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What Teachers Expect of Directors

The September 1999 issue of Exchange included the article, "Building and Rebuilding Your Credibility: Its a Matter of Expectations." In this article, I outlined what teachers expect of a center director:

- Staff expect you to be an expert. Staff respect a director who knows her stuff, who really understands how to deliver quality child care. They need to know that if they have a problem they can turn to the director and know they will get the support and guidance they need.

- Staff expect you to know what's going on. The most frequently voiced complaint about bosses is that they are out of touch with what is happening on the floor. A director loses credibility when teachers perceive (whether correctly or not) that he doesn't understand (or care about) the day-to-day issues they face.

- Staff expect you to make good decisions. Most decisions a director makes involve a mix of financial, organizational, and tactical factors, factors that few staff are aware of. For staff to have confidence in their director, they must trust that she is balancing all these factors wisely and making decisions that are in the best interests of the organization.

- Staff expect you to listen. Nothing is more demotivating than to believe that others do not respect your judgment. Teachers need to believe that the director values their opinions and takes their input (whether requested or volunteered) seriously.

- Staff expect you to be fair. In order for staff to respect you, they need to be convinced that you will treat them fairly when it comes to scheduling, raises, discipline, and attention.

The Exchange article "Building and Rebuilding Your Credibility" is available in its entirety on our home page at: http://www.childcareexchange.com/

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