Professionalism: Don’t Take It Personal

Professionalism:  Don’t Take It Personal and Don’t Make It Personal

One of the hardest lessons I have had to learn while working as a child care center director; is not to take it personal.  I am truly astounded at times, by the words that come out of peoples mouths.  It took me over 5 months to realize that some people just do not care.  They do not care what they say or how they behave or how they treat others.  Many times when I have dealt with an angry parent or staff member I had to first realize that they are usually venting frustrations brought on by circumstances outside of the daycare such as work or home life or finances.  That means that what is coming out of their mouths at me is not always because of me.  I say “not always” because I am human and I make mistakes just like everybody else.  So the best policy I have found is if I am wrong, then it is best to admit my shortcomings and then do my best to make it right.  However if the situation is not a result of me, my action or inaction then I have to make an effort to not take it personal.  The other side of that is not only do I need to not take it personal, but I must make sure that my decisions are not made on simply my opinions of individuals.  I have to get all the facts and make sure I step back and look at the situation from the other person’s perspective.  By doing that I am helping to ensure that the decisions I make are not made based only on my personal opinions but on the facts also.

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Professionalism: Great Books for Daycare Directors

I love to read, when I have the time.  These are just a few of the books I have read or are reading that have helped me in my professional life as a child care center director.  I hope they will help you like they have helped me.

The number one book I can recommend would most definitely be the Bible.  Whether you are a Christian or not there are certain principles and business ethics discussed in this timeless book that will help anyone in building and maintaining a strong business.  For example: You reap what you sow.  Give and it shall be given unto you.  Be merciful and compassionate.  Love your neighbor as yourself.  The list can go on and on.  Even if you are a Christian and have been reading this book for years, might I suggest, reading with the intent to grow not only spiritually but professionally.  Start to study the word of God, by looking for scriptures related to handling finances, and dealing with people. 

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Bible

Another book I highly recommend is older also (just not over 2,000 years), it is Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”.  If you have never read this book, pick up a copy today, if you have read it before I suggest re-reading it.  Most libraries have at least one copy on their shelves if not you can buy a used one online for very little.  Mr. Carnegie helps to map out the best way to deal with customers, and staff.  It is a book that every professional should be required to read!  You might be saying why should I have to learn customer service skills, well you have to deal with parents and care for their little bundles of joy.  Don’t you think they will be more concerned with the purchase of good care for their children than the purchase of their new TV? It is simply a great resource for learning how to handle difficult people and situations, which let’s face it as directors we have to deal with everyday. 

 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=How+to+Win+Friends+and+Influence+People

 This book is more specific to the needs of a daycare director, “The Visionary Director” by Margie Carter and Deb Curtis.  This book explains how to create and develop a vision for your early childhood center.  There are practical insights and creative solutions from actual child care center directors.  This book is a good resource for any director or daycare owner.  http://www.amazon.com/Visionary-Director-Handbook-Organizing-Improvising/dp/1884834558#

Professionalism: Continuing Education

As directors we are professionals in the early education field and we have to stay up to date on the new policies, and learning theories related to our field.  Not only do we need to stay current on early education but we also need to continue to grow as leaders and managers.  I am a firm believer in continuing education regardless of the field you are in.  Not one of us is perfect or all-knowing, so therefore we all have room to grow and improve.  Attending trainings or classes is not a sign of weakness or lack of knowledge in fact it is a sure sign of a good leader. 

 The moment you stop learning, you stop leading.

                        ~ Rick Warren

Develop a passion for learning.  If you do you will never cease to grow.

                        ~Anthony J. D’Angelo The College Blue Book

Quotes found at http://home.att.net/~quotations/learning.html

There are several ways that you can continue your education.  You do not have to enroll in college classes every year to stay current in your position, although I would recommend taking a few to keep current.  You can continue your own education by reading more books, education journals, and talking with other professionals in your field. 

Here in WV, we are required to take a certain amount of training hours specific to professionalism and management.  The trainings can be from a state certified trainer, or through conferences offered throughout the year.  The WV STARS Registry is a helpful tool in keeping up with your training hours.  Here is their link in case you are a new director in WV or would like to see how it works:  http://www.wvearlychildhood.org/stars.asp. 

Continuing your education is vital to keeping your credentials up to date but it also reflects well on your business.  Which would you rather have as a director of your child’s daycare; an individual that knows very little about child development or an individual that is considered an expert?  I would pick the expert.

Professionalism: Dress to Reflect

The way we present ourselves as representatives is extremely important.  Anyone that knows me will tell you that the last thing I want to do is dress up to impress someone other than myself.  I would rather go to work in my favorite sweat pants and WVU t-shirt (it is ragged and torn and oh-so comfy!).  Other people’s perceptions of me have never been an area I cared a great deal about.  I have always wanted people to judge me by my character rather than my clothes or hair; however, we are all human and I have discovered that regardless of how we want people to see us that first impression is still a powerful one.  Now I am not recommending that you dress in expensive pant suits or have your hair done every week, in fact I am not even recommending that you dress to impress.  I am simply suggesting that you dress to reflect.  As the director you are a visual impression of the daycare you are running.  If you are always dressed to the “nines” people may perceive you as not-very-kid-friendly, the other extreme is if you dress like you just rolled out of bed, or are getting ready to go paint a room, people may perceive you as unorganized and scattered.  We have to reflect what we are doing, if you are going to be teaching then you do need to dress comfortably but that can be accomplished by wearing khakis or even nice blue jeans with a “polo-type” shirt and comfortable shoes.  On the other hand if you have meetings that day you may want to dress more business like, you are after all, representing a business. 

When I was student-teaching during my last year of college, I had a wonderful mentoring teacher.  That teacher showed me how the kids responded better to me when I dressed more professionally.  By simply wearing dress pants and a nice shirt, instead of my favorite blue jeans, I presented myself as a knowledgeable individual.  They started to show more respect for me.  I was truly amazed at the difference.  So if you are wanting more respect from your dear children at the daycare and from your staff, try dressing more appropriately for your position and see what happens.  Try it for a week and let me know how it works out. 

By the way if you are worried about getting paint or food or any other by-products from the child care world on your clothing, then I suggest investing in an apron or lab coat.  You can purchase these items pretty cheap and still be able to participate in your daycare.

Free Daycare Director’s Tips

Owning or operating a child care center can be a daunting and overwhelming task.  There are child care licensing requirements to be met, health issues to be addressed, staffing issues to resolve, as well as billing and filing to accomplish, trainings to schedule and most importantly, children to care for.  Daycare directors are faced with so many daily challenges that it can be easy to get burn out and even start to wonder why you chose this profession.  Hopefully, this list of 101 tips for Daycare Directors will help take some of the burden off, by providing insightful strategies for running a successful child care center, without losing your mind.  Over the next several weeks I will be posting 5-6 free daycare tips for directors each week.   This week I will start with professionalism.