributed to feelings of work pressure and have drained directors’ and teachers’ energy, creating school communities where low levels of engagement have become the norm. When engagement is low, all aspects of the program suffer, and the children feel these negative effects strongly.

The research is clear that high-quality early childhood programs have a lasting impact on the lives of children and families. In a 2014 article in Time magazine, Fareed Zakaria notes that the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development has found that early-childhood education improves children’s cognitive abilities, helps to create a foundation for lifelong learning, makes learning outcomes more equitable, reduces poverty and improves social mobility from generation to generation. Research findings like this have fueled a new sense of urgency at the national political level, which is building the momentum needed to bring about much-needed, lasting changes for early childhood programs. The time to fully commit to increasing the effectiveness of your program is now.

Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership lays out eight clear strategies that will support the development of vibrant learning communities where all teachers, children, and parents can thrive. This system aligns current research on positive psychology, school transformation, and strengths-based leadership with the current standards of quality in the early childhood field. This alignment creates new insights into what is needed to strengthen early childhood programs through consistent, intentional, and supportive leadership.

Eight Strategies for Igniting Passion and Engagement in Early Childhood Programs

The journey to transform your early childhood program requires commitment and the intention to fully engage in the reflective practice exercises throughout this book. Bringing to life your vision for all that your program can be is a richly rewarding experience that leads to higher levels of professional satisfaction for all administrators and teachers. It also creates a vibrant learning community where children will develop the skills needed for success.

Quality early childhood education is vitally important and directly linked to children’s success throughout school—indeed, during their entire lives. Providing a strong foundation in the early years is essential to the development of strong social and intellectual skills. In President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on February 12, 2013, he clearly stated the long-term benefits of quality early childhood education:

In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children . . . studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, form more stable families of their own. We know this works. So let’s do what works and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind.

In the United States, quality initiatives have received billions of dollars in federal funding. Quality rating systems are being established in all fifty states. Each rating system is unique, but their fundamental focus is the same: supporting high-quality care for young children. In addition to the new QRIS initiatives, program leaders are adapting to new regulations