How to give better feedback to childcare employees
Offering constructive feedback to your child care employees is key to helping them improve their skills in the preschool classroom. By taking the time to evaluate your child care employees, you will not only get a clear picture of who is performing well and who is not – you will also be able to give valuable feedback and constructive criticism to your staff to promote their professional growth.
If you are a supervisor of child care workers, a preschool administrator or daycare owner, it is likely that you will have to evaluate your staff at some point. When used properly, your evaluation process can help to promote open communication between you and your child care employees. If you are able to give valuable feedback to your staff and allow them to give their own feedback to you, your preschool and your children will reap the benefits.
Consistency is Key
Ensure you are scheduling employee reviews on a regular basis for each staff member who works at your preschool. You may wish to meet on a monthly or quarterly basis. Though this may seem like a lot of work, remember that these reviews do not have to be overly complex. While you might want to perform one or two formal reviews per year, your other meetings can be more informal conversations for you to provide honest, constructive feedback.
Don’t Be Emotional – Be Professional
When giving feedback to your child care employees, aim to present only objective feedback based on facts, data and your observations. Avoid acting emotionally or using phrases such as, “you never” or “you always”. Your own opinions should not guide the feedback you are giving. Simply be honest as to whether or not they are meeting the standards you’ve set for your staff, explaining why or why not in a professional manner.
Be Open and Honest
Should one of your child care employees not meet the standards you have outlined, or if they have demonstrated unacceptable behavior, it is essential that you address it. Schedule a time to meet with your employee, and tell them the truth. Though giving clear and completely honest feedback may be uncomfortable, ignoring the situation will not help you come to a resolution.
Consider Your Own Performance
While you are reflecting on the performance of your child care employees, consider how you as an owner, administrator or supervisor are performing as well. If your employees are not meeting your expectations, you should consider how your own actions have impacted their work. Have you hired the right person for the job in the first place? Have you provided adequate training? Are you holding your staff accountable for their actions?
Giving better feedback to your child care employees does not have to be difficult! Remember to simply be honest and open with them, keeping the lines of communication open so everyone feels comfortable voicing their concerns.
We hope you enjoyed our insights into how to give great feedback to your teachers. Do you have any other suggestions that other directors and managers should keep in mind? Let us know via Twitter by tagging @HiMamaSocial. Another great way to track your educator’s performance and give fantastic feedback is by using the HiMama app , so check us out!
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Savannah Copland is a Marketing Manager at HiMama. She has been working for over 3 years in the early childhood education space, and feels incredibly fortunate to have met, interviewed, and worked closely with registered early childhood educators, thought leaders and researchers during that time. She is particularly interested in finding novel ways for child care centers to market themselves and bolster their enrollment. She loves cats, and always needs at least one toy on her desk to fidget with!
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