Leadership – Who Should Staff and Families Be Talking To

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Who should staff and Families be Talking To?

Educators

Educators talk to their Room Leaders about:

their roster
room routines
training needs
curriculum eg planning, activities, extending learning, intentional teaching
children’s portfolios
learning documentation eg learning stories, child reflections, strength trees, photos
assessing children’s learning
room displays
cleaning responsibilities
resources and equipment – new or replacement
difficulties with other team members they can’t resolve directly with the person
any issues that affect their job
difficulties managing children’s behaviour
service operations
their own special skills, hobbies etc so these may be used to strengthen the curriculum (can be areas not related to childcare)
policies or procedures
learning outcomes, NQS elements and Regs
individual children eg health needs, children’s medication and/or medical plans, interests, comfort routines, family structure
individual families eg jobs, names, family structure, hobbies, holidays
how to improve everyday skills and procedures eg teaching, documenting, reflecting, talking to families, managing and interacting with children, identifying behavioural needs, time management
feedback for Quality Improvement Plan
templates and forms
record keeping and filing

Educators share information with other educators about:

their own special skills, hobbies etc so these may be used to strengthen the curriculum (can be areas not related to childcare)
children and families that other educators may not know (only appropriate information, nothing that breaks confidentiality or is not needed to be said i.e. gossip)
things they’ve learnt from training/professional development
better ways to do things eg including children’s names in the stories they’re reading
their movements during the day, especially if supervising children. For example I’m taking Ava in for a Nappy Change now…I’m taking these four children to the printer to get or learning stories.

Educators talk to Educational Leader about:

curriculum eg planning, activities, extending learning, intentional teaching
compiling children’s portfolios
completing learning documentation eg learning stories, child reflections, strength trees, photos
assessing children’s learning
their reflective practice and critical reflections
their own special skills, hobbies etc so these may be used to strengthen the curriculum (can be areas not related to childcare)
learning outcomes

Educators teach, coach, then assess trainees in:

policies and procedures
learning outcomes, NQS elements and Regs
curriculum eg planning, activities, extending learning, intentional teaching

compiling children’s portfolios
completing learning documentation eg learning stories, child reflections, strength trees, photos
assessing children’s learning
making beautiful room displays
their cleaning responsibilities
their knowledge about individual children eg their health needs, medication and/or medical plans, interests, comfort routines, family structure
their knowledge about individual families eg jobs, names, family structure, hobbies, holidays
everyday skills and procedures eg teaching, documenting, reflecting, talking to families, managing and interacting with children, nappy changing and toileting, the correct way to complete an incident/accident form if they were a witness
templates and forms used
record keeping and filing

Educators talk to Nominated Supervisor about:

personal illness, injury etc that affects their work
difficulties with other team members that they can’t resolve directly with the person or with the help of the Room Leader
any issues that affect their job if Room Leader can’t resolve them

Educators talk to Administration Manager about:

pay issues
qualifications eg updating First Aid or Child Protection Clearance, working towards qualifications
enrolment of children information relevant for their room

Trainees

Trainees talk to Educators and the Room Leader about:

rosters
policies and procedures
learning outcomes, NQS elements and Regs
curriculum eg planning, activities, extending learning, intentional teaching
compiling children’s portfolios
learning documentation eg learning stories, child reflections, strength trees, photos
assessing children’s learning
making beautiful room displays
cleaning responsibilities

individual children eg their health needs, medication and/or medical plans, interests, comfort routines, family structureindividual children eg their health needs, medication and/or medical plans, interests, comfort routines, family structure
individual families eg jobs, names, family structure, hobbies, holidays
how to improve everyday skills and procedures eg teaching, documenting, reflecting, talking to families, managing and interacting with children, nappy changing and toileting, how to complete incident forms
templates and forms used
record keeping and filing
service operations

Trainees talk to Administration Manager about:

holiday plans
pay issues
qualifications eg working towards qualifications

Trainees talk to Nominated Supervisor about:

sick leave
personal illness, injury etc that affects their work
difficulties with other team members that they can’t resolve directly with the person or with the help of the Room Leader
holidays

Room Leaders

Room Leaders teach, coach, then assess educators and trainees in areas that need improving eg:

relevant policies and procedures eg nappy changing and toileting
learning outcomes, NQS elements and Regs
basing daily program on family input and children’s lives, extending learning, intentional teaching
compiling children’s portfolios
completing learning documentation eg learning stories, child reflections, strength trees, photos
assessing children’s learning
making beautiful room displays
their cleaning responsibilities
their knowledge of individual families eg parents’ names and jobs
everyday skills and procedures eg documenting, reflecting, talking to families, managing and interacting with children teaching, identifying behavioural needs, time management, how to complete incident forms

Room Leaders talk to educators and trainees about:

rosters
their training needs
room routines
curriculum eg planning, activities
resources and equipment – new or replacement
managing children’s behaviour
service operations eg information they’ve learnt that team members may not know
their own special skills, hobbies etc so these may be used to strengthen the curriculum (can be areas not related to childcare)
policies or procedures
learning outcomes, NQS elements and Regs
individual children eg their health needs, medication and/or medical plans, interests, comfort routines, family structure
individual families eg jobs, names, family structure, hobbies, holidays
feedback for Quality Improvement Plan
information they’ve learnt about children and families

information they’ve learnt while completing training/professional development
better ways to do things eg speaking to children at their eye level
their movements during the day, especially if supervising children

Room Leaders talk to Administration Manager about:

new families and children eg enrolment information
holiday plans
pay issues
qualifications eg updating First Aid or Child Protection Clearance
templates and forms used
record keeping and filing
service operations

Room Leaders talk to Nominated Supervisor about:

personal illness, injury etc that affects their work
difficulties with team members that they can’t resolve directly with the person
educator and trainee training needs
any issues that affect their ability to manage the room or do their job

Families

Families talk to Nominated Supervisor about:

issues they can’t resolve with Room Leader
service operations
complaints, suggestions, feedback
obtaining information to support parenting and families
problems with educators they can’t resolve with the Room Leader
complaints related to the Room Leader
content of policies and procedures

Families talk to Administration Manager about:

enrolment
fee payments
child’s attendance
planned holidays
updated information eg current enrolment, immunisation, emergency contact details
service operations
parent information library
location of policies and procedures

Families talk to Room Leader about:

their child’s learning and development
what’s in learning program
their child’s learning records
their child’s friendships and groups
their child’s social interactions
behaviour issues
service operations
obtaining brochures or contacts which support parenting and families

Administration Manager

Administration Manager talks to Room Leaders about:

updated information for children and families (relevant to teaching and relationships)
students, volunteers and relief staff
location and supply of forms and templates
filing of records

Administration Manager talks to Educators about:

qualifications eg updating First Aid or Child Protection Clearance, working towards qualifications

Administration Manager talks to Nominated Supervisor about:

complaints, suggestions, feedback
late fees
budget
relevant staffing issues eg staff holidays
students, volunteers and relief staff
staff rosters
new enrolments
terminating families
occupancy rates

Nominated Supervisor

Nominated Supervisor talks to Administration Manager about:

students, volunteers and relief staff
financial information eg budget
occupancy rates

Nominated Supervisor talks to Room Leader about:

difficulties with staff they can’t resolve directly with the person
training needs – their own and those of educators and trainees
management of room
children’s curriculum, learning documentation and portfolios
communication with families
feedback for Quality Improvement Plan

Nominated Supervisor talks to Educational Leader about:

children’s curriculum, learning documentation and portfolios
communication with families
educators’ training needs

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