Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/responding-to-the-challenge-of-providing-continuity-of-care-in-multi-age-classrooms/5020457/
As a former school teacher and fairly new child care director, I was eager and fully committed to providing a physically and emotionally healthy environment for children. However, I was hesitant when I applied for the director’s job in a program just being established that would implement continuity of care with multi-age groupings. I knew a little bit about the concept but was in no way knowledgeable of how to implement it. I quickly learned that I had to make supporting my teachers and staff a priority, and that I had to understand and embrace the concept myself.We were a new team learning to work together, and we were all intrigued, yet intimidated, by the idea of continuity of care with multi-age groups. While the teachers had experience working with young children, few had worked in multi-age groups, and none had been involved in programs that implemented continuity. Further, children were enrolled and attending so we couldn’t stop moving in this direction. At the same time, we wanted to move in the right direction.
The First Question I Asked Was “Why Not?”
• Why not build ‘school families’ where teachers are given the opportunity to invest in the lives ...