Hello everyone,
Well, know since I have a better understanding of evaluations being used in early childhood programs, I know what to look for when the time comes. I learned from other colleagues that had some experience with an evaluation process that it takes a lot of work and patience. I also learned that there's nothing wrong with receiving additional help from other organizations during evaluation. I love the fact that there are coaches who will come and observe the center including classrooms and teacher/child interaction. Then, gives you feedback on what they observed and how the teacher and director can do better before the visitation.
The number one thing that I learned and felt was important to me as a scholar-practitioner is that people who are involved in the evaluation such as administrators and teachers need to be motivated. Evaluations can be stressful. Believe me, I know. I have been through it and felt like it was not going to ever end with all the paperwork and filing documentation. It's a lot of work. Staff members who are involved in the evaluation process need to know that they are doing an excellent job and it should be said every day. I would let my staff know how they are appreciated and it may seem a lot right now but when it is over, we have really accomplished something beautiful and important and that is making sure the center is high-quality and a licensed program.
Also posted on your blog:
ReplyDeleteHello Christopher,
I agree with your entire process involving a lot of work and patience, especially when parents are not fully involved in the process. Parents are a child's first teacher. As an aspiring leader, my goal is to figure out a way to have parents involved. Involving to me does not mean making copies and putting together bulletins board. I am interested in promoting early literacy with my parents. Research shows that when families do basic things like ongoing and engaging conversation, children develop strong language and literacy regardless of language (Weiss, Lopez, & Stark, 2018). I believe if families did the basic, it would be easier to persuade families to visit libraries, read together, and communicate with teachers. The fundamental action is communication. Motivating families is challenging when it comes to program evaluation. I agree, similar to what teachers and staff members should be receiving; families should also be praised for their parenting by presenting their child's victories.
Reference:
Weiss, H.B., Lopez, M.E., & Stark, D.R. (2018). How families promote early literacy [Infographic] Harvard Research Family Project. https://globalfrp.org/content/download/164/1131/file/SevenResearchBasedWaysFamiliesPromoteLiteracyPDF%20(1).pdf
Hello Chris,
ReplyDeleteI was a former classmate of yours with Walden University and was just intrigued about revisiting my blog. I stumbled across your comments under my blog and just dropped by to say Hi!