Leadership in staff training, retention and growth

Southwest Human Development Head Start provides exceptional opportunities for professional development, from nationally recognized innovative strategies and technology-enabled coaching to unparalleled opportunities for grant-supported educational advancement.

OUR INNOVATIVE ONBOARDING PROCESS for newly hired teachers and family support professionals that began in 2022 continued to evolve and expand into a comprehensive threeweek training program. Grounded in active multimethodology coaching, Employee Onboarding incorporates the evidence-based principles of adult learning theories identified in Bloom’s Taxonomy an effective structure for setting learning objectives and measuring the depth of understanding.

New teachers begin their first week in our main office, completing online modules and passing digital courses required by the Arizona State Department of Education and the Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Child Care Licensing. During week two, a professional development coach provides comprehensive instruction from policies and procedures to best practices in early childhood classrooms. To reinforce high-quality practices for teaching, health and safety, and family engagement, an Employee Practicum at Educare Arizona provides opportunities for classroom observation.

New family engagement staff engage in a similar process but receive hands-on guidance and observational experience at Creighton Academy. They receive comprehensive instruction that includes program governance and parent leadership, Construct™ software and the Parent Portal, evidence-based family engagement practices, and community resources and referrals. Coaches reinforce learnings and strategies by providing hands-on experiences of effective communication and relationship-building with families using role play and reflective feedback.

Week three takes a deeper dive into the content presented in the first two weeks through meetings with content managers, on-site observations, and hands-on experiences supported by professional development coaches. Fully documented in Construct software, our exclusive onboarding process gives newly hired teachers and family engagement professionals an opportunity for immediate compensation and professional development credit before they ever step into their new position.

LAUNCHED IN 2022, our Success Coaching program has proven to be highly effective in the areas of talent development and staff retention. New employees receive ongoing, direct assistance in understanding and navigating their job responsibilities as well as opportunities to reflect on their personal and professional goals. Check-in sessions between a coach and the new employee occur in months two, four, six, and nine, ending with the one-year anniversary.

Fully documented in Construct Employee software for reference and sharing, meetings with coaches enable new employees to share their challenges, progress, and goals. They receive assistance in developing leadership and intrinsic skills through evidence-based best practices for overcoming obstacles in the classroom and organizationwide resources for specific support. Designed to foster self-direction and independent thinking around career growth, Success Coaching also creates a bridge to opportunities for educational advancement and professional development that include our tuition assistance program and partnerships within the agency and our community workforce.

ORIGINALLY CREATED AS CELEBRATORY gatherings after the isolation of the pandemic, our staff wellness events proved to be overwhelmingly successful. The kick-off event for 2022-23 was held at the Musical Instrument Museum, where staff could explore displays, enjoy a healthy lunch, and learn strategies for integrating music into classroom activities. The Phoenix Zoo was the setting for the second event, planned to dovetail with preparation for a classroom unit on animals. Along with giving teachers the chance to gather photos and information, the zoo visit provided a relaxed setting for staff across the organization to build relationships and strengthen connections.

Snow Day remains one of the most popular events, with several tons of “freshly dropped” snow at a local park setting the stage for fun, conversation, and laughter. Following a wellness theme, this year’s competition engaged staff in building a snowperson in their favorite yoga position—followed by their own attempt to match the pose. SRP Park in Tempe was the location of a final agency-wide retreat that featured outdoor movement and wellness activities from hip-hop and Zumba® dancing to massage, yoga, and puppy therapy. Head Start/EHS