Suggests ways to improve administration leadership skills such as writing a letter of appreciation to the person "who gave one a break"; what to do if one is a "workaholic"; getting the most out of seminars; effective telephone communications; living a healthy lifestyle; effective time management; and preventing…

Provides day care center directors with relevant ideas for working with staff. Ideas include building "team spirit" among staff members; effective listening; gaining respect from staff members through effective decision-making skills; recognizing and correcting administrative errors; and effective group management techniques. (Author/BB)

Presents five story telling strategies--inspired by the work of Vivian Paley--that teachers can use to discover children's perspectives in a classroom: share the story of our names, share favorite stories from childhood, pass the paper and find the different stories, act out the story with different communication styles, and see our work as making…

Describes infant-toddler training-of-trainers workshop in which trainers respond to trainee resistance through role-plays illustrating respectful and disrespectful ways of training and through discussions focusing on accepting and acknowledging the feelings of trainees and trainers. Asserts that forming diverse training teams, valuing opposing…

By considering right and left brain orientation and personal learning styles, directors can begin to identify the thinking patterns of teachers and develop training methods that effectively meet staff training needs. (Author/BB)

While the recession has slowed the overall growth of the "for profit"' child care sector, many new players are entering this arena bringing fresh perspectives and new energy. To glean some insight into how these new players view prospects for that sector, two of the new leaders, Tom Heymann and Gary Graves were interviewed. Heymann was appointed…

Suggests the use of timely communication through feedback for the purpose of boosting staff morale. Managers can cause employees to motivate themselves by restructuring jobs to satisfy employees' needs, by using artful criticism, and by asking employees about morale. Includes a list of key ingredients of a satisfying job. (SH)

In this dialogue between two specialists in staff development of child caregivers, the roles of early childhood teachers and child care directors are considered. The need for teachers to observe play and the ways in which training can motivate teachers to observe play are discussed. Directors need to model observation skills for novice teachers.…

Introduces "Beginnings," a 16-page, pull-out section that contains workshop materials for directors to use in teacher training. This issue of "Beginnings" deals with the theme of conflict resolution. (LB)

Maintains that staff guidance in early childhood and child care programs can be optimized when it functions within the guidelines of developmentally appropriate practices in regards to staff age, stage appropriateness, and individual appropriateness. Differences in individual staff temperament and cognitive styles are considered. (BB)

Provides an analysis of the essentials for providing quality child care, taking into consideration interaction among the child caregiver and the children, activities, caregiver-parent interaction, caregiver development, leadership, staffing, school space, health and safety, and nutrition. (HOD)

Presents ideas expressed by prospective childcare administrators (early childhood education students) in papers addressing their visions of an ideal childcare center. Some of the ideas presented cover salary ranges, size of the center, student diversity, placement of the center, and innovative ideas related to personnel benefits and building…

Discusses the challenges faced by child care center directors whose centers are expanding. The effects of expansion on programing, staff, flexibility, budgeting, communication, and group dynamics are considered. (LB)

Summarizes national studies relating staff education/training to child care quality. Finds that more training/education yields higher quality, but no study identifies the most effective dimensions of training/education for improving teacher behavior or child outcomes. Suggests that a common nomenclature for education/training is needed for…

Provides tips for improving staff communication in early-childhood centers. Suggests directors use a bulletin board that invites notes from employees; make sure that the center's newsletter invites input and letters to the editor; have an open-door policy or a visitors' time; and most importantly, focus on listening to what staff has to say. (AA)