Messages from the Movies
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
I often tell the students in my capstone course, Student Teaching Practicum, how working with other teachers in the same child care room can feel like a marriage. In a good marriage, like any good working relationship, one accepts that a partner may have differences of opinions and attitudes, including having certain habits and frailties, but it is up to the other person to help bring balance and work around all of that. I have worked in classrooms where lead teachers have the ability to anticipate what co-teachers need before they ask, and where teachers can finish each other’s sentences. Too often, however, the reverse is also true. For instance, in a less-than-perfect teaching team, caregivers gossip to others in the center and can be passive-aggressive in their daily tasks by going out of their way to subtly or obviously annoy one another. And like with a marriage, children sense when things are going well and when they aren’t. In child care, children as young as infancy, can sense tension between those responsible for them. If they are held with tight hands or read to by a preoccupied teacher, they notice the difference. So, if you struggle with getting along with your co-worker, what can you do?
Be upfront. Just as your co-teacher does things that can bother you, you may also be doing or saying things that bother him/her. Suggest a meeting either before or after the children are in the center and sit together at a table to discuss the issue. Name three things that are not going well and ask the other person if they feel the same way you do. Suggest you both come up with solutions to make your interactions and your job more joyful. This is by no means an easy conversation, but if you are working with young children, the same techniques that you encourage them to use are the same ones that work for adults. Use “I-messages” that go something like this: “When you _______________, I feel __________________, which results in ______________________. I-messages work because you aren’t blaming the other person or labeling their behavior. You are simply telling them how you feel. So here is an example: “When I’m reading a story at circle time, I feel distracted when you don’t sit near the fidgeting kids, which results in me having to stop the story several times to speak to them. How can we make this work?” When you present an issue and phrase it in this manner, the other person should not feel threatened or judged. Also, the best part is that communicating in this way does work effectively. In fact, that’s why we model it daily to the children in our care.
Find something you admire about your co-teacher. Sometimes we only see the negative in someone else. Instead, choose one or two things you like about that person and focus on those traits each day. You may even comment by saying things like, “It was great when you took Jasmine to the bathroom right away today so that she didn’t have an accident. Your quick reaction shows how responsive you are to the children in our class.” Focusing on the positive is reinforcing and others want to repeat that for which they get positive feedback. Like I-messages, this is an effective technique!
Don’t expect your co-workers to be your friends. Working with children has been called one of the hardest and most important jobs you can ever do; you are helping young brains develop every single day. Focusing on the task of providing early education rather than socializing takes some discipline, but keeping that goal in mind will improve the quality of the work you do each day with the children in your care.
Nurture yourself in simple ways. It is easy to be impatient and critical to those around us if we are tired and frustrated by life’s events outside of the classroom. While none of us can eliminate stress in our lives, we can learn to manage it. Simple habits such as eight hours of sleep a night and eating a well-balanced diet will help you feel better throughout the day. Feeling better just might lead to more thoughtful interactions with those you share a classroom with and that’s bound to make little ones a lot happier too.
Working together can be frustrating at times but with a few tools to use when things don’t go as you wish, you will open up lines of communication in productive ways rather than letting issues fester and grow.
My mom called me up some years ago to praise a movie about a pig. As she began to mimic the pig’s squeaky little voice, I started to wonder what this meant and worried my...
It takes a village to raise a child, the old proverb tells us. But we need to expand our perspective, according to pediatric surgeon, social scientist and mom Dana Suskind. In her heartfelt work, Parent...
Dr. Calvin Moore shared that when he first arrived at the Council and took on the CEO role, he was focused on assessing the early childhood education (ECE) landscape, the reach of the organization and...
We have probably all seen the commercials this time of year when you can hear the popular holiday song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, playing in the background as parents dance joyously...
Did you know early childhood educators in Maryland have a special benefit that can help them and the children they serve? The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded a $1 million grant to the...
For the first time in three years, the Education Writers Association (EWA) gathered in person for their National Seminar in Orlando last month. The event drew journalists from across the country to hear from leaders...
In April 2022, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) issued new guidance and an Information Memoranda (IM) announcing the long-awaited, family-friendly policy of permitting families and guardians to use proof of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program...
Dasani wakes up before dawn each day at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, New York. After slipping out from under the covers, she goes to the window. On a clear day, she can see all...
The CDA Advisory Committee was created to provide insights, perspectives, and best practices to the CDA community and other early childhood professionals. Established during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the members’ first-hand experiences...
Chief Operations Officer
Andrew Davis serves as Chief Operating Officer at the Council. In this role, Andrew oversees the Programs Division, which includes the following operational functions: credentialing, growth and business development, marketing and communications, public policy and advocacy, research, innovation, and customer relations.
Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the early care and education field. Most recently, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Partnership and Engagement with Acelero Learning and Shine Early Learning, where he led the expansion of state and community-based partnerships to produce more equitable systems of service delivery, improved programmatic quality, and greater outcomes for communities, children and families. Prior to that, he served as Director of Early Learning at Follett School Solutions.
Andrew earned his MBA from the University of Baltimore and Towson University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland – University College.
Chief Financial Officer
Jan Bigelow serves as Chief Financial Officer at the Council and has been with the organization since February of 2022.
Jan has more than 30 years in accounting and finance experience, including public accounting, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. She has held management-level positions with BDO Seidman, Kiplinger Washington Editors, Pew Center for Global Climate Change, Communities In Schools, B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and American Humane. Since 2003, Jan has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector where she has been a passionate advocate in improving business operations in order to further the mission of her employers.
Jan holds a CPA from the State of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lycoming College. She resides in Alexandria VA with her husband and dog.
Read our monthly e-newsletter and keep up to date on all Council programs and services, as well as the latest news in the world of early care and education. Subscribe today to stay connected with us. You’ll receive timely information on events, webinars, special promotions, and more.