Three Cups of Tea & ECE

Three Cups of Tea & ECE

Cup One: In Afghanistan & Pakistan a guest is invited in for a cup of tea as a cultural formality. As an early childhood educator:

• What are your first steps to welcome children and families into your program? • How do you get to know “guests” even before they come in for the “first cup of tea”?

• How can we conduct initial encounters in a way that invites our “guests” to want to come back for a second cup of tea?

• How do you begin to build trust from your first encounters with staff, families and children?

• What would be important elements in creating a welcoming physical and social environment?

The following are ideas generated from small group discussion in the CDES 122:

Focus on Early Childhood Programs for this exercise, not Elementary/

Secondary Programs. Also, focus on developmentally appropriate practice.

- Tuesday Section:

• Make the room inviting to the parents and the children (how?)

• Teacher’s contact students to introduce themselves.

•Look at child’s files to get to know them.

• Continue to touch bases through e-mail, phone calls, etc.

• Children can have options, be an individual.

• Make the room feel like they belong, help the transition.

• Meet and greet, so the parents and children get a feel of the classroom and see if it fits them.

• Parents stay for first day.

• Juice boxes (?)

• Meet and greet ()

• Room environment/bright interesting - include children’s work

• Know children’s names

• Getting down to their level.

• Get to know their interest/each child

• Marble jar for working to goal (?)

• Always have things that are interesting to children.

•End day with what tomorrow will hold

•Give children power to decide on curriculum

• Continuous projects ()

• Send home newsletter/bulletin board - highlighting activities

• positive reinforcement

• Continue communication with parents (how?)

• Parents come to first day of school with kids to understand you and your teaching style.

• If parents want they can stay all day to get kids used to their new surroundings.

•Play game with parents and kids

• Have coffee and snacks for kids and parents

• Music in background.

• Have staff share ideas with you

• Put together their own class

• Make kids feel comfortable so parents will bring them back.

• Talk to students more so they feel comfortable around you.

• Play games so kids like it at school.

• Having welcome party before school starts to be introduced to staff, teachers, and settings.

• Teacher sending out a personal handwritten post card to the student making them feel welcome.

• Tour with the parents and student a day before

• First day, have parents involved and make the day shorter.

• Staff having a lunch in which allows them to get to know each other

•Have a breakfast in the mornings the first week for students

• The parent will be allowed to go on the bus with student the first week

• Teacher can introduce herself with each student individually before class - maybe a little three-minute session.
•Body language/eye contact (?)

•Communication: orientation, foundation as to what’s included in program, tour of facility.

•Create comfortable environment/familiarity

•Welcoming facility, appealing to eye

• Include family updates, fun nights, encourage parent participation

• Show passion and care about what you do.

•Invite parents to stay and observe on first day

• Show the ways the environment cognitively encourages development

• Updates

•Safety overview

• All staff friendly and welcoming

•Warm/loving/caring

•Continuous interaction; obvious to parents that you care about their children

• Have student pictures around the room

• Smiling, talking to kids, asking their name, bending down to their level.

Wednesday Section:

• Complimenting and encouraging children on what they are wearing, etc.

• Promoting your program by putting fliers, banners, and advertising on website, physically going and inviting people to their community.

•Being friendly, comfortable, invite children by having something for the children to do.

•Have pictures of children in a classroom doing certain activities.

• Have parents of the kids come in and give their input, and also have kids share their ideas.

•Have different events such as family night.

•Have hands-on activities to play w/for children.

• Parent/teacher gathering in the classroom.

• Print out of the curriculum/activities,

•Having a welcoming environment with a variety of different stations such as reading, art, and gardening.

•Advertisement:

• Flyers on the internet

• Word them out (?)

• Add smiley’s, discounts, curriculum

• Inviting:

• Give tours

• Open door policy

• Introduce the children

•Let the parents know their (your?) expectations

•Returning:

• Welcome card

• Profile letter of the staff.

•Get to know the parents.

•Questionnaire to get to know kids (interest hobbies)

• Build a Trust:

•Reassurance (?)

• Let parents know that they can volunteer and that we are open to suggestions.

•Keep them updated. Let them know child’s behavior.

•Be there for the child.

•Try (?) not to embarrass them when they have an accident.

• Welcoming physical environment.

•Make positive notes to parents.

•One-on-one meetings (parents and teacher)

•Orientation with activities to show the parents the system the teachers plan on using (teacher/parent/child).

• Make them feel comfortable, welcome and adequate.

• Build trust with the parent:

•prove you know what you’re doing.

• respect the parents.

• include the parents - share information.

• Let the parents know what is going on with your student/their child on a weekly basis.

• Introduce staff members.

•Know your program - whether you’re the director or staff member.

• Open House for your program.

•Know the names of both the children and their parents/guardians.

• Provide activities for parents and their child/ren.

• Parent questionnaire regarding child’s qualities, needs, etc.

• Pay attention to parents and children’s disposition, attitude as they are walking into the room.

• Acknowledge the parent right away.

•Have a clean and organized and welcoming environment - providing basic class information.

• Be confident as a teacher.

•Be available to families when they have questions - get back to them right away (ASAP).

•Explain who you are (Teacher), because if you do, they will understand what you do.

•It’s important to welcome the children and families no matter what the background.

•If they feel comfortable with the teacher they will come back to the classroom.

• You need to wear your heart on your sleeve if you are the teacher. Meaning, be able to show emotion, and the passion for the job.

•Being able to experience the program first hand. Allow children and parents a half day to spend in the classroom the child would be in and the teacher - to see how they will act and get along with other children.

• Make sure the atmosphere is inviting and welcoming.

• Teachers show the work the child will be doing in the program.

•Be able to show the goals you are wanting the children to achieve in your class.

•Give a tour of the school or facility.