Abstract
This qualitative study of three Head Start Centers analyzed surveys, interviews, and focus group data to determine how education coordinators, teachers, and teacher assistants believed professional development activities could support teamwork at their centers. The researchers sorted data related to teamwork into four categories: knowledge and understanding of teachers’ trajectories, how teachers referred to one another, frequency and quality of communication, and evidence of shared philosophy. A climate of trust, respect, open communication and clear organization emerged as important for the risk taking necessary for teachers to learn together. This climate depended on leadership that was willing to take on challenges, innovate, and make room for teacher autonomy. Teamwork thrived in a program that purposely built relationships among staff through opportunities for communication, the development of a shared philosophy, and the possibility of being known and feeling known by colleagues and supervisors. When administrators solicited and used teachers’ feedback about professional development, the teachers felt themselves a valued part of the teaching community.
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Notes
Grantee is defined as “the local public or private non-profit agency which has been designated as a Head Start agency under 42 U.S.C. 9836.” Delegate means “a public or private non-profit organization or agency to which a grantee has delegated by written agreement the carrying out of all or part of its Head Start program” (PL 105-285).
Head Start Program Performance Standards or other areas designated by the Head Start grantee determine Head Start service areas for delegates. These areas and the concerns of the teaching team in response to them comprise the content of the team meeting at Aster Head Start and are: (1) tracking classroom attendance; (2) related home visits; (3) referral administration; (4) curriculum planning; (5) individualizing for children with disabilities; (6) developmental screening; (7) family involvement; (8) health and safety concerns; as well as (9) other periodic Head Start program components.
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All human studies have been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki. All persons who participated in this study gave their informed consent prior to their inclusion in the study.
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Fitzgerald, M.M., Theilheimer, R. Moving Toward Teamwork Through Professional Development Activities. Early Childhood Educ J 41, 103–113 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0515-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0515-z