Bringing my vision to life

What dispositions do you see Michelle bringing to leadership?

Michelle worked hard with her directors group to get help in making her program better. Even though she had a hard time leaving her program to go to the meetings, she knew that it was important for her and her staff for her to go. With these meetings, she was able to come up with ideas that would better help her program. She set policies and structures to help her teachers become self-reflective, collaborative planner and problem solvers. She had to redo her budget, staffing patterns, and her staff's professional development. She focused on her staff and how to make them be more confident in their teaching and planning. Michelle noticed what was wrong, for example, her staffing. She noticed that most of them were leaving or never stayed long, she was constantly hiring new staff. She knew that she was only hiring to fill the spot, not to find valuable and eager teachers.

How are your dispositions similar to or different from Michelles?

I think that for any person, we always reevaluate ourselves at a certain point. I always try to think about how I could do things better. With the support of my staff members, I always find ways to better myself. I know that without them, I probably would not be able to do what I am doing today. I went through what it was like to be short staffed and not having staff that stayed for very long. It was tough on the children and the other staff members because we were constantly overworked or had different people in the classroom. The children were constantly confused and testing the new staff which made it hard for us to have steady schedules. If I were to be a director, the most important thing I would want is for my staff to feel confident in what they do.

What aspects of her vision appeal to you?

What I liked best was the fact that she was so focused on helping her staff and bettering them. At the same time, she was evaluating herself and thinking about things that she could do better that would help her staff and her program. She also asked herself the same questions that she asked her staff. It was like she was connecting herself, rather than being the boss, she was learning along with them and helping them through the process.

What could you imagine yourself doing that is inspired by this story of Michelles work?

I feel like with this story, it helps us learn that even though you are a boss, you have to think about how to evaluate yourself too. Even though there is no one watching you make your mistakes, what you do is also gonna effect the staff and the program. It is a big responsibility, but if you take it slow and try new things, it will all work out. It is also important to have a good support system of people who are there to help you and guide you along the way.