Please have references under each discussion. 

Week 4 Discussion 1

Supporting and Supervising Staff    

Choose one of the following questions that were asked of Ria Palet, from the National School District, in Chapter 7 of your textbook.

1. How might you support and mentor a staff member who was struggling to meet the expectations of the job?  What would you do to support him/her?  Address at least two different issues in your post.  (Examples: issues with time management, maintaining confidentiality, and/or handling misbehavior.  You may use these or your own choices.)
2. How might you challenge a staff member to continue to grow if she has been in the position successfully for a long time?  What would you do to support him/her?  Address at least two different issues in your post.  (Example: teaching in the same classroom/ same age for a number of years, has not explored the idea of varying curriculum, and/or has not explored professional development opportunities.)

Based on the question you choose, create a four-week plan to support your staff member.  The following must be included in your four-week plan:

1. At least one resource and an explanation of why you included this resource to benefit your staff member.
2. A reflection focus/question piece.  What is your end goal?
3. Two face-to-face meetings with a predetermined focus question for both meetings.
4. An evaluation component for the final meeting that will prove that this intervention was successful.  How will you know that your plan was successful?
5. Complete your plan in a Word document to include the days you plan on meeting.

Your discussion post should be at least 250 words in length and main post must be supported by two references. Source(s) listed must be integrated into main post content in an APA compliant manner.  

Guided Response:
After reviewing several of your classmates’ posts, choose two peers to respond to with the following:

1. Add one additional resource and explain why this would be beneficial for this staff member.
2. Add one additional reflection question that you believe would be good for the staff member and director to discuss.
3. You must include the following in your response:
    
   • Why you think their plan is successful.
   • What you would suggest to increase the intensity of this plan, so the staff member is successful.
   • How you believe the staff member would react to this plan and why.

Week 4 Discussion 2

Week 4 – Discussion 2

 Collaborating with Families    

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), in the position statement on developmentally appropriate practice (2009), “Practitioners work in collaborative partnerships with families, establishing and maintaining regular, frequent two-way communication with them” (p. 23).  Trust between home and school is built over time, starting with the very first phone call or visit to the program.  It is crucial to begin a positive relationship with your students’ families in order to best support your students.  

For this discussion, you will outline a program that you can implement at your center and with your teachers to foster a strong home-school relationship throughout the school year.

Include the following:

1. One detailed strategy that you can implement the first week of school.
2. A monthly strategy/theme from September to June (10 months/10 strategies)
3. One benefit you expect to see from your focus

Your discussion post should be at least 250 words in length and main post must be supported by two references. Source(s) listed must be integrated into main post content in an APA compliant manner.  

Guided Response: Review your peers’ strategies and choose two classmates to reply to with a further explanation.  Choose four of their monthly strategies and complete the following:

1. Elaborate on each strategy by sharing an additional suggestion or activity to enhance communication.  (List the strategy/theme that you are referring to.)
2. Offer an alternate suggestion for one of the chosen strategy/themes as a solution if the parent is not responsive (e.g., is not returning phone calls, is not visiting the school, or the parent avoids