Leadership is most needed during times of stress and crisis. Jenna Pettinicchi is currently transitioning from her role as the Director of FirstStepNYC, a high quality early childhood program located in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, to take a leadership role at the Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Initiative. As a program director, Jenna demonstrated how a resourceful leader reaches out to her staff, providing the continuing and consistent connection that moves everyone forward. The creativity Jenna employed to support her staff offers them a model that she hopes the teachers will emulate as they connect with families, thus illustrating a parallel process of leaders working with teachers and teachers working with children. Inspired by Judy Jablon, Amy Dombro, and Laura Ensler’s Powerful Interactions approach, Jenna used the fundamental practices of being present, telling your truth, being open to curiosity, and suspending judgement to support growth and development through relationships.
One of the most meaningful gifts an early childhood director can give to their teachers is recognition and appreciation for the work they do with children. Acknowledgements of a teacher’s ‘moments of effectiveness’ work best when they are specific, informative, and describe how the teacher’s decisions facilitate children’s growth and development.
Prior to moving to virtual learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, Jenna and her administrative staff created a documentation board prominently displayed in her center. Each and every teacher was featured for all to see on the “Teacher Moments of Effectiveness” documentation board, which was updated bi-monthly.
“Teacher Moments of Effectiveness” Documentation Board at FirstStepNYC
Here is an example of one of the acknowledgements on the board:
“Ms. Mabel works one-on-one with Jorge in a quiet corner of the classroom on a gluing project with cut out shapes. Jorge selects the shapes he wants to use and decides where he wants to glue them on his page. Jorge follows Mabel’s verbal cues with the glue, neatly getting just the right amount onto the back of his cut-out shape. Ms. Mabel’s time with Jorge provided him with support in his development of problem-solving skills, making and testing observations, following directions, as well as, receptive language and his ability to concentrate and focus for extended period of time.“
But what happens in a remote learning environment without common spaces to share this unique view of teachers practicing their craft? What could Jenna create to replace the documentation board in her center to highlight “Teacher Moments of Effectiveness?”
On Sunday, March 28, Jenna launched the “Weekly Wrap Up”, a newsletter which began each week with Jenna’s recorded video message to her staff. Jenna knew how important it was for the teachers and staff at FirstStepNYC to see and hear from her. Jenna’s weekly messages offered connection, inspiration, encouragement, and a sense that we are all in this thing together.
Here is Jenna’s message after the first week of remote learning:
Included in each newsletter were highlights from the staff’s remote classrooms. Jenna shared videos, photos, teacher commentary on the children’s work, and brief summaries of what is happening in each classroom. One highlight included:
“Room 110 – Jessica and Victoria did video check-ins with all of their families and the children were so excited to see their teachers. I especially liked Dylan’s reaction: ‘Dylan was very excited to see me. He even hugged the phone.'”
With so much sadness around us and so few answers about the future, it takes true grit and courage to stay present as Jenna did with her staff. Her recognition of the small moments of connection make it possible for educators to stay focused on their interactions with children and families.
How have you recognized and communicated your appreciation for the teachers in your program in this remote learning environment? Please share your comments in the section below.
Steve Castar is a Leadership Coach with the Institute’s Early Childhood Leadership Initiative.
Thank you, Steve for sharing your incredibly thoughtful and inspiring leadership story of Jenna. I have known Jenna for quite some time and deeply admire her ability to nurture relationships and build trust with those around her. As we have come to know, true leadership can only work through relationships and trust and being able to own what you know and what you don’t know. Jenna has always demonstrated strength through transparency and a willingness to be a learner. I am obviously a big fan and have learned so much from her over the years that we have been colleagues. The Leadership Initiative could not be in better hands.
I think it is a great idea to communicate in regular bases with our staff. They need hear from the administration that during these trying times we are one. That it is a new process for all, children, parents and staff; and the best way to make this works is staying connected.
Hello Everyone
Each day of each week beginning at 5:30pm, a time set by my staff, I check in with each staff member. By 8:00am we’re all done and ready to begin communicating with the families. Each morning we banter back and forth during our group chats. I think we have grown closer as a family even more than when we were able to physically see each other everyday.
At the end of each week they all send me reports on what they were able to achieve with the families. I ensure that each staff member is validated for their efforts, and I can actually feel their energy and motivation as they connect with the families. It has been an awesome journey. Between May 4th and 7th, 2020, we were able to physically see each other for the first time after the pandemic forced us indoors, as we distributed school supplies to our students. It was quite an emotional reunion; staff and parents were tearing up as they gave air hugs. The children appeared to be happy to see their well known space again and some didn’t want to leave. For the entire week we sat at relevant distances apart talking about how things were going and what else we can do to support each other and the families. I have never heard some of my staff talk so much!! Its like they had so much to say and were so full of energy and ideas to support each other. In some instances I just kept quiet and listened. It was awesome. Parents are now connecting with me on ClassDojo so I can see first hand what being the child’s first teacher really looks like for them. I am continuing to support my staff to the fullest extent by sharing pertinent links to help them continue best practices as they continue this new and exciting journey into a future of so many uncertainties.
I meet weekly with my teachers and praise them. I point out things that each of them have done on theirs and shared their resources. I attend all zoom classes and assist them in any way I can. For teacher appreciation I surprised them with a special videos I made of the children our school and they all my signs for their teachers.