Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/welcoming-children-into-your-program/5012594/
A well established, accredited program is in the midst of the first day of school. The head teacher is helping ease the separation between a distraught toddler and his parents, while her own son clings to her side, quietly chanting, "I don't want to stay at school, Mommy." The director's son is trying to follow her upstairs to her office, as his teacher attempts to guide him back to his classroom. Meanwhile, a little girl stands on the edge of her new classroom staring into the neighboring room, watching intently as her mother reads to a small group of children.After years of experience helping children and their families through the process of transitioning into our Children's Center, this fall we, along with our director, faced the new and exciting challenge of transitioning our own children into the program. Although none of us would be teaching our own child, the course of our school day would provide numerous opportunities for direct interaction. Knowing that the presence of our children would have an impact on our professional lives and the staff dynamics to which we were accustomed, our goal was to make the experience a positive one not only for our children, but ...