OUR COMMITMENT PROJECT
In the spring of 2017 our team of managers and administrators began a process of reflection and goal setting. What has come to be called
Our Commitment Project
is an effort to reinforce our dedication to what we believe makes EFC such a special place for children, families and staff.
As a team we gathered, reflected and brainstormed. Together we came up with one line that summarizes our overall goal:
Our commitment is that children will thrive in classrooms led by engaged and passionate teachers.
From there we had discussions about what that sentence means to us. What did we need to do to be assured that all our children are thriving? How can we support our teachers so that they feel engaged in their classrooms and passionate about their work?
We divided into three teams and have been working together to support this commitment.
The three teams are:
- Mentoring
- Training
- Strong Leadership
The
Mentoring Team
has launched a program where each newly hired teacher-qualified employee is teamed with a Coach for the first three months he/she is employed. While we know our veteran teachers have always served as informal mentors for new staff, this program has allowed us to solidify and enhance that relationship. It not only makes the newly hired employee feel more supported, but it also provides leadership opportunities for the staff who have been trained to be Coaches and can share their immense experience with new colleagues.
Our
Training Team
has come up with several ways to improve our training. We have launched a Staff Intranet where teaching staff can share ideas and access resources to help them in their classrooms. We are offering more regular staff trainings on topics that the staff have requested. We have increased the number of classroom observations we are doing each year to be able to give teachers more specific feedback and support. These have been great opportunities to assure that teaching staff know how much we appreciate what they are doing.
Our
Strong Leadership Team
has spent time assessing our job review tools and feedback systems. They are looking at our current staff recognition opportunities and proposing new ways to have staff acknowledged for the exceptional work they do. The team is evaluating communication systems and offering new ways that teaching staff can take on leadership roles.
We feel very pleased with the way
Our
Commitment
project has given us new opportunities to support what Especially for Children has always believed in—that engaged and passionate teachers help children thrive.
