Count Every Child: Face to Name

Think back to a time when a simple lapse in attention could have led to dire consequences. That's a scenario no one in childcare should ever face, yet it's what we tackle head-on in our latest episode, where the disturbing trend of children being neglected in educational settings is brought into the spotlight.

We dissect the critical need for strict attendance and punctuality policies, a reflection of our unwavering commitment to discipline and respect within our ranks. I break down the nuts and bolts of how these policies are implemented and the uncompromising stance we take towards any infringements, sending a clear message about the non-negotiable priority of attendance

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Transcript

'Lost Child Incident in School

Speaker 1 0:01

Welcome to Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out . I'm your host , jarek Huff , and I'm here to explore and share the complexities of our work and let you know you are not alone . Before we start , though , please follow this podcast and share episodes with others . You can find me on my website , wwwjerekhuffcom , where you can find links to my social media and where I share information and tips for educators . Now let's jump into today's episode . Hey team , welcome to another episode of Stumbling Through Work where educators figure shit out .

Speaker 1 0:45

In my career , I have never understood how you can leave a child unattended . I don't understand how you can leave a child in a classroom by themselves , how you can leave them on the playground , leave them in the restroom , in the hallway . I don't understand it and I never will . Now knock on wood . I haven't had to deal with this with a staff member in a while , as far as I know , unless someone's covering up for somebody , but I don't understand how you do that . Like these are human beings , how are you leaving them behind ? I just don't get it , and the reason why I'm bringing this up is a couple of years ago , I had a teacher . I was going through one of my notebooks and I came across this and I said I have to share this , I have to share this with the team . A couple of years ago this , I have to share this with the team A couple of years ago I had a teacher who did this . Now here's the thing A teacher . Well , let me figure out where it even starts the story from . Okay , I started from my perspective . So I'm sitting in my office and my assistant director comes in and brings it , has a child with her and she goes so-and-so , left the child outside . Now , the child wasn't outside by themselves , they were left with another teacher , they were in another class , like it was two classes outside . The teacher left , didn't do a face-to-name when she left , and if you don't know what a face-to-name is , that's when you look at your roster . You say the child's name on the roster and then you have each of them come in . That way you don't forget someone . So she obviously didn't do a face to name . So she went inside and left a kid outside with another teacher in the class . So she brought the child in and I was like , oh , okay . Now this is where it gets even more strange . So she brings the child in and I say , okay , well , we need to of course , write her up . Have this awkward conversation about losing a kid ? Well , we need to , of course , write her up . Have this awkward conversation about losing a kid .

Speaker 1 2:48

So my assistant director goes to find the teacher . She goes okay , once again I got to tell from my perspective . So a teacher comes in not that teacher , but another teacher comes in the classroom and says , hey , here's a child left in that teacher's classroom . I'm like what the hell is going on ? And she says I was walking by the room and I seen the child in the classroom by themselves . So I grabbed the child and I'm bringing them to you . So I'm like , okay , thank you . And I'm thinking but my assistant director is out looking for her right now . So maybe about three minutes later , because I'm so confused Now , let's just be . I have two children sitting with me .

Speaker 1 3:29

The assistant director comes back . She found another teacher to step in , for that teacher to come to my office , and she comes in and she goes oh , that's where so-and-so is and that's where so-and-so is . Wait , what ? So my assistant director takes the kids back to their classroom . She comes back and I'm just like okay , explain to me what happened like I don't understand . Y'all team . This is what she said . I was out on the playground and we were coming in . So I get in my classroom and then I look at my roster and I realize I left so-and-so outside . So I take the class to go back to get the child and then , when I leave to go get the child that I left outside , I left another child , y'all . I am much better at my faces than I used to be seven , eight years ago , so I know I made a face and at that time I said , okay , just go back to class , because I didn't have anything else to say . How do you lose a child , go back to find a child and then lose a child in the process ? I'm like , what kind of idiots do we have working for us ? And of course , I was working for a corporation , so it was not a simple fire , as I wanted to fire her . It was , oh , you got to do a write-up and all this BS . But I seen that in a notebook the other day and I was like I got to tell people this story because this was stupid .

Speaker 1 5:00

The thing for me is , if you leave a child and I tell anyone that works for me , if you leave a child unattended , that is automatic firing . You are done , it's a wrap . This is a human being you left behind . You don't know what could happen to that child . You don't know what they could consume . You don't know what they can do . They can hurt themselves . They can't , you know , fend for themselves . Yes , you are on campus . You can hurt themselves . They can't , you know , fend for themselves . Yes , you are on campus , you are still within our grounds and we're fenced in and all that stuff . But that's still not the point . What if you trip and break your arm or who knows what ? That says to me that your priorities are not in the right place and you are gone . You gots to go .

Speaker 1 5:39

But for me , the worst part of it is I always call the family to let them know that a child was left unattended , that their child was left unattended . That is the most uncomfortable conversation anyone can have with the family member . I try to say it in a way where it's not urgent and then I always give them the follow up like just so you know . You know we're recoaching so and so we're working with them or they're no longer with us . This depends on the situation . That is an awkward phone call . It's awkward for the person that has to make it and it's damn sure uncomfortable for the family to feel like you left their child behind . And it's damn sure uncomfortable for the family to feel like you left their child behind . And then , on top of it , then I have to report it to child care licensing , which is even more embarrassing because now I have to let them know that so-and-so left a child . And then I hate doing unnecessary paperwork .

Speaker 1 6:38

So I got to document all of this and they're like so what was the ratio at the time ? What was the supervision ? Where were you going ? How did it happen ? What were the statements ? I don't feel like doing all this work . Stop messing up on your job . That I have to see that person awkward . Then , when you have to see that person meaning the family then when you have to see them the next day , all I can think about in my mind is I know so and so was . Like you lost my kid the other day . How do you put confidence in a family member when you've lost their child and then that child has to go back to that teacher the next day If you work in a place where you just can't fire them immediately , like if you work in a corporation .

Importance of Attendance and Punctuality

Speaker 1 7:30

I just I don't understand how that happens and , like I said , knock on wood , hasn't happened to me Nothing that I had to deal with in the last several years , so I'm really thankful for that . But I don't understand how you just leave a child , like it just doesn't make sense to me . It feels so heartless and it just feels like there's a disregard , you know , for a human life , because we work with people , not papers . You can lose a sheet of paper . You can leave paper on your desk . We work with people . You can't leave people on your desk . You can't just leave people behind , like it just doesn't make sense . And if I can't trust you with the main thing you're here for , which is to care for these children , how can I trust you with anything else ? I'm sorry you got to get off my team , you gots to go , but if you know someone that needs to hear this , send this message to them . Let them know that either they ass need to go or you need to get rid of somebody . That simple and we'll be right back .

Speaker 1 8:28

We all want our schools or programs to be the best and , although every school is different . All successful programs have the same fundamentals . Best practices for high quality preschool , afterschool and enrichment programs by Jarek Huff share standards to foster a high quality program . These tips will help you put your best service forward , focusing on your children , families and communities . Best Practices for High Quality Preschool , afterschool and Enrichment Programs by Jarek Huff is available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle .

Speaker 1 9:08

Attendance and punctuality . I'm old school so I have that mentality of to be early is to be on time . To be on time is to be late and to be late you are gone . That's what they told us when I was in ninth grade at band camp when we went to lunch for the first time during band camp that Monday . To be early is to be on time , to be on time is to be late and to be late you are gone . But you know I'm a little old , but you know you should have some form of a policy to address attendance and punctuality , because those are two different things being punctual , meaning that you're coming back on time , you're coming to work on time and if you're coming back from a lunch or break , whatever it may be , that you are where you need to be at that designated time . And the fact that you are actually attending work , making sure that you're actually coming to work Two different things .

Speaker 1 10:06

And within that policy it should address you know what an absence is Like , what constitutes an absence ? Or is it a full day absence ? Can they be considered a half day absence ? You got to kind of figure that out . And what is within that absence ? What is the call off policy ? Is there a certain time that you have to call before your shift starts ? It is disrespectful to me to know that I'm going to be out the next day and I don't say anything until five minutes before my shift . Where do they do that at ? Obviously , where you work at , because people find that it's acceptable to do that . No , there needs to be at least a two hour policy .

Speaker 1 10:43

And for me because , like I said , I'm old school For me , if you don't call , or you call me five minutes late , you might as well not even call , because I didn't root you off , just like even you know it's a thing now where people just feel like I'm going to go to work , I'm not , I'm not going to let you know . Cool , when it comes to me , don't bring your ass back . I tell my staff if somebody doesn't show up for their shift , do not call them . They are a whole adult . They know where they have to be . They have a phone . They can text . If your phone is off , you can get on somebody's Wi-Fi . You can send somebody's email . I don't care , you can send me Morse code and smoke signal , for all I care . Find a way to get in contact with me , because you found a way to get that door dash to your house Now , didn't you ?

Speaker 1 11:37

I'm just saying do not call them at all for two reasons . One , it makes you look desperate . I'm not calling you and then saying where are you at , where are you ? A whole adult . And it makes it look like I need you . One I don't't need anybody , so don't even get that in your head . And I had someone said that to me once . They called and they were like oh , I'm running late . And I said , oh , okay , well , her five to ten minutes running late turned into 30 , 45 minutes . So when she got there , I was like I don't even need you . Y'all know . She looked at me and was like oh , yes , you do . Because we don't have enough people , shit , you could take yourself home . Because I don't have enough people , shit you can take yourself home because I don't need you . Let me let this be known immediately I don't need you . I'm good , I'd rather suffer . I don't need you . So I never let people think that I need them .

Speaker 1 12:18

But also , too , especially if it's someone that you're probably trying to get rid of , you can document that as a no call , no show , like it's a job abandonment . So when it comes to something like unemployment , something of that nature , you actually have it documented that that person did a no call , no show or they abandoned their job and document it and keep it pushing . But if you make contact with them , it's no longer abandonment , because now you've had a conversation with them and now you've where are you at ? What's going on ? I'm not doing any of that . Like I said , they grown , they know what they're doing , even within absences .

Speaker 1 12:59

Not being there is not being there . Like I don't understand an excused absence , a not excused absence . This shit doesn't make sense to me Because whether it's excused or unexcused , whatever it is , you're still not there . I don't get it . Maybe somebody can one of you all , maybe can explain it to me , but you're not there . This is not elementary school , where it's excused and it's not , you're just not there .

Speaker 1 13:24

And then , with the punctuality part , you know how many times can you be tardy ? What does that policy look like ? Is being tardy from you know , coming into your shift different than coming back from lunch or coming back from a break ? What do those things look like ? Even with doctor notes ? To me I don't really care . I mean , to me I only ask for a doctor's note if you've been out for several days and if you're like , oh , I'm sick , well , if you're that sick to be out , then bring me a note back . But usually you're not there , so who cares ? I mean , you're not really there , but make sure that you do have an attendance and tardy policy for your schools so that it's clear , everyone knows and no one can say nobody told me or it wasn't explained to me . If it's a policy and it's written in your handbook , it is there because policy is policy and it should never change , because policy is policy and it should never change .

Speaker 1 14:32

I love sharing information with educators and program administrators . I have had so many successes , but also so many failures in my education tenure . I want leaders to know what not to do , but , better than that , what to do . So I decided to write a helpful guide Best Practices for Center Program and Activity Directors . It's short and to the point . It's a compass to guide education leaders . These best practices will give you a foundation to lead your school program or organization . You can find best practices for center program and activity directors by Jared Huff on Amazon or Amazon Kindle .

Attendance and Tardiness Policies Implementation

Speaker 1 15:18

This week I want you all to have an amazing week . Make sure that you have your policies for attendance and tardiness and make sure you are actually implementing those so everyone knows exactly what they are . And please do not leave a child behind . And on that note , we'll see you later . That's it for today . If you like this episode , it would mean so much to me if you left a rating review and subscribe to the show . I'd love to hear from you . You can visit my website , which is in the show notes , to contact me , and I hope you have a great rest of your week and speak to you all soon .