“It’s our polite nudge in the ribs to help you and your team stay organised and on task.”
This week’s subject is Acknowledgement of strengths, knowledge and skills
Element 4.2.1: Management, educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other’s strengths and skills.
How does your service acknowledge, showcase and reward educator’s skills and achievements as part of a continual culture of professional collaboration?
Services should ensure that they have systems in place to continually collaborate with their educators, both individually and as a team, identifying, acknowledging, promoting and sharing their skills and achievements.
Recognising and rewarding educator’s and the team’s quality practices and outcomes helps to foster a culture of professional collaboration, a positive environment and effective teamwork.
When management and team members recognise and acknowledge each other’s skills and accomplishments, it creates a supportive atmosphere where educators are more likely to share ideas, knowledge, resources, and best practices. This collaborative culture will foster continual improvement and enhance quality outcomes for children and young people and their families.
In addition to continuous professional collaboration and recognition of educator’s and team skills and achievements, the end of year is an ideal time to reflect on the achievements of the year and reward educators for individual and group accomplishments and quality outcomes. Consider implementing some of the following as part of your professional collaboration:
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- End of year awards: set specific categories to award educators for their continual professional practice e.g. Innovation in Pedagogy and Practice Award, Professional Practice Award, Child Advocacy Award, Team Player Award, Positive Partnerships, Outstanding Leadership Award etc.
- Employee of the month award: develop a list of criteria or standards to achieve for the employee of the month award. Collaborate with relevant stakeholders during the nomination and voting system/process.
- Acknowledgement of colleagues skills: Have educators write an acknowledgement of one of their colleague’s skills or achievements and label it (with the name of educator being acknowledged) to be read out to the team at a staff meeting or team building experience.
- Nominate educators to be entered into sector awards such as the “Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards”.
- Promote awards on all available platforms: Displayed at the service, in your service newsletter, online posts via your information sharing app and social media pages.
- Provide opportunities for staff to meet together as a team to develop stronger relationships and support for one another in a range of settings and times.
- Provide opportunities for networking with other professionals in your area- cooks, educators, educational leaders, coordinators/directors, area managers etc.
- Sharing the skills and knowledge of others assists in mentoring new educators, reflecting on the unique needs of children and families and sharing responsibilities, driving continual improvement.
Resources:
Belonging, Being and Becoming for Educators
Standard 4.2:Professionalism- Case study
Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards
We Hear You- Developing a professional learning community
Creating Positive Workplace Relations
Within System7 go to Quality Area 4/ Module 5 to submit self-assessment notes and if required, open a QIP issue if you identify any areas of improvement.
The Childcare Centre Desktop has a range of resources to assist services with documenting professional collaboration. These include Staff Meeting Guide, templates for meeting agenda, meeting minutes and critical reflection, Professional Development Policy and much more.
Resources, NQS Element, Regulation and System7 links:
Childcare Centre Desktop – Childcare Centre Desktop
National Quality Standard – QA 4/ 4.2.1- Professional collaboration
National Regulations – 168, 169
System7 Module – QA 4/ Module 5
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