Journal 6 - Confidentiality

It is crucial in dealing with children the importance of maintaining confidentiality. The scenario in the book displayed a situation where confidentiality was broken on many levels.

1.  The teacher posted a paper on the door with highlighted marks on the father's information for the mom to complete. This lets everyone know that there could be some kind of family issues. And it is not okay to put the parent's phone number on the sheet for everyone to see without permission. Also, discussing the child's physical limitations without the mother excludes her from the conversation.
2. The information regarding the child's records without his mother being present and discussing the child with other teachers that are not working directly with him violated the confidentiality code. 
3. I do not think there should have been a conversation between the two directors prior to his enrollment. 
4. I think if a meeting took place it should involved the mother, the director at the new school, and possibly the teacher. 
5. No, I think having a conversation with the classmates would make Eric stand out more and seem "different." I don't think it is their business and they don't need to know details about Eric that Eric didn't tell them himself.
6. Maybe if Eric would have been able to visit his new school before attending. Going in a few times in the beginning could have helped make the transition easier. Also, meeting his teacher and director before attending may have helped. It seems that Eric came in and they already had a bad taste in their mouth regarding him.
7. The conversation at the restaurant was inappropriate. Discussing a child in your class to other teachers as well as discussing their parents life is a violation of confidentiality.
8. I still do not think the conversation would have been appropriate, no matter where it occurred. Information regarding Jason and his family's status is not information that should be shared with other individuals.
9. I think as a director it is a very hard situation to rectify. Once confidentiality is broken it is hard to gain trust back. Directors need to make sure that teachers understand the confidentiality code and how important it is to maintain.
10. I personally would not leave my child in that school. I feel like they already have a bad impression of Eric and his mom. They consider him a "bad kid" and having family issues. They treat him differently and I think this isn't the best place for him.
11. It would be hard to move Eric because he seems to have problems with transitions. He also seems to have some physical limitations and it would be hard to have to explain to a new place again what needs to be done. Also, having Eric to start over with new children and teachers is hard. Finding a place to accept him completely may not be easy.

This scenario shows how important it is to maintain the trust of the children and families we serve.

Journal 5 - Staff Meetings

Welcome & Introduction of Staff

Staff meetings will be held at the end of every month for all staff to discuss things that occurred during that month and topics that are occurring in the following month.

Our purpose: 
To encourage the growth and development of all children, while maintaining positive relationships with families and the community.

Staff:
Discuss: Communicating with others & parents, following the curriculum, and work ethic

Staff Responsibilities:
Opening & closing procedures, maintaining ratio, keeping classroom organized, maintaining a developmentally appropriate classroom

Children:
Discuss using appropriate positive guidance

Child Assessments:
Complete Fall assessments to prepare for Fall parent teacher conferences

Families:
Dealing with parent questions, complaints, & concerns

Policy & Procedures:
Maintaining confidentiality

Health & Safety:
Ensuring every teacher as the appropriate items in their first aid bags
   
Front office:
New policy for signing in & out school laptop & camera

Staff Lounge:
Sign up for flu shots is located in the staff lounge

Child drop-off & pick-up:
Make sure you are checking IDs of people who aren't normal pick up people and ensure they are on the "Able to pick-up child" list

Questions: 
Would you like to see anything new in the curriculum? Are there any questions or concerns about the upcoming events? Any comments about anything we've discussed?

Staff meetings are an important part of communication; especially in the early care education field. We don't have the luxury of walking to another room or the front office (for ratio purposes)  to discuss issues or upcoming events. Staff meetings allow everyone to get together, communicate, and get on the same page. Everyone needs to be working towards one ultimate goal. Staff meetings keep everyone as a team and keeps everyone communicating and voicing opinions/concerns.

Journal 4 - The way you approach someone says it all...

The way you approach someone says it all. Communication is a two way street and I think that is shows respect on both parts when both parties address each other by their names, shows eye contact, and tries to remain positive (and if it is negative remain calm and find a solution).

When someone comes to me all the time and they won't look me in the eyes, they don't use my name, and are always negative about something it makes me irritated and somewhat annoyed. It makes me feel disrespected. I also find that with negative people, it is just like "crying wolf." When they are so negative all the time and then something serious comes up I don't know to believe them nor do I really want to talk to them. Also, when someone approaches me in a negative manner, ignores what I am saying, and won't look at me it makes me not want to communicate with them anymore.

When one or both parties in the conversation don't show respect towards what the other one is saying, I feel then one or both sides will shut down or in some cases not care what they have to say at other times. Communication is key in everything and when one or both shuts down then nothing gets accomplished. I find that whether you are interested in what the person is saying or not you show respect, look them in the eyes, address them my their proper name, and try to remain positive. Besides, no one wants to deal with a "Negative Nancy/Ned" all the time.

Journal 3 - The C's of Communication

Communication is an absolutely crucial part of being a great child care provider. Chapter 2 in our text is a great tool in how to and how not to communicate with families in your child care program. I liked how the text breaks it down into the six C's of communication. The positive C's being; clarity, consistency, and caring. The three negative communication elements being; confrontation, conflict, and carelessness. It is important the child care providers know how to communicate and how to resolve conflicts or issues that may arise.

Pages 18-19:
The scenario about the family wanting to prepare and bring chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies as a birthday snack is a tricky one. The family thinks it will be okay to bring a snack with nuts in them because no one in the class is allergic. However, the child care provider must explain to the family that just because no one in that class is allergic to nuts that there may be other children in the program that are allergic and they cannot risk the health and safety of another child. The key in this scenario is to explain the importance of no nuts in the facility and that it is a health issue.

Regarding the scenario about the teacher wanting the better shift on Friday's due to her father's stroke, I would tell her that she must ask the other staff if they are personally willing to give up their shift. I understand this could open a door for other issues that arrive but I think that every circumstance is different and you can deal with it as it comes. In this case I believe each teacher should be able to decide if they are willing to give her their early shift. The key is to be caring yet fair.

Pages 22-23
The first scenario is about a teacher who showed her lesson plans to a coworker and the coworker used her lesson plans. I would not make a big confrontation about it because that would just make is a bigger issue than it is. I think I would acknowledge that she took my plans and posted them and then say that maybe next time we could put our great ideas together and do the curriculum together.

This is a tough scenario. The father is upset because he was not told about an injury. This happens quite often because a teacher only has two eyes and doesn't always witness everything. I would calm the father day and let him know if he has any concerns about his daughters care than he is more than welcome and encouraged to speak to the director. I would also explain our policy to him about injuries and also explain to the child that it is important she tell an adult if she gets injured or hurt by another child. Arguing back with the father would only escalate the situation.

I found this chapter very informative. These scenarios are things that come up all the time when working in child care.