FSF Event - Breakout Room Question 6 - How do you provide a person-centred leadership approach that positively impacts children, parents and staff?

[Stephen]

[Helen]

Leadership has to start in building relationships with each and every member of staff you're working with- you need to know what interests your colleagues in their early years work, what their strengths are, and what they might need help with. As a leader, you need to encourage colleagues to have their own ideas, to engage in reflection, and to suggest solutions to problems.

This then leads to each staff member feeling that their contribution is valued- by you, and by the children and their families. So giving staff opportunities to introduce new things (even if you think they might not work), so they can follow it through, reflect and adapt. That's how you discover their skills and knowledge you might not have known about before, but which positively impact their colleagues, children and families.

When I ran my own setting, I used staff strengths to provide a better service for the children- a lively staff member who was great with puppets to take circle time, a staff member really keen on expressive art (I gave her a budget to spend on art supplies for a term), and a colleague who really enjoyed small world play who came up with all sorts of wonderful scenarios in our tuff spot.

[Jules]

I had a similar experience as a teacher in a nursery attached to a school, looking at where the strengths of the team were, and where there were more opportunities to learn. For example - I had a team member who had amazing 'green fingers'. We were lucky enough to have a good bit of garden space. Tapping into the skill and knowledge of that member of the team, we created a veg patch with the children. The team member took the lead on the project, and beyond. We created a flourishing little veg patch, a new space for loads of learning to happen in the garden, and a focus for parent/carer connections to be made through the occasional 'help in the garden' sessions for families. And a team member who knew their 'specialist subject' was hugely valued. As a team we expanded our knowledge of high quality outdoor experiences with children. 🌿 

[timothyabbot]

As a nursery teacher, adopting a person-centred leadership approach is pivotal to creating an environment where children, parents, and staff feel valued, understood, and empowered. Here's how I ensure this approach positively impacts everyone involved:

Active Listening: I prioritize listening to the needs, concerns, and aspirations of children, parents, and staff. By doing so, I can tailor our educational approach to cater to individual needs, ensuring everyone feels heard and respected.

Open Communication: I maintain transparent communication channels with parents and staff. Regular meetings, feedback sessions, and open-door policies ensure that everyone is on the same page, fostering trust and collaboration.

Empowerment: I believe in empowering both children and staff. By providing them with the tools, resources, and autonomy they need, I encourage them to take ownership of their roles, be it learning or teaching.

Inclusivity: Recognizing and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of our children and their families is crucial. I ensure our curriculum and activities are inclusive, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and experiences in our community.

A previous comment to this thread also mentioned the use of Spot trays as a great framework for this. Tuff trays are a fantastic medium for expression with limitless educational possibilities, with the only limitation being our imagination to teach different concepts through creative play. I love using tuff-tray.com pdf packs which have some unique topics when my inspiration is lacking.

This reminded me of activity we did a while ago which was an example of our person-centred approach involved using clay creations in a tuff tray. We invited children, parents, and staff to express their feelings towards one another through clay modelling. This hands-on, tactile experience provided a non-verbal medium for everyone to communicate emotions about each other.

Children moulded clay figures representing their parents, parents shaped their interpretations of their children or their own parents, and staff created representations of their experiences with the children and their families. As each participant shared their creation, stories flowed, revealing emotions ranging from love and gratitude and some challenges and aspirations-mainly from the children towards their parents- but this was a positive as the parents were generally not aware of these feelings towards them.

This activity not only strengthened bonds between children, parents, and staff but also highlighted the importance of open expression and understanding in our nursery environment.