Why do the most experienced and the best employees in daycare services get exhausted and leave the boat?
As daycare providers, we know that staff stability is extremely important for the quality of interactions established with children, and retaining them is one of our top priorities.
The first thing that comes to mind when retaining teachers is the salary scale, but in urban areas, pay gaps are not big enough to make a difference and stop your employees from going elsewhere. So what's left, then?
Today, in a sector where the demand for daycare employees is high, intangible incentives work well in retaining the best staff. Considering this, below we share some simple tricks to retain your best daycare employees and create a positive culture in your daycare.
1. Constantly Train Teachers
One of the keys to how to improve the quality of teachers is to:
● invest in their professional development
● help them achieve their goals
● pursue a role that inspires them
By doing this, you show that you have full confidence in them in the long run.
Indeed, professional development opportunities will also attract quality teachers to apply to your daycare.
For this reason, make sure you train quality teachers who are always up to date with the latest teaching research and learn from the best in their field. In fact, quality teachers are nurtured by new knowledge over the years.
According to UNESCO, it is necessary to carry out intensive training for teachers to make their work more effective and efficient.
Introducing them to new teaching methodologies, providing them with different class materials and curriculums, and empowering them enables them to make pedagogical decisions based on the curricular guidelines and the conditions of their students.
Of course, achieving this goal requires a lot of commitment and continuous monitoring.
2. Develop Retention Strategies to Keep Teachers Happy
Are the teachers at your daycare motivated? If you have a high percentage of employee turnover, you should design a retention strategy to improve your staff's performance in changing and crisis environments.
Because the role of the daycare teacher is so critical to the success of every child, it makes sense for daycare owners and leaders to focus on recruiting and retaining highly effective teachers.
Remember that teaching and educational quality go hand in hand. Therefore, you should always think about keeping your employee happy.
In fact, research indicates that happiness is relevant for people to be successful and for organizations since employees who perceive personal well-being have better job performance.
Here are some strategies you can apply:
● One of the ways to foster a positive culture within your school is to have the group of teachers meet outside of class, thus strengthening the relationships
● Ask teachers to contribute their thoughts and ideas in your daycare management, not just in the classroom. As teachers become involved in making important decisions for the school, you will likely enjoy a higher retention rate of quality employees in your daycare
● Provide leadership opportunities for teachers outside of their own classroom to make them feel valued and recognized
● Provide them with Ultimate Daycare Planners, Self Care Daycare Provider Journals, and other materials to make them feel valued
3. Employ Technology in Classrooms
Employees are more willing to stay if their daycare classrooms are embedded with new and functional technology. Technology costs money, but most teachers wouldn't see it as a pay raise. It is, in fact, an investment in them as a professional. Also, investing in your employees helps you manage your daycare in the best way.
A good example is providing them with interactive whiteboards to make their lives easier and teaching more engaging.
Besides technology, you can also invest in Daycare Personnel & Staff Forms.
4. Motivate Them
To get the best out of quality teachers, you need to find out what motivates them so you can call on this incentive when you interview them.
Each teacher will have a mix of different motivations, from work and family flexibility to an area of teaching that they are passionate about and want to experience more of. By establishing fruitful relationships with them and getting to know them in-depth, you will make them feel more comfortable within your daycare, knowing their needs are being met.
Our Final Thoughts!
That was all with the best strategies to retain your best daycare employees. Of course, there may be many more ideas you can add to your daycare to help retain your employees. But the most critical are focusing on your daycare culture, helping teachers feel supported and empowered, and providing them with technology and planning time.
At Standout Daycare, we believe in constant training up to the latest childcare methodologies. If you’re seeking assistance to train new strategies and methodologies to your daycare employees to make them stay and feel empowered, join the Standout membership. You can also opt for Standout One-on-One Coaching or Standout Group Coaching services to take your daycare to a whole new level!
To learn more about our services or to book one, contact Standout Daycare.
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