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Parent/Staff Relationship Building
November 12, 2007
When you parent, it’s crucial you realize you aren’t raising a ‘mini me’ but a spirit throbbing with its own signature.
-Dr. Shefali Tsabary
In the Exchange article that forms the basis for the Out of the Box Training Kit, "Making Families Welcome", Deadru Hilliard talks about her program seeking to build relationships between parents and teachers:

"As we thought about rearranging our classroom, we came up with an idea of putting adult size chairs around the different play areas. They are used to invite parents in to sit and talk with teachers or to observe children in their play. Parents are encouraged to give us feedback about their observations or any suggestions about the room. Interaction with parents and other children also happens during this time, allowing families to form new relationships and community.

"When enrolled in the center new parents are introduced to all staff from the director to the kitchen manager. Each staff member plays a key role in how well the center is maintained. Parents become familiar with all of those who come in contact with their child as well as those who spend a major portion of their day with that child. Parents can utilize any staff person to gain resources and information, even when their child's teacher is not present. This establishes a commitment to work together and with their child so that all transitions to the next level go well.

"Parents are taken in to talk with the lead teacher of the class where they get to see just how parents are represented. They begin their conversations once again around the child and talk about what their values and goals are. There is a specific requirement we have of parents on the first day their child begins and that is to spend one hour of class time with us. We want parents to feel comfortable in their choice and utilize this time to ask questions and start a connection with teachers and other staff."


Check out the 63 different staff training tools — our popular Out of the Box Training Kits — and see which ones address training needs at your center. If you find five kits that you can put to use, you can take advantage of our current "buy 5 get one free" sale.

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Comments (2)

Displaying All 2 Comments
patricia · November 30, 2007
pattycake
Enid, OK, United States


I like the ideal of the parent spending one hour with the child on the first day.

katherine bilman · November 12, 2007
Apple B\\\'s and Apple Seeds Child Development Centers
Warren, NJ, United States


I would think this could be a safety hazard if they are left in the room, of course it does depend on the age of the children - one of our centers is for infants thru 3 years old and I would never think of having adult chair in the room - unless an adult was sitting on it.



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