It’s important for childcare center managers to remember to honor those on the front lines…the teachers, assistant teachers, aides and custodians. Day after day they work with crying children, boisterous children, upset parents, and always the unexpected.

To people outside the childcare industry it may seem strange that there really are people who are willing to work long hours, have limited vacation and sick time, and earn substantially less than others equally qualified. They do exist and the nation depends on them to care for our youngest members of society.

The director has a unique position and it is the successful director that makes opportunities to recognize the work that childcare workers perform.

Some ways the staff can be appreciated are:

 The director can host a formal Staff dinner or lunch. It is a special time to express gratitude to each member of the team. Part of this recognition, or revelation, is the preparation that goes into making the dinner actually happen. Co-workers formally and informally review their co-workers actions to determine who should receive special recognition. From the director’s point-of-view, it is extremely interesting to learn from the staff many things that just never made it to the front desk. Many acts of kindness are exposed and the staff learns about how they interact.

 The parents’ association can host a formal Staff dinner or lunch. This is a wonderful opportunity for the parents to really express their gratitude. As parents, they really know how difficult it is to day in and day out work with small children. A time for recognition means a great deal to staff members.

 A special note to thanks from the director can really lighten a teacher’s day. The fact that someone noticed and took the time to say thank you is very important. The director can also encourage happy parents to jot a note to the staff as well.

 A special weekend daytrip for the entire staff can be inexpensive with a little planning. A picnic in the park, a swimming outing, a shopping event…any of these events cost little and reap great rewards in team appreciation. Let the staff decide, within a budget, where they would like to go. The anticipation breaks the boredom that can creep into work and the staff will improve their skills as they plan an event.

 Initiating a “Teacher of the Month” bulletin board can express a lot of appreciation. Allow the entire staff to nominate a fellow teacher to receive this recognition. Work with that teacher to bring to these important events to life, goals, hobbies, etc. for the nominated teacher. A teacher might share a native costume or custom, pictures of her family, a favorite place, a CD recording of the teacher playing the piano or a DVD of the teacher cooking a favorite meal. Anything that is meaningful to that teacher will be a source of appreciation for the audience.

The important thing to remember in recognizing staff members is that the honor should be real and meaningful and the method of selecting the teacher should be seen as fair.