Some examples of selling might be:
MOTIVATING STAFF

When adults find that their own growth and development is nurtured on the job, they are more likely to provide a supportive environment for the children. Adults need to be motivated, encouraged to communicate their feelings and ideas, and supported in their efforts to grow and develop professionally. The Education Coordinator's ongoing support enables the staff to implement the Education Component Plan and meet the overall goals of the component. Motivating staff to do their jobs well and to continue their professional growth is an important part of staff supervision.

Many supervisors make the mistake of assuming that each member of the staff is motivated by the same factors; often they assume that the most important of these is money. However, motivation studies as far back as 1959 have shown that staff are motivated by opportunities for achievement and by recognition of their achievement. In a recent study of 100,000 employees from janitor to chief executive officer, respondents ranked the following factors as those that most motivated them to do their best:

Good pay is the motivational factor that is most difficult for Head Start supervisors to employ. However, it is possible to provide the other five factors through supervisory attitudes and behaviors.

Some methods used by Education Coordinators to motivate staff include promoting staff growth and development, establishing avenues for open communication, and promoting teamwork. These three topics are discussed below.

PROMOTING STAFF GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Effective Education Coordinators respect individual staff members, communicate this respect, and serve as advocates for the entire education staff. They are willing to stand behind staff when they agree with them, even though it may mean disagreeing with the Director or other component coordinators.

Education Coordinators also demonstrate support for staff by acknowledging that adult needs and children's needs may sometimes conflict. They listen to staff concerns, taking each complaint or grievance seriously, and search for equitable solutions.

Education Coordinators also show support for the staff by giving them the authority to make as many decisions as possible. Sharing and delegating decisions demonstrates respect for the skills and competence of the staff.

Education Coordinators have a large responsibility; if they are not careful, the staff may come to see them as the source of all information, the solvers of all problems, and the only ones who know what is going on. Although it is important to establish a leadership role, the Education Coordinator also needs to share that leadership so that staff can develop and grow. It is not conducive to staff development for the Education Coordinator to continually accept responsibility for solving problems.
 

If your door is always open to everyone who has a monkey on his back to come in and leave it, at the end of the day you will have a room full of monkeys. To encourage teachers to accept greater responsibility, require that anyone coming to your office with a problem also come in with one or two solutions.
The following are suggested ways to support the achievements of the staff.

Let the staff know they can ask for support. Encourage the staff to ask for support and assistance. Support can be provided by peers or by the Education Coordinator. Establish a time at staff meetings when requests for assistance can be made and promises of support offered. Support can take the form of providing a helpful book or article, coming to the classroom to observe and then giving feedback, having a one-to-one problem-solving discussion, or making a weekly phone call to hear how things are going.

Make it clear that asking for help is not a sign of weakness; it may be considered a sign of strength. Staff who acknowledge the need for input and support from others are to be commended.

Exhibit confidence in the staff. When supervisors have high expectations for what the staff can accomplish, these expectations are usually met or exceeded. When teachers or home visitors are seen as having the ability to lead training sessions for their peers, they will develop the self-confidence needed to plan and conduct such a session.

Staff who are not expected to do well will not develop. There is often a tendency to give up on certain individuals, lowering expectations for performance. Typically this results in an unmotivated individual who is not receiving the support and encouragement needed for growth.

Listen to and deal effectively with complaints. It is important to take the time to handle concerns and complaints before they become problems. Staff members feel more important when their complaints are taken seriously. Conversely, it hurts when others view a personally significant problem as trivial. A teacher's concern about a shortage of paint for the classroom is easier to address when it is first raised than it will be when the concern grows into a complaint about the inadequacy of all consumable classroom supplies.

ESTABLISHING AVENUES FOR OPEN COMMUNICATION

Effective and open communication begins with Education Coordinators defining and accepting their own roles and acknowledging the individual importance of each staff member. For the Education Coordinators to define their roles, it is necessary to know about the activities of the whole program.

When Education Coordinators feel secure about their positions in the Head Start program, this feeling will be conveyed to staff. A sense of security helps to promote open communication.

It is important to make the effort to get to know staff in both a personal and professional sense and to appreciate each person's individuality. When individual strengths and needs are identified, staff can be encouraged to use each other as resources. There are many experts in every Head Start program.

Staff members also need opportunities to get to know the Education Coordinator, who is a role model for staff behavior. Being a model of open communication lets staff know the value of openly sharing ideas and feelings.

The following suggestions can help foster an atmosphere of open communication within the component.

Allow staff to contribute to meeting agendas. Post a sheet of paper so that staff can list items they want on the staff meeting agenda. This assures staff that their concerns will be addressed directly.

Establish credibility by being available to staff and parents. Avoid being trapped in the office or focusing entirely on paperwork. Structure specific times to be with staff, children, and parents, and pitch in and help during a crisis or special event. Arrange times to interact with the children. Build rapport with staff by getting to know the children and the quality of their interactions. Attend parent functions, such as center, classroom, or home-based meetings. Establish specific times when staff can call or come by to discuss problems, concerns, or successes.

Develop effective writing and verbal skills. Present complete thoughts using short sentences and clear, simple, precise language. Write or speak to express an idea, not to impress an audience.

Show concern for staff. Staff must have access to the Education Coordinator and know he/she is willing to listen. Write reminders to ask about the outcome of Mrs. Jones' field trip or Mark's father's operation (don't depend on memory). Circulate relevant memos and letters, and arrange an occasional staff event, such as a potluck dinner.

Hold individual meetings with each staff member. These periodic meetings are an opportunity for staff to discuss how things are going and to voice their concerns. They are not used for providing feedback on job performance.

Be clear about standards. Be consistent in applying program policies and regulations, and be consistent in using sanctions and censure. Be prepared to sacrifice the less important for the more important.

PROMOTING TEAMWORK

No single person can possibly do all the work of the component alone. Effective Education Coordinators know how to promote teamwork and to share and delegate responsibilities. They do this through their continued use of participatory management. Staff are involved in developing the Education Component Plan, they participate in regular staff meetings, are empowered to make decisions about things that affect them, and are encouraged to work together as a team.

Effective Education Coordinators are good facilitators. "Facilitator" usually refers to the role of a group leader. It is used in that sense here because Education Coordinators continually engage in facilitative behavior. They encourage staff to work cooperatively by asking them to share their ideas with each other. Education Coordinators use conflicts as an opportunity to produce beneficial results. They help the staff focus on the child and family even during disagreements. They encourage staff to share problems so that their peers can assist them in finding solutions. Education Coordinators also meet with teaching teams to help them work out their own strategies, and they help teachers learn to supervise classroom staff and volunteers.

AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO SUPERVISION

Individualization is an underlying theme in Head Start, whether planning for or interacting with the children, the parents, or the staff. Each staff member brings a unique set of skills, experiences, abilities, knowledge, needs, and attitudes to the program. No two individuals need exactly the same type and level of support. People respond in different ways, and their needs for supervision range from explicit guidance to freedom and support necessary to develop their own solutions.

Individualized supervision is an effective way to respond to each staff member's unique needs and strengths. Although job standards define expectations that apply to all staff, teaching is an art, and each individual's teaching style is a unique expression of personality, values, skills, and experiences. It is important to allow staff the freedom to develop their own styles. This means acknowledging that different styles can be equally effective in bringing about desired results, as long as the program follows sound early childhood development principles.

An individualized approach to supervision is particularly appropriate in an educational setting such as Head Start. The Education Component staff is a diverse group. This diversity should be assessed by the Education Coordinator and supervisory behavior adjusted accordingly.

An individualized approach to supervision relies on the Education Coordinator's ability to recognize and understand the different strengths, needs, and confidence levels of the staff. This includes using a broad repertoire of supervisory styles and behaviors. An effective Education Coordinator does not expect all staff to conform to a specific model for behavior.

Providing individualized supervision does not mean that expectations for performance or, job standards are changed to suit the needs and skills of an individual staff member. Job standards remain the same for everyone; however, the supervisory method for assisting the individual in meeting the job standards will vary. Supervising an inexperienced or unmotivated individual requires the Education Coordinator to spend a great deal of time letting the person know what to do, how and when to do it, etc. The supervision provided to a more skilled and motivated staff person is likely to be less time consuming, and will include providing support and encouragement, joint problem solving, and serving as a resource.

USING AN INDIVIDUALIZED
APPROACH

There are three principles to keep in mind when using an individualized approach to supervision. First, avoid misunderstandings by providing staff with an orientation to the concept and approach in advance. Second, continually assess staff skills and needs. Finally, periodically re-examine the effectiveness of the supervision provided to each individual and make necessary adjustments.

STAFF ORIENTATION TO THE APPROACH

Individualized supervision should be explained to the staff in advance. Staff can provide information about their needs to add to the impressions of the Education Coordinator. An open discussion about individualized supervision may also help staff understand that effective supervision is tailored to the needs of the individual.

CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT OF STAFF

Individualized supervision relies on the careful and continuous assessment of the skills, abilities, motivation and confidence of each member of the staff. The Education Coordinator needs accurate and current information about each staff member in order to provide the most useful supervision. This information comes from a variety of sources, such as classroom observations, staff meetings, performance evaluations, feedback from parents, individual conferences, training needs assessments, and reviews of lesson plans.

PERIODIC EXAMINATIONS OF
EFFECTIVENESS

Individualized supervision also relies on the Education Coordinator's periodic examinations of the effectiveness of the supervisory approaches being used. Perhaps a staff member needs more structure until his/her motivation and self-confidence increase, or conversely, perhaps he/she is ready for a less directive approach. A staff member who has made considerable progress may be very frustrated if the Education Coordinator continues to provide detailed instructions and frequently calls to ask if tasks have been completed. One way to acknowledge each person's growth is to adjust the supervision provided to conform with new levels of skills and confidence.

A periodic review of the supervisory approach being used also will help to avoid situations in which the staff becomes dependent on the Education Coordinator's assistance instead of developing more self-confidence. The
Education Coordinator can encourage staff members to develop their skills and implement their own solutions. Follow up can then focus on reinforcing these independent actions.

EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALIZED SUPERVISION

Examples of individualized supervision appear below. The two staff members discussed have similar needs; however, the Education Coordinator provides assistance tailored to each person's level of skill and self-confidence.

STAFF MEMBER A

An experienced staff member is having difficulty developing activities to help a withdrawn child become more involved with the other children and adults in the classroom. She requests the assistance of the Education Coordinator in dealing with this situation. Because this teacher has the skills needed to handle the situation, the Education Coordinator's assistance takes the form of support rather than instruction. She listens to the teacher, asking probing questions that help define the problem. Together they brainstorm different approaches and a variety of activities to try with the child. A week later, the Education Coordinator calls to ask how things are going and to provide follow-up support and encouragement. At this time, she also tells the teacher to call if further support or assistance is needed.

STAFF MEMBER B

A less experienced staff member is having difficulty getting a withdrawn parent to become more actively involved during weekly home visits. In this instance, the Education Coordinator identifies the situation during a regularly scheduled observation. Although the home visitor has not requested assistance, the Education Coordinator provides an objective account of her observations of both the parent and the home visitor. The home visitor acknowledges that she has not been successful in helping this parent to participate in the home visit activities and asks for suggestions. Rather than simply proposing a solution, the Education Coordinator discusses the situation with the home visitor, helping her to analyze the parent's behavior and her own. In this situation, the Education Coordinator and home visitor work together to develop some individualized approaches and activities. Because this staff member is less experienced and less confident, the Education Coordinator works with the home visitor to develop a plan for implementing the approach. Once a step-by-step approach has been planned, the Education Coordinator expresses confidence in the home visitor's ability to carry out the plan. The next week the Education Coordinator telephones the home visitor to discuss progress and provide continued support. The home visitor reports evidence of progress and feels confident enough to proceed with less supervisory support. The Education Coordinator visits the home one month later, and after this observation is able to give specific, objective examples of how the interactions between the parent and the home visitor have improved.

EVALUATING STAFF PERFORMANCE

Evaluation is the ongoing process that Education Coordinators use to identify staff needs and strengths and to promote staff development. Regular classroom observations give clear, objective information that is then used to present feedback to staff. The staff member and the Education Coordinator work together to analyze what was observed and to determine which activities and behaviors are effective, and which need to be changed or improved.

Ongoing self-evaluations are also effective. Education staff members need to evaluate themselves frequently, not just when the Education Coordinator has time to make classroom observations. Staff can be trained to serve as peer observers, or to use a self-evaluation checklist to periodically examine their own skills.

It is good practice for Education Coordinators to conduct formal performance appraisals for each staff person twice a year. Consult the program's personnel policies and the Director for specific procedures. It is helpful to think of these as joint performance assessments that enable the Education Coordinator and the staff member to take an organized, structured look at the individual's performance and make a judgment about how this performance conforms to the Education Component's job standards.

Here are some points to consider in evaluating staff performance.

ONGOING OBSERVATION OF
EDUCATION STAFF

In order to evaluate the performance of the teaching staff, it is necessary to collect accurate information on each person's actual performance working with children and families. Rather than relying on informal glimpses or subjective perceptions of the person's ability, the Education Coordinator should establish a system for observing and recording staff behavior that will yield objective information.

The primary focus during the observation should be the teacher's interactions with the children. The goal is to gain an understanding of what the teacher is doing with the children that can be used as a frame of reference for a feedback conference with the staff member. Observe teachers on different occasions at different times of the day before drawing any conclusions about either the teacher or the classroom.

Observing staff is an integral part of the Education Coordinator's role. The number and length of the observations will depend on the number of staff supervised, the Education Coordinator's own commitment to the activity, and the experience and skills of the staff. It is advisable to establish a regular schedule for observations and conference feedback sessions for each member of the teaching staff. It is suggested that each teacher be observed at least monthly, and each home visitor twice a year. For staff working on a probationary contract or with other special needs, weekly or bimonthly observations are recommended.

When an Education Coordinator initiates a system of formal observation, some staff may feel threatened. It is important to demonstrate that these observations are part of a staff development effort. Observations and feedback are a means of training staff. Success in observing and providing feedback to each staff member will depend to a great extent on the Education Coordinator's relationship with that person; a sense of trust and mutual respect is essential for an effective evaluation.

PREPARING FOR THE OBSERVATION

Before making a visit to conduct an observation, review the procedures and the forms that will be used to record the observation with the staff member involved. Check with the teacher several days before the visit to make sure it is both expected and convenient. If the observation involves a home visit, get the family's permission in advance and make sure they understand the purpose of the visit. Some programs advise families at enrollment that the home visitor's supervisor may occasionally ask to observe the visit.

When observing a home visit, first meet the family members, and briefly explain that the purpose of this visit is to observe the home visitor, not to evaluate the home, children, or parents. When observing in a center, enter the room quietly, so as not to disturb the activities. In either setting, take the first 10 or 15 minutes to become acclimated before starting to write observations. This will also give the staff member, children, and family a chance to get comfortable. Focus on the teacher or home visitor and what he/she says or does. Observe quietly without interrupting. Wait until after the observation to have a discussion with the staff member.

RECORDING OBSERVATIONS

The primary purpose of observation is to provide useful feedback to the education staff. The observations should therefore be clearly recorded so they can be shared during a feedback conference.

Recorded observations should be objective, not judgmental. This is especially important during initial observations when trying to establish a trusting relationship with the staff member. Recording exactly what the person does and says rather than paraphrasing or summarizing incidents facilitates objectivity. Using direct quotes and avoiding judgmental statements will help compile a writ ten picture that can be shared with the staff member and be used to stimulate a discussion of job performance.

There are various methods of recording objective observations of a teacher's behavior. Education Coordinators may simply use a blank piece of paper or may develop a form. Because narrative information is needed, a standard checklist of teaching behaviors is not useful. Sample Form No. 1 in the Resource Papers (VI-l) for this chapter is a useful and simple tool for recording observations. This form will help capture vignettes of teaching behavior that can then be grouped by type, such as the CDA Functional Areas. "Recording Objective Observations" in the Resource Papers (VI-2-4) provides examples of useful recordings and of some that are not useful. A form to be used when observing home visits is also included in the Resource Papers (VI-5).

Some Head Start programs own or have access to videotape equipment, which can be used to objectively record events. Videotape recordings can be extremely effective in making staff members aware of their behavior. No one should be forced to be videotaped, and there may be some initial discomfort, but once the initial awkwardness dissipates the subject of the taping is usually convinced of the effectiveness of this tool. Videotaping accelerates the process of helping staff improve their interactions with the children.

In addition to collecting objective information, the Education Coordinator will eventually want to begin to evaluate the behavior observed and to make recommendations. Again, recommendations can be written on a blank piece of paper or on a form. Sample Form No. 2 in the Resource Papers (VI-6) provides a means of recording the Education Coordinator's and the staff member's reactions to the observation. It is helpful during the feedback conference if both the Education Coordinator and the staff member have made written notes of the observation.

PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO STAFF

The feedback given to a staff member after each observation is key to the supervisory process. In scheduling the observation, always allow some time afterwards for a private discussion of the observation. This time can be used to help the person evaluate current performance, assess growth since the last observation, and develop ways to continue to improve.

Before the feedback conference, organize the observations by CDA Functional Areas or other appropriate categories, such as those usedin the job description. This organization will help structure the feedback conference.

The feedback conference can begin by allowing the


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