Date of Award
1990
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
Keywords
career development, center routines, child care, child development, continuing education, demonstration, developmentally appropriate practices, early childhood education, employee orientation, in-service education, mentor, mentoring, new employee training, on-the-job training, orientation, professionalism, professional attitudes, staff development, staff retention, staff training, staff turnover, surveys, teaching strategies, young children
Abstract
Due to insufficient time and resources, there was a lack of consistent personalized orientation and training at the child care center. Staff needed to learn appropriate methods of child management as well as routines and other responsibilities at the center. Information was collected from the staff in order to determine their needs concerning the delivery of in-service education.
The author designed and implemented a 10-week orientation which consisted of six main topics of staff development. The delivery of information to new employees was mostly through on-the-job training provided by mentors. The author supervised the mentors and the new employees. Individuals needs of staff were met by providing resources as indicated within the overall framework.
Data from surveys indicated a successful orientation and in-service training experience in which employees had a measurable increase of knowledge of child development and confidence in their abilities to teach young children. Surveys also showed a marked improvement in professional attitude and developmentally appropriate teaching strategies of the staff.