Classroom Rules for Your Staff!

Classroom Rules for Your Staff!

Julia @ Kids Matter

          In my years as an early educator, I was constantly going over classroom rules with eager to please preschoolers. They learned that list by heart in circle time. Practicing those good policies seemed to mysteriously disappear when it came to certain situations within the day to day life of a four year old.

          So, why don’t we have basic rules for our staff as well? The State Regulations are black and white and have very little room for variance. Does your staff know all the state regulations? It is imperative that your staff does, and it is up to you to make sure they have that knowledge.  Have monthly quizzes with regulation questions for your staff, to keep them up to date!  You should be doing a daily classroom walk through and schedule hour long observations monthly in each classroom. You should also have a quarterly staff meeting to go over rules and events. Having a professional development day listed in your parent handbook, as a closed center day, is also a great idea. Host several trainers that day to come and teach your staff new ideas and techniques to use with all age groups in your center.           

          True leaders encourage their staff members to want to do their very best. Here is a list of rules that I feel are vital to having successful and happy staff:

Rule #1

Smoke free campus.

Idea: ½ Hour or hour lunch breaks to leave campus.

Rule #2

No cell phones.

Idea: Walkie-talkies in rooms to communicate in emergency situations.

Rule #3

Have a tasteful and appropriate dress code.

Idea: Employee uniforms like T-shirt or polo and nice jeans or khaki pants.

Rule #4

No outside food or drink.

Idea: Provide a peaceful and fully equipped break room.

Rule #5

No personal visitors in the classrooms.

Idea: Allow for personal visitors to drop items off or say hello only in your office. Have a substitute teacher step in that classroom to free up the teacher.

Rule #6

Use a strict call in sick policy.

Idea #6: Allow your full time staff a few extra PTO days throughout the year. Teaching little ones is stressful and exhausting. By allowing a few extra days on top of their vacation and sick time, it will help with calling in issues.

Rule #7

Classroom cleanliness should be a priority.

Idea: Post a cleaning checklist in each classroom. Make sure, every morning, that a walk through is done upon opening the center. If a director does not open the center, entrust a lead teacher to do this job.

Rule #8

Limit foul language.

Idea: Provide a list, in your employee handbook, of vocabulary or slang that people don’t always realize is inappropriate for use around children.

Rule #9

Teach social media etiquette.

Idea: You should not ask for access to your employees’ Facebook or Twitter pages. But, have them sign a pledge, upon hire, saying they will not use it as a means to discuss, bully, harm, or intimidate fellow co-workers, children, or families within the daycare center.

What other rules do you use in your daycare that might help others?