102. [Guest Share] Setting Expectations for and Connecting with Your Child Care Staff

<p>There’s a subtle but important difference between high standards and high expectations. Contrary to how it may feel, you can maintain high standards while still having developmentally appropriate expectations for the meeting of those standards.</p> <p>Let me give you an example to show you what I mean. When it comes to cleanliness standards in your center, you likely expect teachers to keep their classrooms relatively organized and sanitary for the health and safety of the children.</p> <p>But if you walk into a classroom of 2-year-olds and are surprised to see toilet paper on the floor, you better check your expectations! </p> <p>Maintaining high standards that align with your center’s values is important, but what’s even more essential is having appropriate expectations about how those standards will be met.</p> <p>In a situation like this, you have a choice: you can either penalize the teacher for something outside of her control and risk damaging your relationship, or you can accept that making messes is young children’s M.O. and trust that she’ll clean things up when she’s able to.</p> <p>When you learn to lead from this perspective, you can cultivate a healthier culture within your school, keep your teachers and staff happy, and reach new levels of excellence.</p> <p>For this week’s podcast, I’m sharing a recording of an interview I was part of, where we talk about how to create culture and community in early childhood education centers.</p> <p>During the interview, we touch on a variety of topics, including:</p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How to set appropriate expectations for staff while maintaining high standards</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shifting the focus from taking care of others to taking care of yourself</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Identifying what grounds you so that you make better decisions for your center</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What it’s like to work with me and Schools of Excellence</li> </ul><b