The management style of myself as a professional most closely correlates with the

“doer” administrator category. My reasoning for quickly matching myself to this

particular staff style is simply because I often have the nature to work hard for better

results. While I strive to enjoy the ride and process of reaching a particular point in the

work atmosphere, I find myself getting overwhelmed at some points in time, especially if

results are not adding up. For instance, when we begin a big project in my preschool

worksite, I often am the type of person to be conducting research on the side during my

own, personal time at home to verify we are headed in the right direction. My first year of

teaching, my boss and I decided to plant flowers and vegetables with our students to

teach them the value of nurturance, caring for something other than ourselves, as well as

to demonstrate to them what a little patience can do for all of us overtime. I will admit,

my director and I were a bit apprehensive when we first began this project with the

children, as we both grew weary about whether or not the plants would grow and if they

did nothing, how would we explain this stunted growth to the youngsters in our

classroom. As a result, we were surprised to find that the flowers and vegetables sprouted

and grew beautifully overtime. At this time in the school year, May, we decided to send

them home with the children to ask that their parents and families help them finish caring

for their plant projects. Through the idea of testing out this project, not only did the

children learn the value of patience, but we as teachers did, as well.

As described on page six of our text, the administrator of a child care facility can

earn the buy-in of his/her colleagues when the staff members buy into the job one is

performing because they feel respected and valued in the program’s environment. As one

can imagine, these are huge shoes of responsibility to perform and make a reality for

everyone in attendance at the child care environment. I am not yet a child care director,

but I have noticed that in my work ethic in a child care facility, I always make sure to

believe in my staff members, even when they do not see their worth in their current job

position. For instance, I am always sure to thank the school cook after she serves my

class our lunch during mealtime. I can only hope that the children who are watching my

every move can recognize that manners and making others feel the way they would want

to be accepted and valued in return, can be of inspiration to them.

As a soon-to-be child care director, I also plan to help my colleagues reach their

full potential by informing them of their strengths, as well as not being afraid to privately

and respectfully, inform them of their weaknesses or what areas of their work ethic could

still use some improvement. My reasoning for taking initiative on these particular tasks is

due to me as the director witnessing all the potential each of my hired staff members

holds inside them. Whether this work has been released from the inside of them and

displayed in the workforce is up to the devotion that the member of my team is willing to

put into their occupation. Even when one of us has a rough day, I would always be the

director to return to work each day with a smile on my face, as much energy as I can

provide and do my best to motivate my staff and remind them of our center’s vision: to

make a lasting impact on the lives of children and their families in our great state of West

Virginia. This is a career we should never take for granted and there is always a light at

the end of the tunnel. I would remind my staff that when the going gets tough, as it does

in every career path out there, to sit down on the circle time carpet and hold a

conversation with a child in our care. Soon, they will find that children have all the right

answers to what life is all about: laughing off all of our mistakes and living for the

moment. Knowing this, how could anyone not be motivated to return to work each day

and make a difference in the life of a young child by providing them with a strong

foundation of social and emotional knowledge to carry them through the rest of their days

still to come.

Linda Hill, a professor at Harvard, suggests in her Leadership and Management

article that conflict will arise in the early childhood workforce. However, she claims that

the director of the program should always show appreciation for everyone’s ideas and

opinions, even if he/she views plans from a different perspective for various reasons.

From personal experience, Hill also suggests that the administrator should do anything

they have to do in effort to resist the term she coined as, “unnecessary structure and

systems.” These systems that make their way into the early childhood workforce cause

gatekeepers, who may or may not pass one’s idea along, to participate or make any

suggestions at all coming from their personal standpoint. As one can see, serving as a

director in an early childhood facility requires dedication, collaboration, which includes

working through conflicts as they arise, and making decisions not just solely based on the

administrator’s values alone, but also based upon what will benefit their hired staff

members. However, with the natural passion and sacrifices the person in the

administrative position is willing to make, the program will benefit and the professional

will find is always worth it at the end of a hectic work day.