Developmentally Appropriate Practice... for Adults!

In the article “Helping Adults Succeed” in the September/October 2013 issue of Exchange, Gigi Schweikert, a national expert on early childhood education, supervision, and team-building writes, “As supervisors, we need to remember that some of the people whom we supervise may not perform or aspire to perform as we do, and that's okay. Our expectations as supervisors should be that each employee does her job at an acceptable level of competence, according to what we have asked. Are you expecting your staff to be exactly like you? If you are, then your expectations are unrealistic. So part of helping adults to succeed is setting clear and appropriate expectations.”

She encourages us to consider Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP):

• Do you use DAP for adults or do you just expect people to be just like you, on your skill level, with the same experience?
• Can you see the strengths and successes of everyone you supervise and help them perform even better?
• Do you accept your employees where they are and guide them to learn and grow?

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.

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