Stuck in old ways

[Guest]

Anyone else feel like whatever they do your setting will never be a shiny all singing all dancing type of setting due to monetary/commitee/opinion restraints? There are so many fantastic ideas on here and some of your settings sound fantastic! Ours is stuck in the dark ages and needs serious revamping but just suggesting using a different way of doing something causes big discussions, complaints about resource costs and becomes a "she read it on a forum" narky gossip amongst staff.

I try to be enthusiastic and proactive in finding interesting new ways for the children to learn/explore their environment but it is just great ideas because noone but me is willing to try out new ideas, they simply like the way they do things but it is the same all the time and is not igniting childrens interests

Have had enough today, seriously fed up with the constant battles to implement anything new and then get "well you said" and "on your head be it" type attitudes when we do, even if it works! I'm still adapting to the new EYFS myself so changes do have to be made and things tweaked but the lack of support and stop changing things attitude is driving me crazy. Yes I read it on a forum, a great forum, a brilliant resource forum so how about we try it and evaluate afterwards, see how the children feel about it?...No....forget it.....can't afford it......that will mean mess everywhere......right ok well here goes the never ending circle again. Feel like I should just leave, would talk to my manager if she wasn't the person holding the purse strings and negativity!!

[Panders]

May I be the first to welcome you formally to the Forum, jamandbread! Love the name! What a shame you are being made to feel like this. However, change does worry a lot of workers and we do have to take tiny steps. I can remember when I was training and would go back to my setting and "spout forth" the workers then were "oh, that's what they said did they, well they want to try making it work" type attitudes. The we've tried that and it didn't work types.

 

If you aim to stay at the setting where you are, perhaps you could be a little subversive - not undermine anyone, but if you are a key person to a group of children do some things your way for them. If you are out of the setting and in the garden away from the negative adults, try out some of your ideas, be satisfied with small steps and bring people around that way. When the other staff see the children piling up to be around you and not them they will soon realise that you hold the magic key.

 

Don't be too disheartened to say now and again, well let's try it, just for a term and then evaluate how it has gone, if it really doesn't work and the children don't like it we can have a re-think.

 

I have my own pre-school, it isn't a swanky affair - it doesn't have to be - what matters is the people who work in the setting - their ideas, how they treat the children and each other, their respect for one another. Without these things, you could have a setting set in 3 acres, filled to the ceiling with Community Playthings equipment etc. but it would be a soulless place to work and attend as a child.

[Rea]

Upsy Daisy has a thread going at the moment about a similar thing.

If I was you, I'd just do it.

Do some of the things you wont need money for, risk assess the possible mess and how it can be avoided or cleaned easily.

I used to find out idea on here then make my own after looking in the usual education catalogues

If people are going to dismiss your input because its from the forum, pretend you heard about it at a training day, or read it on the Internet Smile when people mock your ideas and do them anyway. Really enthuse at how excited the children were or how well something went.

Some people are scared of change.

Could you ask your manager if you can have free rein to explore some ideas with the understanding that until the activities have been tried no-one, not even you can predict how they will work out.

Such a shame that your enthusiasm is being tested like this, but dont let them win.

 

Edit to say, just noticed this is your first post, welcome to the forum ::1a

Edited November 14, 2012 by Rea

[sunnyday]

 

 

I have my own pre-school, it isn't a swanky affair - it doesn't have to be - what matters is the people who work in the setting - their ideas, how they treat the children and each other, their respect for one another. Without these things, you could have a setting set in 3 acres, filled to the ceiling with Community Playthings equipment etc. but it would be a soulless place to work and attend as a child.

 

Abso-jolly-lutely!

 

Hi jamandbread and welcome to the forum! :1b

 

Think that Panders and Rea (smart ladies that they are) have said it all really.........

 

Keep at it you know that you are right :1b

[Guest]

It really can be awful and I do sympathise. The way I dealt with it was to do as the others have said and make little changes that I could run and control alone. Once I did the children really responded well and that justified it to me. Slowly some of the staff started to imitate my new ways of doing things and others decided to leave. There were set backs and bad days/weeks/months but it was like looking at the progress of the children - sometimes they seem to be moving backwards and other times we make big steps forwards.

[Guest]

Perhaps I should use the dev statements to monitor my staffs progress and development never mind the childrens! :rolleyes:

Thanks for your welcomes, I will give the gently gently approach a try see if it rubs off on anyone else, I shouldn't let it bother me but somedays hearing the grumbling is just a push too far!

[Rea]

I shouldn't let it bother me...No you shouldnt, but you care so it will

 

but somedays hearing the grumbling is just a push too far! Push back harder, gentle but firm

[Mouseketeer]

hi jamandbread and welcome, never easy trying to bring about changes and others have already given sound advice...from posts not sure of your role, are you a room leader with responsibility for staff but answerable to a manager ? Think I,m lucky really that staff are open to change, which is just as well really ( we have a book hung up in setting that any member of staff can add ideas/suggestions to if they feel something could work better, it's then discussed as a team and trialled, and my committee just let me get on with it

[lashes2508]

or do what i did - just change it , be responsive to feedback and use the ' lets try and see' if it doesn't work we can rethink - only the other week one of my team said 'they would never have allowed the children to mix the sand and water ! so good that they can now!- i have made many changes - lost 5 staff over 6 months but the ones i have left are willing to learn, change, develop and come up with some great ideas- keep reminding them that the children come first and that's why we do it to benefit and enhance their play etc - and make a better and more exciting work environment for the staff too - good luck

 

and i will never stop saying i learnt it or heard it or read it on this forum as so many wise ones have supported me , helped and made me laugh on here -

Edited November 15, 2012 by lashes2508

[Guest]

hi jamandbread and welcome, never easy trying to bring about changes and others have already given sound advice...from posts not sure of your role, are you a room leader with responsibility for staff but answerable to a manager ? Think I,m lucky really that staff are open to change, which is just as well really ( we have a book hung up in setting that any member of staff can add ideas/suggestions to if they feel something could work better, it's then discussed as a team and trialled, and my committee just let me get on with it

 

Hi yes I supervise a room and am answerable to the settings manager. That is where the issues arise, I want to give things a go in our room but get excuse after excuse as to why we can't from our manager. Decided I am going to put little changes in and see how that goes down instead of feeling defeated!

[Mouseketeer]

Must be hard for people who have great ideas but have to get managers on board....when it should really be part of the managers role to strive for improvement and drive the team forward not hold them back...good luck

[redjayne]

As a Manager who does try to strive and drive , and also get's the 'she read it on the forum' whispers from some staff I feel for you jamandbread, and the suggestions made here are good, just change a few small things, and see the impact, after they have changed and you have the evidence, then go to your manager and discuss the outcomes. She may eventually come round to your way of thinking - but beware because she might see you as a threat to her position if you are too successful! It's easier to do things when people are backing you so see if you can get some of the other staff on board too. She will need to step up to the mark as a manager or come the next Ofsted they will tear her apart if she isn't able to prove that she is forward thinking, supportive of her staff CPD and innovative. She will also be penalised if she hasn't kept up with changes herself. Good Luck :1b

[Guest]

I feel that sometimes people worry about making immediate changes because of the paperwork. These days making a change means changing your SEF for one thing.Then you would change the planning etc etc etc. New ideas mean a lot more work .

I loved the good old days when if it worked for the children then that was good. Actually now I come to think of it....isn't that what we are doing now by addressing individual childrens needs. I get lost sometimes as I have been in this business for 30 years and changed when I have been told too so many times.

 

If not enjoying your work and think you could improve things then if I were you I would go somewhere that my ideas were at least listened too! Good luck