Guest Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi, I am a newbie and am so glad to find this Forum, I will be starting my first Pre-School Leader position next week and although v excited I am having last minute nerves . I have 6 years Pre-School experience and my Foundation Degree in EY but unfortunately never been allowed much involvement in planning/ decision making etc in my former setting, the Leader preferred to keep everything to herself with information given on a 'need to know basis' . I am brimming with ideas etc but don't want to upset the current staff or start on the wrong foot...... help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 So a nice friendly meeting when everyone's had chance to settle down for the first week - look at what they've done before and discuss methods and aims. Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your job. Looking forward to hearing from you in the future. Concentrate on starting some good relationships with the staff and parents and see if there's anything they feel they want to change immediately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19782 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi lovemyduvet - (love the name) welcome to the forum and congratulations on making your first post, the first of many I hope. I am sure once you get underway you will find your nerves disappear. Take things as they come with the staff, initiate changes at a pace they can cope with and consult - you obviously know the value of that as you have been left out of the loop in your previous setting. Good communication is vital, get across your enthusiasm and commitment and I am sure you will have a winning formula. Good luck for next week. Come back on a let us all know how you are getting on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Hi and welcome....you are nervous because you are human but in your heart you know you can do it....be prepared for hiccups they are inevitable but everytime they happen you gain something not loose something, take something good from any negative situation and learn from it....be honest but professional, be you but have some realistic expectations about human nature and change, you will be fine and you have made a brilliant decision in being part of this forum - good days, bad days whatever you want to share there will be someone on here who has been there, done it and got the t=shirt, the support will be here so use it and.........dont forget enjoy it......use your knowledge.... :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_1027 Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 hello and welcome to the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 4, 2009 Share Posted September 4, 2009 Thanks for the welcome and wise words, I will keep you all informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Put a big box tin of biscuits next to the kettle as a hello gift.Always goes down well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Hi lovemyduvet (great name).....welcome to the forum........and good luck with the new job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_2732 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 May I add my welcome!! I'm sure you will love the new job and soon be settled with the new team I loved my time as a Pre-school leader, even though it can be tough at times. As others have said, do let us know how things are going for you Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Hi and welcome!! I started on wednesday in a preschool piloting a partnership Foundation stage unit with the school, I am the preschool managing supervisor and I was like you, brimming with ideas but nervous!!! It went brilliantly, we had a meeting wednesday to plan for the term, which is something I wanted to move away from straight away as it leaves little room for spontaneous planning for the individual etc, so I did dive straight in and started by asking how everyone felt that last year had gone, implementing things for the EYFS etc. It opened up the communication straight away, and then was a perfect avenue for me to suggest some of my ideas alongside theirs. All of mine were taken on board, and we did a show of hands so I know even the quieter ones agreed. I know it won't always be this easy, and I have already sussed out what things are going to be harder to change than others, but take your lead from them, give them the opportunity to tell you some of their ideas, and you get to see how they think then straight away. I am so pleased as I have managed to get the reception/school side of the partnership to use my ideas on planning right away as well, so all our planning documents will be the same across F1 and F2 and they will be mine!! It was a real sense of achievement to have walked away on the first day having made such a big change already. Next step for me is learning journies, and I have already managed to plan in a small amount of time once a week for one keyworker to spend in the session on the files. They currently take them home alot, and are often not on site which I obviously don't want. I havent' yet said this, instead choosing the positive approach of giving them more time to work on them during the sessions. I want them to embrace them with the children more too, so the two things should go hand in hand. After few weeks of this introduction I may be able to offer more time, and then I shall start to implement the no taking home rule. I am really fortunate that I am able to use our F2 children within the school F2 setting to trial some of these ideas on, and then roll them out to the larger setting of F1 in the terrapin where we currently are. So the changes will be a bit at a time, and gradual, and more of a chance for them to realise how I am doing it in F2 makes sense, and take it on board themselves to change in F1 rather than me marching in and trying to change the way they have done it for a long time straight away. I have left how they actually run each session down to them (as unlike you I have very little actual preschool experience, but lots of 'childcare' experience and experience of the EYFS) and I have made it clear that I would like to learn from them, things like registration and circle time currenlty fill me with fear and i have been open with them about that, so they can see I am not seeing myself as this person wooshing in thinking I know everything?! Does all this waffle actually make sense lol?? I hope it does, and will give you the confidence to start next week knowing that YOU WILL BE FINE!! Take your lead from them xxxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_705 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 My first day with the children on Monday too and meeting the parents. What is unnerving me the most is not knowing all of the children's names and all of the parents and not knowing the routine - guess I will know what it feels like to be the newbie. The biscuit suggestion sounds like a good idea, will try that. Have been working very hard for weeks, don't know where the summer has gone. Still need more time! Rather tired today. Am going to try to have tomorrow off so I can recharge my batteries - better make sure they are Duracell! Good luck to everyone else too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Good luck Deb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Hi all - just had to add another post to this thread........it may even provide a crumb or two of comfort......... Tomorrow is my first day back too - now I am returning to my own pre-school - the same pre-school that I have been involved with for 30 years and have owned and managed for the past 20 years.........but guess what....I feel nervous too! Lots of things running through my head today........will I manage to be up, bathed, dressed and out the door for 8:20 being the first! Which 'vital piece of paper' will I forget to take with me! How will my 'new' children and their parents be........to say nothing of my 'returners' What new 'challenges' will we be presented with this year. Will any 'visitors bearing laptops' arrive unexpectedly I could go on - but won't risk boring you all to death! So I need to give myself a little 'pep talk' now........I am going back to do the job that I absolutely love, with a brilliant staff team, super 'existing parents' and no reason to think that 'new' parents will be any different! :wacko: So.............. all good wiishes to everyone starting work tomorrow......be they 'old hands' or 'newbies'! Sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_12805 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Good luck to you 'newbies' I completely agree with Sunnyday- have been a preschool manager for 10 years now and you know what Deb, we have 24 new children coming in visit on Weds and although I have met them all and their parents before, I know I wont remember who is who and def willl have forgotten parents names!! So dont worry too much oversleeping on first day back is always my bigest fear as well on the first day back esp after having 6 weeks of not awake before 8 am any morning!! Back to 7 am tomorrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_8466 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 ...and I'm just dreading going back to work at all really. Time to retire, methinks. Good luck to everyone who is starting a new job or just starting the new phase of an existing one. And to those of you who have been working all summer, I hope you managed to get away or are planning a holiday soon. Maz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_13453 Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 ...and I'm just dreading going back to work at all really. Time to retire, methinks. Oh dear - well let's hope that this year will be the one that changes your mind and makes you feel it's all worthwhile again. Or perhaps a fantastic job will come along that takes you in a slightly different direction, using your newly acquired status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 Hi all Well thought i would tell you all about my time at new pre-school! Went back on wed which was an inset day but they were open. Only work the morning and not many kids so got to know staff, routines etc. It is a big pre-school with 40 kids in the morning and about 15 in the afternoon (growing tho) The supervisor has changed things for all staff as they had recruited me and 2 new bank staff which they use quite a lot. There is a new rota for all staff to deal with plus the routines have slightly changed so in a way we are all in the same boat! Thurs was a full day for me and quite difficult trying to remember staff names never mind kids! By Fri I felt i was slowly getting into to the swing of things with kids names. Still got to get to grips with routines as there is kids in, kids out, kids to pick up from nursery school, kids for lunch, kids out, kids to take to nursery then the afternoon session!!!! also met 3 of my key children, one of which actually attends my old setting although i was not his key worker. By the end of fri i was shattered (went to bed at 9pm!). Im all set for going back tomorrow tho. Meanwhile young son loves before and after school club and daughter settling in at new secondary school. Been a very busy, stressful half week. Saw my old supervisor yesterday and apparently she has returned to no pens, pencils, paper and basic resources are dire (chair will not let her order or spend money....all has to go through her). Now here is my dilemma.....while working at saisnburys i managed to secure them £200 which arrived last week and which the committee have banked. I am quite tempted to ask them that it is my request that they give this money to the superviosr to spend directly on resources and not on wages etc. They had a car boot sale in the hols and raised £400 so why no pens etc? Do you think i should do this? So very glad I am out of there. At my new setting there is one supervisor, 2 deputies and about 6 assistants. There is still the tidying and cleaning at the end of the day but all staff get paid 30 mins for this. But it is not a pack away setting so there are displays left up and proper computers.....its heaven. They have just spent £2k on new equipment which included a special outdoor wooden slide, bridge, climbing frame. So at the moment things are good there. Mind you supervisor has also said she has worked with some very different types of committee and that this one is a really good one. They even hired a pre-school co-ordinator to do all the admin etc etc So thats my first week. Fingers crossed I still love it in the months to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Hi, thanks again for all the shared experiences and comments, just about to go bed ready for my big day, I'm not sure who was most excited/nervous in my house as both daughters are moving to new schools too, middle and high! It is going to be sooooo manic tomorrow morning I don't think I will have time to worry!! Good night and Good Luck to everyone else in their 1st week back x x x x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_8623 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Hi there. I just wanted to add my welcome to you lovemyduvet. I wondered how your first day in your new position went? Congratulations anyway.....I'm sure everything went smoothly. To all those whose first day back was yesterday (me included).......hopefully all your fears were proved groundless and your days' passed without any problems. Now for the second day!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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