We have recently lost one of our to teachers due to a family emergency. I was confident that her classroom was being ran properly. Her student are always on task, their academic abilities are much higher than the average 3-4 year old, and she was always looking for new ways to encourage their development. When I put a new teacher in her room to work alongside her partner, my assumption was that this teacher will fit right in. Her teaching style was very similar to the one that had just left. I was sadly mistaken. This teacher was not running the classroom correctly, the teacher that left was not following the curriculum properly, her students showed no knowledge of routine or structure. The teacher that she was partnered with is very passive and did not want to get in trouble for saying something. I had to meet with both the new teacher and the partner to ensure that we could get the classroom on task. While I was extremely frustrated I had to apply the 3 R’s this week. I wanted to make sure I was not rude, since the other teacher was well aware that things were not right. I had to make sure I was not disrespectful and that I listened while we completely restructured their classroom. This was a hard process as I worked with the teachers, but I am confident that after our meeting, we have created a plan that will help our children succeed.
Monique,
ReplyDeleteThe skills we have learned this week have definitely offered guidance in the way I handle conflict. I agree with your approach to your situation. It is unfortunate when we discover that our teachers are not following curriculum and routines. It is the children that are missing out on great learning opportunities. Having a meeting with the two new teachers was the correct thing to do. Lay out the accepted guidelines and work together to build a strong team approach. Applying the 3 R’s during the meeting I am sure was helpful in maintaining respect for the participants.