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Sometimes You Have To Make the Best Out of Staffing Issues

Back in December 2011, my school age teacher (of 2 1/2 years of employment) decided to work closer to home and she gave me a 3-week resignation notice. I was quite disappointed, however, I understood why she needed to work closer to home.

The hunt was on for a new teacher! As I placed ads at the local college, on Craigslist, the Missouri Great Hires website and on our social media pages, I realized how tough it can be to find a quality School-age teacher.

In fact, it seems like when I need a preschool teacher, I get a flood of applicants. At least 2-3 days a week, I would get an applicant for the position, however, they were not the perfect match for the position.

As I write this post, I am still in search of a qualified and experienced school-age teacher. I have also decided to work with the youth in my After School program until the right teacher comes along.

I must say, that they are enjoying me, I am enjoying them and the parents love to see me in the classroom. I know that soon, my new teacher is coming and while I practice being patient, I am also mentoring and coaching my teachers as I work in the classroom in the afternoons.

Also, as I work in the classroom, I am thankful that I have youth development education and that I am able to step in when we are short staff. Moreover, decided to give myself a pay increase and pay extra on bills during this season.

I shared this post with you to encourage you to find the positive in staffing issues and use it as an opportunity to do something great for your program. Moreover, instead of getting frustrated because you have to hire someone else, embrace the staff that you have, try to have a positive mindset about it and keep in mind that…This too shall pass!

Since I have been in the classroom, my school-age program has improved, the community in the classroom is more caring, I have more blog post ideas and I feel that I have prepared a great place for my new teacher.

If you have a large center, you may not be able to teach in the classroom, however, I suggest that you have floaters to assure that you are well staffed to assure adequate child-to staff ratio. My center is licensed for 40 children with an over lap of 53 children and I can be counted in the ratio in the state of Missouri.

Moreover, one thing that I have learned during this process is to never stop interviewing or advertising that you are hiring. There many applicants that would love to work in your program, however, it takes time to find the perfect person for your facility.

Keep this in mind when looking for new staff: Be Fast to Fire and Slow to Hire!

I look forward to your thoughts about this post. Feel free to share your feedback or post your comment.

Shiketa

Be sure to subscribe to my weekly e-newsletter for weekly business tips! and check out my blog post on School-Age Care.

Category:

Employee Management, School-Age Program, Staffing

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Inspiration To Start a Garden

I believe that children should be in an environment that is filled with natures beauty!

A week prior to writing this blog post, I post the following status on the Child Care Business Owner Facebook page: Every Child Care Business Needs a Garden. Do you have a garden?

Cheryl Frankowski Owner of Bizzy Bee’s Family Child Care replied to the post and I invited Cheryl to submit photos of her garden. Check out the photos of Cheryl’s indoor and outdoors garden at her home daycare.

Cheryl Frankowski wrote:

“Oh my butterflies – how inspirational this little project has been! Short story – took a garden with kids class, a friend brought milkweed and the rest is history. I planted milkweed about 4 years ago and finally found monarch caterpillars this past summer. We hatched 6 over all – 1 male, 5 females. The last one died coming out of its chrysalis. We pick a stem off and bring them in the house to watch. They eat and eat and eat!! and they poop. a lot. They are in the kitchen window by the sink so dish washing is a lot more enjoyable! These are random pictures from last year.

The one up side down is going into his J and will soon go into his chrysalis. Very fascinating to observe the whole cycle. Truly I feel like I have witnessed a gift from God. The black chrysalis – about a day before they hatch, their jade green chrysalis turns transparent and the black is the butterfly. Up close you can see the orange as well. The butterfly has just come out and his wings are still crinkly. He will pump all the bodily fluid into his wings to straighten them out.

The last pic is of a chrysalis that was on the ceiling. The caterpillars wander around til they find their place. And once they have attached their button you have to let them finish out where they are or it will kill them to move it.”

Cheryl Frankowski wrote:

Pumpkin – we grow pumpkins every year – some with more success than others! It is so much fun to literally see the growth day to day and watch the color changes. The kids each plant one in a container that we can see the roots growing, and then they take them home to transplant.

Tomatoes – a perennial favorite – one little boy will just pick them off and eat them! It is always a great surprise to life a bunch of branches and leaves and see that peek of bright red!

One of our garden areas – about 14′ x 4′ We usually plant tomatoes, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cilantro jalapeno, green peppers, and our little herb garden at the far end with parsley, chives, basil, mint, thyme, oregano and sage. The kids like to go and rub the leaves and then smell their fingers!