Problems Being An Eyp

[Guest]

Hello everyone!!

This is my first post, although I have been reading lots of your posts and enjoying the discussions so thank you!!

Now though, i really need your help.

I am an eyp in a Montessori nursery. I am not based in a room so am lucky to be able to work in all of the rooms leading practce. I am also doing lots of managerial duties, which is challenging as I have never been a manager before. However, I am facing a constant battle with the Montessori teachers and am now even subject to bullying, as I caught one Montessori teacher writing something really horrible about me and thn was laughing about it in the staff room with other practitioners. This was really upsetting and was the last straw for me as this conflict has been happening since I started last September.

They think that I sat at home and though up the EYP status and I have no say in anything that happens in th enursery because they just do not respect me at all.

They think that I am I threat to Montessori even though I am doing the course to become more knowledgable and i agree with lots of the theories, but not all.

I am dreading going into work tommorrow which is sad as I love my job and am so passionate about it.

I am close to walking out and was just wondering if any EYPs are having the same problems and can anyone give me any advise.

Thank you.

[HappyMaz]

Welcome to the Forum, rebecca7louise - congratulations on making your first post. I hope you feel you have found a place where your views and feelings will be greeted with respect and friendship - it won't be long before you feel at home in our FSF community.

 

I was really shocked by what you said about how you are being treated. Is there anyone in this setting who you feel comfortable talking to about your situation? I can't imagine what justification there could be for one professional person to write about a colleague in terms that would be so upsetting - but certainly it must be addressed by the setting leader. I imagine there were witnesses to what happened, but from what you say it is unclear whether there is anyone in the setting who witnessed what happened who would be prepared to support you. Have you got a copy of your complaints/grievance procedure to hand - if it were me I would be seriously considering making a formal complaint against this teacher although I understand how difficult that must be for you to do given the atmosphere you are working under.

 

I can well understand your thinking about walking out - to have undertaken the level and amount of study (and committing yourself to further Montessori training) shows great commitment on your part and you deserve respect and not condemnation for doing what is basically what an EYP should be doing: challenging and leading practice across the setting.

 

I wonder if the introduction of an EYP to your setting was properly explained to the existing staff team, and if not it is possible that you are bearing the brunt of some frustration, misunderstanding and maybe even jealousy. However that is no excuse for such bad behaviour, and nor can what happened to you be excused on the grounds of someone 'having an off day' or being under stress.

 

Clearly you need to take this further but I know this will take courage and determination on your part and you should not do it unsupported. Are you in a union or can you talk to your local authority early years support team?

 

Otherwise I'm at a loss to know what to suggest - but I do know that you deserve better.

 

Good luck - and keep us informed of how things go.

 

Maz

[Cait]

What a sad first post. I'm glad you've joined in the chat and I'm sure an EYP will be along soon. I'm Senior Practitioner so not EYP, so I can't really help on those lines, but as a Manager I can say that my heart goes out to you. These people are acting in a most unprofessional manner - Montessori trained or not. Their previous training does not give them the right to treat you in this way, and as you know EYFS has 'levelled the playing field' so to speak with the way we do things in Preschool. My first thought is that they feel threatened by EYFS and feel that their previous knowledge doesn't prepare them for these new directives, whilst you have this information - so you are the obvious target of their frustrations.

 

As to advice, I can only suggest you don't let them see they are 'getting to you' that's how bullies win. Rise above it and show them that you know your stuff and won't be cowed by them. Just keep plugging away and you know we are all here for you when you need us!

[Sue R]

I have little to add to that excellent response, but feel the need to offer my support to you as well.

 

Chin up - And welcome!!

 

Sue xx

[Guest Wolfie]

Hi and a warm welcome from me too! I've nothing to add to Maz's excellent response other than my own support and encouragement - keep posting and letting us know how you're getting on this week.

[hali]

hello and welcome - sorry to hear about your troubles - hope you can let off steam here

[Guest]

Hello and welcome!

 

I'm sorry to hear about how you are being treated and can't add anything more to Maz's good advice apart from my support for you and a booklet which may be useful which I found at the Montessori stand at the Education Show.

The booklet is called

 

'Guide to the Early Years Foundation Stage in Montessori settings' Ref no: 00225-2008BKT-EN & is available from http://www.montessori.org.uk/college.php

 

The booklet demonstrates how the Montessori approach 'shares the underlying principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and supports the welfare and learning development requirements.' Maybe it would be worth getting a couple of copies for them to read?

 

Thinking of you and hope you get things resolved soon.

 

K

[julie 12]

rebecca7 louise, have you been at this nursery for long? The existing staff may feel threatened by your position and status (although that is no excuse for their unprofessional behaviour). As a nursery owner I receive a grant from the graduate leader fund through our Sure Start unit to support our EYP to enhance her salary and release her to attend conferences and training. I would contact your early years advisory team for support, the EYFS does have some areas that do not relate well to Montessori settings ,this is an issue that you and the rest of the staff should tackle as a team, I would speak to the nursery owner as she is responsible for meeting the requirements of EYFS and your professional development and wellbeing.

Good luck

Julie

[Guest]

Wow! this response is truly refreshing and feel that I can now be apart of this friends group, as it can feel lonely at times.

 

I mentioned that I was going to take it further and it was suggested that we ask the children to say sorry and that is enough. However, it allows people to think that it is right to treat me and others in this way and it is not!! I also think now that I have better things to be doing with my time, i.e working with the children, but it is still not right and I don`t want her to get away with it.

 

My job role has been explained many times and I have asked what they want from me but it is always negative comments. Don`t get me wrong it is not everyone, I have a great working relationship with most practitioners, but not the teachers.

 

They have read the 'guide to EYFS in Montessori settings` but they still do not understand that I am working towards the same outcome as them, and my ultimate goal is to ensure the children have a great time in our nursery.

 

I will keep trying as I do not want to fail and if I walked I would have failed and I am not a failure, but want the best for our children.

 

Thanks again and I will keep you posted.

x x x

[HappyMaz]

I mentioned that I was going to take it further and it was suggested that we ask the children to say sorry and that is enough.

Well that is certainly an interesting point of view! I really don't think the 'sorry makes things better' approach to staff conduct is an appropriate response here - and I'm sure any industrial tribunal would take a dim view of this as a method of tackling bullying in the workplace.

 

I'm glad you're feeling more positive and less alone as you face this difficult situation, rebecca7louise - that's what we're here for!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Sorry to hear about how you are being treated rebecca7louise - it seems like a very straightforward case of jealousy to me - I and I am sure many other EYP candidates and EYPs will experience similiar because we are bringing about change and may be promoted over and above other staff who see themselves as more experienced and knowledgable - what I am trying to say is don't take it personally - it isn't you its the role that you have.

 

However it is not nice. I would agree see if you can get support from manager. Perhaps you could make some suggestions on how to proceed? The first would be to address the issue though staff appraisals - are they due for one soon? I think that 'professional relationship with colleagues' should be a new category in their appraisal sheets if not already there. Another idea would be to pilot a peer review system (with staff input on how this would work), which could include a variety of standards for staff to assess each other against - including courtesy to colleagues but also other things that they feel are important. You could always volunteer for them to assess you against these benchmarks to get the ball rolling. Other ideas are some team building exercises, perhaps using an external trainer, or again asking the negative few for ideas. In addition perhaps confronting the negative teachers head on by setting up a meeting with them on an individual basis, saying you get a feeling they are not happy with you or you role, and asking them if there is anything they want to say to you or anything that they think you should be doing that you are not doing?

 

Just brainstorming - a subject close to my heart which is why I seem to have gone on and on.....

[Guest]

A warm welcome to the forum from me too rebecca7 louise

 

So glad you've felt able to share your problems, and do not feel so much alone. Management can be a lonely position but also a position with lots of opportunities to gain a job satisfaction in enabling positive changes. I'd normally suggest patience in working with changes. However, September is long enough now so hopefully the shift of attitudes from 'storming' to 'norming' is just around the corner. Your second post is much more positive so I'm guessing it is just one or a few of your staff who are not managing their own ability to cope with change. You are the only one (sorry,that lonely place) in a position to know whether this/or these persons require extra support or disciplinary measures. Be confident however that you have the knowledge and skills to judge this, take the people person emotions out of the equation for a moment and decide on further actions through your assessments of the facts. Deal with the troublesome staff using the policies of the setting, and hold your head high in the knowledge that you deserve better, but just as importantly the other staff, the children and the setting as a whole deserves to have a FULL team of professionals who can work together as a team.

 

Best of luck and let us know how it goes. I do believe that this is a turning point that you will deal with effectively and successfully.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

Hi there,

 

I'm an EYP candidate three months away from finishing my course. I have experienced similar things to you rebecca, staff being nasty behind my back, questioning my practice and undermining me without cause to management, and generally being quite horrible and manipulative. I too have considered walking out and even leaving childcare entirely because of the attitudes of the people I have been working with. However, in one last ditch attempt to sort things out before I gave up I approached the manager and asked her hold a staff meeting specifically to discuss my role and to air any grievances there might be regarding that role, or my conduct. The manager reluctantly agreed (she hates conflict and is always reluctant to deal with issues head on). I spoke with each staff member individually and explained to them what the meeting was for and encouraged them to discuss any issues they had openly in the spirit of constructive criticism which could help us all to improve the setting, and reduce the stress we were all working under at the moment. All the staff attended and rather surprisingly, most had positive comments, and chose not to discuss the negative things which had been being circulated behind my back. I was quite surprised and felt that the meeting had not been successful and worried that the problems would continue. However, it seems that being proactive and challenging the staff to put forward their points of view in front of their peers and myself to come up with solutions must have made them realise that they were being petty - since the meeting there have not been any further incidencts and I have felt that there is more respect for me and my role with staff being much more supportive and co-operative. I don't know if something similar would be appropriate in your situation, but certainly this experience has taught me that in future the best approach seems to be to challenge bullies openly to explain their point of view and provide a forum to come up with solutions to the issue - it seems that most problems disappear when they realise that you are interested in their point of view and want to work with them, not against them.

 

Good luck, my thoughts are with you!

[Guest katylouise1984]

Hi everyone!

I can totally see where you are all coming from too. I have been given the role of aspiring EYP and access the Graduate Leader fund. I am now not based in a room and work 4 days, 1 day in our toddler room, 1 day in our pre school room and 2 days in our tweenie room. I sometimes get a couple of hours a week to gather my thoughts together, when my time is not being consumed being a key person to children in these rooms, and doing practically the same as a team leader. I am in cycle of highlighting the poorer practice that I see as I work in these rooms, but when it comes to light, I am told that I can't expect staff (2 are of level 5 trained!) to take on board quality practice, as it is above their ability. Since then I have been to a conference that highlighted what the role of the Graduate Leader is and now feel very disheartened that when quality practice is not in place, questions will be raised of my ability. Good leadership is where we show staff what is expected of them, give them the goal, and then work out how to get there. I have the problem that my nursery owner, who is really the manager, thinks staff should have small goals, and then keep moving the goal posts. This is causing them to feel they are doing their role and then we have to say actually, we're moving the posts again.... surely thats not a good feeling for staff?

 

Is it a good idea to have decided upon putting EYP's in a private workplace where you are unsupported in your knowledge and end up either backing down on what you believe is best for children... or leaving to work within the local education authority?

 

I am sure there are lots of people out there on the brink of leaving this role. I am crying out to the local authority to support us in this. Has anyone had any positive outcomes from this?

[HappyMaz]

Is it a good idea to have decided upon putting EYP's in a private workplace where you are unsupported in your knowledge and end up either backing down on what you believe is best for children... or leaving to work within the local education authority?

I agree with your owner that staff (like children!) need a degree of 'backchaining' so that you can identify small steps that when they are built on and linked together will bring about an improvement in their practice so that eventually they will reach the goals set for delivering quality practice. However, whilst these small steps are happening, they do need to keep an eye on the bigger picture: that in order for children's outcomes to improve, we need to be the best practitioners we can, and aspire to be better practitioners irrespective of what level of qualifications we have.

 

If they can see the small steps in the context of the overall aims for the setting (and if they are personally motivated to recognise where their personal practice could be developed) then they will stop seeing it as someone moving the goalposts. Then they can begin to recognise that quality improvement is a continual process of reflecting and evaluating what we do and monitoring how effective we are in meeting children's needs. Nothing stands still, especially in early years and our practice must evolve to keep pace with the needs of the children we care for. That said, it is important that our strengths and successes are recognised and celebrated - and that we don't try to change too much at once otherwise we run the risk of losing our identity and ethos completely.

 

The role of an EYP is a complex one and it does need support from owners and those who manage EYPs so that there is a shared vision from the top of the organisation. If you don't think you and your owner share the same aspirations, or have an agreed process of achieving them, then you need an honest discussion to see whether these differences can be resolved and a compromise reached. I think the fact that an EYP's job description varies from setting to setting doesn't help, especially around questions such as whether they should have key children or whether they should be supernumerary or be counted in ratios etc. There has to be space in the working week to reflect on what is happening and identify priorities for supporting and coaching staff where necessary, and it can be hard to see where this time can be found if you are spending most of your time on duties supporting your role as a key person.

 

I certainly think EYPs are needed in PVI settings to bring about change and improvement in quality - after all that is what the role was designed for. I am sure those people who work for Local Authorities would say that they face just as many frustrations in trying to support settings to improve their practice - the grass is rarely greener on the other side of the fence! I think the best way to achieve change is from within, but it does require a willingness on everyone's part to work together to achieve a set of aims and objectives on which everyone is agreed.

 

I hope you and your owner can agree a set of operating principles so each of you knows where your responsibilities lie, and that you can support each other during what is a time of transition. Just as you are wrestling with your new role and how to improve practice, your owner may be finding it hard to adjust to someone else in her setting who is addressing issues that previously she alone was concerned with. Perhaps she feels the tiniest bit threatened?

 

Sorry - I do go on! Soapbox now vacated for someone else!

 

Maz

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum rebecca7louise I've not long joined and am finding it invaluable, so I hope you too will soon feel 'part of the family'

 

As an EYP too, I think you have already been given lots of very good advice, but have a couple of thoughts to add. All local authorities should have an EYP support network with events etc to attend as all LA's were given money to set one up. Have you been to any of these? It may be a good way to meet up with opthers locally and to support each other. I go when I can to the meetings, but the best bit is that I have got to know a couple of others and we meet occasionally at the pub and have a good moan - no sorry, share good practice ideas!!

 

I think Maz has already emphasised how helpful it is to emphasise the good practice that is already used. I agree totally. If children need to be praised 8 times to balance out each negative comment them hear, so do adults.

 

We are working on a QI programme and one of the principles is that everything has to be done through whole staff team discussion and I find this works. It means nothing is 'imposed' by one person. Of course as EYP, I drop in questions and suggestions to make them think but they (I hope) then feel they have come up with ideas for improvement all on their own!

 

Will be interested to hear how you get on.

 

Keep your chin up!

Gruffalo2

[HappyMaz]

I go when I can to the meetings, but the best bit is that I have got to know a couple of others and we meet occasionally at the pub and have a good moan - no sorry, share good practice ideas!!

This is a good point: the EYP networks are good but usually the best support comes from people doing the same kind of job and who understand what you're going through, and in informal contexts rather than around a meeting table. That's why this Forum is so great!

 

What kind of support do EYPs and EYPS candidates get in your area, Katy?

 

Maz

[Guest]

I'd be interested in how other EYP networks are set up too. Do others let EYP candidates take part? What topics have they covered? What events?

 

Perhaps there is another thread somewhere, I'll do a search.

 

Gruffalo2

[Guest katylouise1984]

This is a good point: the EYP networks are good but usually the best support comes from people doing the same kind of job and who understand what you're going through, and in informal contexts rather than around a meeting table. That's why this Forum is so great!

 

What kind of support do EYPs and EYPS candidates get in your area, Katy?

 

Maz

 

Currently the Local Authority are trying to work out a way of getting the EYP's and candidates, together and to be a able to fund it. This forum was suggested though so fingers crossed they will figure something out soon. In response to your advice before thank you, I do admit my nursery owner feels threatened however she employs 2 managers and 5 deputies 2 of which are nominated Graduate Leaders, for two 40ish place pdn's so it's a large managerial set up to follow for us all and I'm sure all the staff, me included would like to see a role for myself developed and understood.

 

Change is not easy I guess

[HappyMaz]

Change is not easy I guess

Quite so! Understanding where they're coming from helps to a degree doesn't it - but it can't remove all of the frustration you feel as you struggle to come to terms with how it affects you in your job.

 

Chin up - at least we're here when you need to rant!

 

Maz

[Guest]

We have an eyp in our setting and I have to say I value her role and her support towards both me and the rest of the staff team. We both have different roles to play within our setting but these roles to an extent will overlap too, I fine that to have someone to bounce ideas off and to help make positive changes within our setting is most welcomed,

jojom x