School Age Summer Staff Orientation Series

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School Age Summer Staff Orientation Series
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Goal of the Series

• The school age summer orientation series has been
  designed to help you understand the basics of
  caring for school age children youth

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Understanding the series

• Each module consists of
• Objective of the module
• Training Content
• With a Youth Activities
• With a Peer Read and Reflect
• With a Supervisor Self Assessment

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What you will need

• Print the PDF that goes with this course. The
  link is located by the link you clicked to open
  this module.
• Paper and pencil
• Approximately one hour of quiet time
• Access to a printer
• Optimistic outlook to gaining new knowledge

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Module 1

• Professionalism

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Objective

• To review professional standards and assess your
  own performance

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Introduction

• In this module, you will do the following
• Self assess your professional skills in your
  work with children and youth
• Learn about applying ethics in your child care
  program.
• Identify resources to help you develop
  professionally.
• Recognize yourself as a professional who works
  with children and youth.

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What is a Professional?

• A professional is a person with special skills,
  interests and abilities. This specialized
  knowledge is used to enhance the world around
  them. As a person who works with children and
  youth and their families, you will use your
  knowledge to offer quality services that support
  the children and families you work with daily.

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What is a Professional?

• A professional
• Seeks new information
• Creates a learning environment for others
• Asks questions to gain more understanding
• Provides quality services
• Shares their skills with others

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What is a professional?

• Minnesotas Core Competencies outlines a
  professional as someone who
• Enjoys working with children and models a
  positive attitude.
• Exhibits good hygiene and personal appearance.
• Demonstrates good work habits.
• Consults with supervisor or resource person
  regarding concerns.
• Works cooperatively with colleagues.

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What is a professional?

• Minnesotas Core Competencies outlines a
  professional as someone who (Continued)
• Behaves ethically, maintaining confidentiality
  and impartiality.
• Interacts in a manner reflecting respect for self
  and others.
• Performs well as a team member.
• Accepts advice and constructive criticism to
  improve their practice.

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With a Youth Activities

• Using the information from the Minnesota Core
  Competencies (previous slides), list three ways
  that you will demonstrate to the children in your
  program that you are a professional.
• Think about your personal appearance,
  interactions with co-workers supervisors and
  the way you engage children and youth.

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What is a professional?

• Demonstrating professional skills qualities in
  your work with children and youth doesnt happen
  over night. By using your specialized skills and
  working toward proven standards, you will work
  your way towards exhibiting practices of a true
  professional!

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Professional Ethics

• When working with kids and families, there are
  principles of conduct that are expected to be
  upheld by the staff. Staff must strive to make
  positive connections with the youth families
  they serve. Part of that supportive and
  trustworthy relationship is maintaining the
  families right to confidentiality.

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Professional Ethics

• PRINCIPLES OF CONFIDENTIALITY
• Confidentiality can be achieved and maintained
  when the worker fully realizes the true value of
  "humaneness" and respect for the dignity of all
  persons. The following will assist the program
  staff in practicing "confidentiality principles"

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Confidentiality

• Information about the program, its employees and
  all participant records are confidential. Simply
  stated, no information about the program, its
  employees or participants should be discussed in
  any setting where it may be overheard by others.
• You are required to follow confidentiality
  procedures and should have permission to access
  information forms on file.
• The confidentiality policies used often contain
  sign in out procedures as well as permission to
  access forms.

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Professional Ethics

• Staff must realize that most program challenges
  are to be expected individualizing programs and
  overcoming obstacles are part of the job of
  working with kids.
• Staff must not be quick to judge the actions of
  others.
• Staff must regard the confidence of others as
  sacred.
• Confidential information is only to be shared on
  a need to know basis.

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Professional Ethics

• Staff should not talk negatively about any child,
  co-worker, or other program personnel while at
  the program, school, or in the community.
• Staff must remember that there are varying
  program personal philosophies that come together
  when working with kids and their families.

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Professional Ethics

• The staff must remember that he/she carries a
  "public image" of the program and that each staff
  must represent the program in good taste.
• The staff must respect the confidential nature of
  program and school records. Discipline, learning
  difficulties, children with special needs, family
  situations, should never be discussed with others.

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Professional Ethics

• Staff must remember that, what you do here and
  say here - let it stay here when you leave here!
• Adapted from
•  http//www.harnett.k12.nc.us/Volunteers/Voluntee
  rHandbk/Confidentiality.htm

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With a Peer Read and Reflect

• After work at a local restaurant, you overheard
  two staff members from your program discussing
  confidential information about a participant in
  the program and about the participants parents.
  Many people were in earshot of the conversation.
• On your own paper list your professional
  responsibility in this situation.

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Key Points

• Becoming a professional isnt achieved overnight,
  it takes work and practice to get it right
• In order to support children and families we need
  to maintain a confidential relationship
• In your journey to becoming a skilled
  professional, there are many resources and
  organizations to support you.

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With a Supervisor Self Assessment

• Print the worksheet Professional Development
  from the PDF that goes with this course and
  answer the questions.
• Once you have completed this give it to your
  supervisor
• Review the resources in the following slides.
  Visiting the websites of each of these will
  provide you with more ideas on being a
  professional!

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Resources

• MNSACA Core Competencies
• The competencies were developed by the
  Professional Development Council and MnAEYC
  (Minnesota Association of the Education of Young
  Children) to define what practitioners need to
  know and be able to do to provide quality
  education and care.
• The core competencies are designed to serve as a
  guide for improving your work with children and
  families.
• The competencies are worded so that they can be
  measured or demonstrated.
• You may also find the core competencies contain
  new ideas or provide a new way of reflecting on
  your teaching.
• Contact Information
• Minnesota School Age Care Alliance
• 1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252
• St. Paul MN 55114
• 651-290-7478 
• Fax [phone]
• www.mnsaca.org

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Resources

• National Afterschool Association
• NAA is the only national professional association
  for the afterschool field. With over 9,000
  members and 36 state affiliate organizations.
• NAA represents the voice of the afterschool field
  in the areas of professional development, program
  quality, public policy and current issues
  affecting children and youth in their out of
  school time.
• Contact Information
• 529 Main Street, Suite 214Charlestown, MA
  02129800-617-8242617-778-6020617-778-6025 Fax
• www.naaweb.org

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Resources

• Minnesota Professional Development Council
• Supports professionals who educate, advocate and
  care for children, youth, and families. Their
  mission is to facilitate development and ongoing
  coordination of an inclusive collaborative of the
  early childhood and youth professional
  development system in Minnesota.
• Contact Information
• 1821 University Ave West Suite S-298
• St. Paul, MN 55104
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• professionaldevelopment_at_mnaeyc.org

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Resources

• School-Age NOTES
• School-Age Notes is a publisher and retailer of
  books, videos, DVDs, music CDs and other
  resources for after-school professionals and
  after-school programs and summer programs geared
  to school-age children.
• Science and math enrichment, literacy, curriculum
  planning, staff training, discipline, summer
  programs, arts and crafts, fitness, games,
  cooking, drama, multicultural activities and many
  more topics are covered in resources offered
  through School Age Notes
• Contact Information
• P.O. Box 476New Albany, OH 43054
• 800-410-8780614-855-9315830 am - 400 pm
  Eastern Time
• 888-410-8260 Toll free fax[phone] fax
• General Inquiries (ex. mailing address
  changes)info_at_schoolagenotes.comWeb
  Inquiriesweb_at_schoolagenotes.com

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Congratulations You have successfully completed
Module 1