As parents wouldn’t you want your child’s preschool to be proactive compared to being reactive? It seems too often that schools are placed in a state of “what should have been done” philosophy. Events are unpredictable, but it has become mandatory that these facilities must have plans in place for various incidents.
Recently there was an incident involving a nursery teacher and one of the children. Instead of coming to the aid of the child, another bystander filmed the incident. This questions the integrity of the facility. Did they care for the child’s well-being? What can schools do to bring peace of mind for students and parents?
Discipline Policy
HAFHA recommends that gentle, caring, and positive reinforcement discipline policies should be adapted by the facility. Teachers should execute distraction and redirection discipline strategies when handling students. The goal is for the student to learn, not punish.
Time outs can be effective, when handled properly. Communicate with the child the reasoning for a time-out. When the time-out concludes, the teacher should discuss the misbehavior with the student. Did the child learn what they did wrong? Did the child apologize? Avoid using a time out chair or prop, this embarrasses the child rather than teaches the child.
Teacher Certification
In many states, it is not required for a child care facility to employ certified teachers. At HAFHA, there are non-certified child care workers but they are supervised by certified teachers. This practice creates a more favorable student-teacher ratio. With more teachers and aides, the student will receive more individual attention.
Safety Procedures
Is the school performing fire drills? Classrooms have fire routes listed by the exit, but these drills allow both staff and students to participate. Not only does this procedure simulate proper action, but it allows the facility to check their equipment. Any equipment that is malfunctioning can be corrected so it works when the situation is not a drill. Ask your child’s school what other drills they perform regularly.
Health Policy and Cleanliness
Does the school have a written health policy? If an ill student is in class, does the school have a policy in place that can send that student home? The policy can determine how long a student should remain at home. The policy should be adapted for both students and faculty. This will prevent that student from spreading germs and getting other children sick.
HAFHA contains a manual that serves as a guideline for cleanliness. This manual gives faculty what to clean on a daily and weekly basis. Simple things like disinfecting toys and tables are essential to good health for young ones, especially when they are still developing their immune system.
Early childhood school facilities are not created equally. The school should provide the sense of security that your child’s well-being is their priority. Use these tactics and other strategies from The Visone Method to help your child grow and learn to their fullest potential. Home Away From Home Academy is a private preschool located in Aberdeen, New Jersey. We teach children from 3 months to 7 years old in a violent-free environment. To learn more or to schedule a tour, give us a call.