The word is finally out. In a Reddit thread, childcare staff have spoken about what they’ve been keeping for themselves and wished their childcare center directors knew. Curious what your childcare staff actually thinks about working at your childcare center? Read on and get some clues about their hopes and wishes that’ll help them do their jobs better.
1. Enforce lower ratios/smaller classes (NAEYC ratio instead of the state ratio).
Childcare is a very labor intensive job. And as the child gets younger, the more personal attention they need. So it’s not a shock to see teachers actually advocating for NAEYC prescribed ratio.
| Age Category | Ratio | Class Size |
| Infant (Birth – 15 months) | 1:4 | 8 |
| Toddler/Two (12–36 months) | 1:6 | 12 |
| Preschool (30 months–5 years) | 1:10 | 20 |
| Kindergarten (Enrolled in any public or private kindergarten) | 1:12 | 24 |
| **School-Age (Kindergarten- third grade) | 1:15 | 30 |
2. Do a proper scheduling of other activities such as prep time, and planning for classes.
In order to be able to care for and help the children in their care develop and learn, teachers must also be given ample time to prepare, research, and explore new teaching techniques and activities for their classes.
For this to happen, teachers must be given time in their daily or weekly schedule to do just that.
Clever scheduling that allows teachers to study, explore, and discover not only benefits them as a professional but also helps the children in their care learn in the best way possible.
3. Hire a cleaning service.
As the coronavirus spread, teachers suddenly found themselves adding another task in their daily routine–cleaning and sanitizing their classrooms. However, with a long day crammed to the millisecond, teachers need support instead of another physically demanding job.
4. Encourage staff to use their PTO.
Another user pointed out that she wished her director encouraged staff to use PTO.
While work-life balance is yet to become a standard for the childcare industry, and benefits even rarer, actually encouraging staff to use their PTO benefits is a great way to maintain a positive work environment.
Starting with the coronavirus vaccine mandate, you can start encouraging your unvaccinated employees to take a paid sick leave to get the jab. As this leave is reimbursed by the IRS, it’s a win-win situation for all.
5. Regularly enforced breaks instead of free meals.
A director went from class to class, relieving each teacher for five minutes so that the teacher could take her bathroom break. This thoughtful gesture ensures all teachers get their much deserved bathroom breaks.
Better yet, provide a quiet, calming break room where teachers can really take a moment to pause and rest their senses.
As centers can be a noisy place, having a quiet room that’s designed to let teachers breathe for a while, relax, and regain their composure can do wonders for their mental and emotional stability while at work.
6. Communicate in a positive way with children.
As Shel Silverstein penned in a poem, “listen to the mustn’ts, child and anything can be.”
Children need to hear what they need to do in order to accomplish what’s expected of them instead of hearing what cannot or should not do.
This way of communication frames every interaction with an adult in a positive manner and shows them that
7. If you don’t have classroom experience or a degree in ECE, you shouldn’t be a director.
This point might be a bit harsh but childcare staff hate it most when a clueless director sets unreachable standards and demands for an early learning educator to achieve.
Now having classroom experience and an ECE degree could help a center director have enough perspective and know what to expect within reasonable bounds of human capability.
8. When it comes to hiring, the center directors and their centers are the applicants.
With the staff shortage rampant, the tables have definitely turned in favor of the jobseekers.
A user pointed out that in order to effectively hire, directors must adopt the mindset of being an applicant and present their best foot forward.
From pointing out what makes the center the better place to work for to providing a living wage and benefits that fit the needs of the applicant and the workplace culture they will be immersed in, center directors must make sure they have the best workplace where the applicant can see themselves growing and thriving.
9. If your turnover is high, look at yourselves and your leadership first.
As the saying goes, people don’t leave a job, they leave the boss. Checking in with your staff also helps a lot. Do not wait for them to resign before asking them how it was working in your center.
Ask for feedback to know what’s going right and wrong in your center operations. Make it an anonymous survey if you feel it’s the only way they can express their thoughts and feelings freely.
As your employees will each have a different way of feeling appreciated and valued, ask them when they most feel valued. Is it through words of encouragement or praise, monetary benefits, food, support, or even the casual check-ins to see how they’re doing.
Knowing what makes each employee feel valued can make your job as an employer easier when it comes to recognizing and rewarding them for their hard work.
10. Listen, actually listen, to what your teachers and staff have to say.
Once they’ve given their insight, don’t let it fall on deaf ears. As they spend most of their time with the children, they have the best ideas and suggestions on how to better improve the childcare services you offer.
They also have the best insight on how to improve the daily operations of your center. So when your staff lets you know what they think, actually listen to what they have to say and act on it if it’s within your means.
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