A Interview With A Leader Of The Local Preschool

Achieving a school district’s mission and vision requires the commitment of its stakeholders. In order to involve them in the process, it is necessary for educational leaders to “motivate staff, parents, students, board and community members” (Educational Leadership Constituencies Council, 2002, p. 4). The transformational leadership theory emphasizes the importance of educational leaders acting as role-models in order to motivate and inspire the school community. This approach has the potential to involve all stakeholders, leading to increased student success (Bush, 2007). The Assistant Director of Special Education in Northwest ISD directly supervised the school district’s assessment staff. Her education, experience, and passion set an example for her subordinates, stimulating them to achieve more, leading to her promotion to Executive Director of Student Services.

As a teacher-leader, I have been assigned a number of wide-ranging and important informal roles in my career thus far that have enabled me to support and contribute towards the success of not only my students, but also my department and my school as a whole. By assuming these diverse leadership roles, I have been able to develop professionally, improve student attainment, positively influence the teaching and learning practice of my peers and contribute towards the culture and ethos of the schools I have worked in.

Literature states that leadership is displayed as a persistent and positive activity (Fitzgerald and Gunter, 2008 cited in Siraj-Blachford and Hallet, 2014, pg.9). According to Rodd (2006), early childhood practitioners need to be effective leaders to make sure their roles and responsibilities are carried out effectively. Although leadership can be learned or developed, it is important that all individual gains access to professional training and opportunities to practice, refined and broadened (Rodd, 2006). Therefore, the importance of leadership and implementation to the setting is recognized by all Early Years Leaders. Leadership can be displayed as a process in which one person, usually it is the leaders role and responsibility to set the purpose or direction for one or more other persons. Then later on gets them to move along together with him or her and with each other in that direction with competence and fill commitment. (Jacques and Clement, 1994, cited in Briggs and Briggs, 2009). Siraj-Blatchford and Hallet (2014) adds that leadership is also known as a process for personal and professional learning and development; organizational change and improvement. Rodd (2013) defines leaders working in early childhood sector as people who are able to influence the behaviours of others to achieve a certain goal or planned outcome. Similarly, leadership in the early childhood sector appears to be more of a result to groups of people who work together to influence and inspire

“Leaders don 't create followers, they create more leaders,” Tom Peter famously proclaimed. As the principal of Crestview Elementary, I have always taken this quote to heart by continuous striving to empower my faculty and staff. Most recently, I have decided to train my assistant principal, Kathy Robinson, who was appointed to her position this summer after ten years as a classroom teacher. I quickly recognized that she possessed many of the qualities that make great leaders. Kathy is an excellent communicator, a great problem solver, innovative, very personable, and cares about the students and staff (Sheninger, 2011). Therefore, I have decided to mentor her and hone her skills so that she will be prepared for a transition to the role of principal.

For the classroom observation assignment I was able to observe at Stepping Stones Family Childcare and Preschool Program. I conducted observations for five hours each on the dates of September 24th and September 25th of the year 2015. This licensed home-based daycare and preschool program is located in a quiet suburban neighborhood on 4103 Bryant Street, Blasdell, New York. The facility allows for a twelve-child capacity (ages 6 weeks to 12 years with four additional school age) and is owned and founded by Kim Bannister. When I observed, there were two additional staff present. Therefore, there were a total of 3 adults and 12 children at the center when I observed. New York State Senator Marc C. Panepinto was also present on September 25th as he read to the children and toured the home. I chose this specific setting as I personally thought it would be an interesting dynamic to study how a home-based preschool program is run.

Normally in a good childhood, a child will grow up well educated and wanting to be a role model for younger children whereas a child with a bad childhood might follow in their parents’ footsteps and be a bad influence to others. In an article written by Victoria Carr, Lawrence J. Johnson, and Connie Corkwell, it is explained that “One of the most important aspects of any early childhood setting is the quality of its leadership. Leaders set the tone and are critical to the development of a nurturing environment that supports families and staff, who then encourage children to flourish” (Carr, Corkwell, Johnson 1). They explain that a good or bad childhood is influenced by the role model in that child’s life. A role model can be a parent, a neighbor, a teacher, even a sibling. To the child, they want to grow up and be like their role model. These role models are teaching future “Leaders [to] inspire those they supervise to find their own voices,” or unfortunately to take revenge upon the people who did not help them (Carr, Corkwell, Johnson 2). A child needs someone to look up to because they need direction; it is up to a role model to show the child right from wrong so they can learn and become a leader in the

A leader is someone who inspires others and promotes integrity and hard-work ethic. A single name immediately wound into my head the moment I read the word “Leader”. Ellen McLemore, a piano director at Lafayette High School, has proved her leadership qualities an inexhaustible amount of times. As the only director of a public high school piano class in Louisiana, the LHS Tennis team sponsor, and a Quidditch Club sponsor, Mrs. McLemore demonstrates many leadership qualities. Between preparing her students with an appropriate amount of knowledge of the fine arts, Mrs. McLemore still finds time to go above and beyond, nearly every day. She in charge of hosting and planning school wide pep rallies, scheduling the annual LHS Talent Show, and

Semi structured interviews with two parents from the Early Years setting, were used to give a more in-depth perspective of parents understanding. This qualitative method of research provided a way to guide the conversation to the topic of research, while still giving the opportunities to follow different paths of conversation to clarify and expand on different points and ideas. It was important to have key points written down before the interview started as this gave a focus for questioning. The interview responses and questions were recorded by hand, written notes were taken down throughout the interview, although this can lead the researcher to respond slower and is time consuming, recording the interview on a Dictaphone has been unpopular

As professional early child care educators, it very important for us to have a clear and precise understanding of the different children in our classrooms. Just by skimming your class you may have some children that have obvious disabilities, and others whose disability is not so noticeable just by looking at the child. These disabilities can come from serval things that occur at conception (genetic) to things long after birth (seizure) that require the child to be seen by a therapist of some sort. The most common therapist I have come in contact with that often visit the children at the center sites are an occupational therapist or a physical therapist. The children may have one or the other, or in some situations, both. I have two children

I chose adolescence, early adulthood, and middle adulthood age groups to interview and I asked three same questions to them. My first interviewee is my younger brother who is 14 years old. We have been brother and sister around 14 years since I was 5. I interviewed him in my house, face to face. My second interviewee is one of my best friends in Korea who is 20-years-old lady. We have been friends since high school. I interviewed her through text message. My last interviewee is my great mother who is 44 years old. We have been mother and daughter around 19 years. I interviewed her in my house, face to face. My goals for this assignment is to compare the different age groups and to determine how this person is impacted by the environment, or heredity, or history. My last goal is to have an opportunity to learn something more about them as well.

Emma Castillo is a manager of Early Childhood at Lakewood Church for KidsLife; she will be the person this interview research paper will be examined. Before she was a manager at Lakewood, she was a manager at an oil and gas company for about five years where she communicated with clients and provided the orders to the employees. During this time she had the reputation of being distant and hard to communicate with because of her job role with the company was strictly business. Emma showed positive customer service but lacked in positive communication with the employees providing the orders in the chemical laboratory. The employees didn’t feel appreciated for their work ethics.

I was excited to see your opening for Early Childhood Educator posted in the Sunday Gleaner on January 24, 2016, and I hope to be invited for an interview.

The childcare centers chosen for this method of the study were selected from the 2016 CASE for Kids Childcare Afterschool Project (CAP) participation list. These centers are currently receiving products and services from CASE for Kids and one of the project outcomes are to enhance program quality in their sites. By interviewing childcare centers, the results will gather the perspectives and strengths of the five program elements identified in the quality framework model. The interview protocol used comes from a similar evaluation done on school-based child care programs. Each Interview requires a protocol of information that will brief the participants on the purpose of the interview. The session will give participants a chance to answer five questions in full details and give a specific example at their discretion. The session will last for 30 minutes. The questions are as followed: (1) Describe what best practices you program is undertaking to ensure a safe and inclusive environment; (2) What do you identify of evidence that diverse learning opportunities are being provided in your program; (3) describe what you see as the effective administrative or leadership strategies in place within your program; (4) What are the collaborative relationships that you identify as meaningfully contributing to your programs best practices? (5) How much awareness, from your perspective, does the broader community have of your program and discuss your

The first leader I interviewed was with Mrs. Brown, A. who is Executive Director of the First Baptist Head Start program. Mrs. Brown stated that her job responsibilities entail a complete oversight of the day to day operations of the Head Start Program. She proceeded by discussing the public policies which she stated was guided by the Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start Act. The agency serves over 438 children through six child development centers. It currently hosts 95 staff members which consist of administration, mental health specialist, disability specialist, associate teachers, teachers, lead teachers, clerical, and custodian. Mrs. Brown proceeded by conversing about her experience, she has been working in the field for over 20+ years. In those 20 years, she has served as a Head Start teacher, Head Start Executive Director, private school preschool teacher, and a Montessori Assistant Director.

Education has many faces, one of them being that of the business manager/director. This particular job is a diverse one with various responsibilities. It is the duty and responsibility of a manger or director to ensure that the district run both effectively and efficiently. In doing so, they create a foundation that supports a solid financial operation. I would define this role as being one that maintains strategic financial plans that allows them to manage the administration of personnel functions in the school. They are also responsible for budget modelling, drawing up base budgets, provisional budges as well as final budgets. They monitor salaries and expenditure and advise the district Superintendent. It is also their roles to ensure that all records of expenditures are up to date are keep the Superintendent and principals informed about under and over spending of budgets.