“A Lot Can Happen In A Year. Whatever Seems Almost Impossible Today Can Be Your New Reality Soon. Stay Consistent And Give 100%” – Gal Shapira

It's the Little Things: Daily Routines

Children thrive in a well-ordered and predictable environment, where daily routines such as arrivals and departures, mealtimes, nap times and toileting are dealt with consistently by all caregivers. Daily routines provide opportunities for children to learn more about themselves, the world and other people. Daily routines also offer children a sense of stability, and a feeling of warmth and caring from their teachers. The challenge is to develop appropriate daily routines for children which offer them a sense of consistency and security, yet remain flexible and responsive to the individual needs of each child.

Daily Schedule

To establish daily routines, most preschool classrooms follow a basic daily schedule. Among other things, a schedule can help to ensure the consistency that young children need and help teachers encourage all areas of development by planning a wide range of activities. It's helpful to think of a daily schedule as a guide which is responsive to children and teachers. Flexible schedules let us capitalize on those moments that arise when children discover something that interests them. They allow us to extend a play period so the children gain maximum satisfaction from what they're doing. In creating schedules, it is also important to provide a healthy balance for children, between group times and more solitary moments, quiet and noisy activities, indoor and outdoor play.

Transitions

Transition times are important because they can make the day seem smooth and well-organized, or rushed and unpleasant. Allowing enough time so children make the transition gradually is the best way to avoid stressful situations. In addition to allowing a realistic amount of time for transitions to take place, it always helps to warn once in advance before a change in activities. This gives the children a chance to finish what they are doing and their cooperation is more likely. It might also help move the process along if we comment favorably about the next activity and avoid situations where all the children are expected to do the same thing at the same time.

Attachment

The way we handle daily routines is especially important for infants. Through such tasks as feeding and diapering, we communicate to the child that they can trust us, and that we can be relied on to nourish and provide for them. This special bond of trust is called "attachment." Child psychologists assert that the trust and attachments that develop within the first two years of life can determine the emotional future of the child. Here are some tips that help children develop this bond of attachment:

• Practice listening and paying attention to what the child is telling you---be sensitive to his cues.

• Pay attention to your own verbal cues and body language.
• Talk to the infant, even though she may not be speaking yet.
• Don't rush through daily tasks.
• Establish routines that are based on each individual child's needs.
• Hold infants during bottle feeding in order to develop warm, nurturing relationships with them.

Routines that Center Around Eating

Remember that not everyone has the same diet. It's important to be especially sensitive to children who come from cultures other than our own, are vegetarian, lactose-intolerant, or who have other special religious or dietary needs. It's essential to talk to the families and find out which foods are appropriate and which are not. Children prefer plain, familiar food they can eat with their fingers. It's important that snacks vary from day to day, and that snacks, drinks and desserts are nutritious. When there are children at school from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, it is crucial to include foods they like and that are familiar to them. Here are some considerations that help make mealtimes positive experiences for children and teachers:

• Children eat at their own pace and some eat more than others do.
• Tying food together with behavior as a reward or a punishment is never acceptable
• Eating should be a shared and cooperative experience with foods served family style. Meals should be a time to chat, enjoy and help each other.
• Mealtimes are opportunities for children to be independent by making choices about foods.
• Encourage children to taste everything but be careful not to force them to eat.

Handling Nap Times

Nap time can present some challenging moments. This routine can either convey warmth and security, or stress and turmoil to children. It's up to the child as to whether or not she sleeps, but it's our job to create a relaxed and quiet rest time. Children often have trouble settling down at nap time because restful sleep is an act of trust. Reasons for restlessness might include a crisis in their lives, excitement about a special event or perhaps a child's temperament

makes it difficult for her to settle down. All preschool children need to lie down and relax for a while, but older children need not sleep. Create a restful mood for children by reading quietly, playing soothing music and rubbing backs.

The Process of Toileting

Going to the toilet is a necessary social skill that most children develop sometime around their second year. The process

of toilet learning takes time, understanding and patience. The most important rule is not to rush children into using the

toilet. As in all aspects of child care, communication with families is essential. The first step in the toilet learning process

is talking with families about their ideas and beliefs. The more we can work in cooperation with families, the smoother

toilet learning will be for the child.

There is no set age at which toilet learning should begin. The right time depends on each child's physical and

emotional readiness. A child is ready to learn to use the toilet when he remains dry for at least 2 hours at a time or is dry

after nap; he indicates beforehand that a bowel movement or urination is about to occur; he seems uncomfortable in a

wet or soiled diaper; he asks to wear underwear.

Here are some further ideas for encouraging healthy, respectful toilet learning in toddlers:

• Ask families to dress their child in clothing with elastic waistbands that the child can remove herself. Also, be sure there are plenty of extra clean clothes available for the child at the center.
• Keep the toileting experience positive and relaxed. Toilet learning is closely associated with how a child feels about himself and we never want to punish, humiliate or push children or compare their progress.
• Comment favorably when a child is successful. Never display disappointment in a child who is not successful.
• Handle "accidents" in a calm, matter-of-fact manner and reassure the child that he has done nothing wrong.
• Careful sanitation procedures are a must. Each child's and adult's hands should be washed thoroughly after each attempt.

Successful Routines

Active Supervision

School Wide Themes!

We are implementing company-wide themes for each week of the month.  ALL classrooms and ALL schools will have the same Theme each week! 

Teachers are still required to complete their lesson plans as usual, just with the designated theme. With all classrooms focusing on the same topic, teachers can work together planning activities and projects for their classrooms, collaborating in creating teacher made Changes to the Environment, and participating in school-wide events. As children transition from one classroom to the next, especially during opening and closing hours, they will continue to participate in activities surrounding the same theme giving them continuous learning opportunities surrounding the same given concept. This will be such a strength in helping our classroom and traveling teachers be more successful with curriculum implementation and evidence of learning…along with everyone being better able to serve the children, their families, and all who are a part of our school community. YAY!!!

Susan Brunk will be continuing to support our masterful curriculum. (Note: although the August theme calendar is being put into place in many schools right away, any teachers that have already completed their lesson plans for next week may continue with that theme.

"We love that everyone is on the same theme every week. Our teachers are already coming together to plan activities and the teacher made changes to the environment!"

 "I like that everyone is on the same theme. I look forward to watching the teachers come together more as a team to discuss and implement their themes each week."

10 Ways to Get Along with Coworkers



Nearly anyone can develop productive, rewarding relationships with their colleagues, says Korn Ferry CEO Gary Burnison.

Put any group of people together and there’s bound to be a variety of strong opinions and conflict over different choices. You see it all the time with coworkers. Human nature being what it is, each coworker has his or her own agenda and self-interest.

The ideal is for all those self-interests to become a shared interest—becoming aligned with the mission and purpose of the organization or project. But that won’t happen if people stay polarized from each other.

Your coworkers are the people you spend the bulk of your time with—whether in a physical office or connecting virtually. When you let your guard down and show your genuine self, others will be more likely to do so as well. That allows you to connect with your colleagues, see them for who they are (including the strengths they bring to the team), and discover commonalities.

As you undertake this journey into greater self-awareness, here are 10 ways to improve interpersonal relationships with your coworkers.

1.    Drop your ego. Ego is not your amigo. You can’t think you have the power to “fix” other people—or that the world would be a far better place if you were in charge.

2.    Hit the pause button. When you’re triggered by something a coworker says or does, you can’t react like a sprinter off the blocks. Pause between the stimulus and your reaction. Speak too fast and you’ll regret it later.

3.    Remember the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated. If you can show a little humility and remember your humanity (saying “good morning” or “thank you”), you’ll be surprised how much negativity can be defused.

4.    Make others feel better after every interaction. Early in my career, someone gave me some amazing advice. People should always feel better after they’ve spoken with you—even if it’s a difficult conversation. How? By focusing on the issues that need to be acknowledged, the problems that can’t be ignored. Ask for and listen to the opinions of others.

5.    Understand others before being understood. Among Dr. Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, one of my favorites is “seek first to understand, then be understood.” What makes others tick? What’s important to them? What’s their communication style? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

6.    Listen twice as much as you speak. Listen to understand and take in information. Don’t interrupt or wait for the other person to take a breath so you can jump in. Don’t rush to judge; ask questions if you don’t understand.

7.    Be open to feedback. Maybe you didn’t start a workplace conflict, but if you complain to any and all who will listen and play passive-aggressive games, you are escalating the problem. Do you say one thing but do another? These habits may be so ingrained, you may not even be aware of your own behaviors. Get feedback from a mentor or trusted advisor, especially if the conflict is with your boss.

8.    Cease the watercooler gripe sessions. The comments go something like this: “You’re not going to believe what they said/did today…” Stop! What do you really get out of feeding the negativity? You’re only escalating the stress for yourself and for everyone else. Unless there is a breach of ethics or integrity (which becomes a human resources issue), let it go and move on.

9.    Assume the better motive. Your boss gives you a last-minute assignment late on a Friday and needs it done by midday Monday. Your coworker announces there’s a major problem, and suddenly you’re dragged in to help solve it. Unfair? Maybe—maybe not. This happens all the time in organizations. Priorities shift and things escalate. When in doubt, assume the better motive.

10.    Ask for and offer help. As you work together on a joint project or team initiative, focus on what each person brings. The more clearly you can see your colleagues, the better you’ll understand how to work with them. What help can you offer to get the job done? What help can you ask for? Working together, focused on a common problem, can help build bridges.

You and your coworkers may never be friends outside of work, but you still have a relationship. By taking the first step to listen, understand, connect, and see the best in others, you can help ensure these relationships are far more productive—and rewarding.

Action step: Write one paragraph on how you can take action to provoke positivity in the workplace based on this powerful statement:

"You and your coworkers may never be friends outside of work, but you still have a relationship. By taking the first step to listen, understand, connect, and see the best in others, you can help ensure these relationships are far more productive—and rewarding."

Click the image to download these resources!

Make Name to Face Fun!

Additional Curriculum and Classroom Resources

Matching and sorting connections to cleaning

10 Techniques for Regaining Classroom Control