DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Admit You’re the Supervisor I 15 q Make It Happen! Here’s How Admit You’re the Supervisor Whether you wanted the promotion to supervisor or were encouraged by others, it’s your title now. Many of the people who work in early childhood education do so because of their nurturing and encouraging spirit, and they feel uncomfortable telling other adults what to do. That’s especially true when it comes to dealing with conflict or enforcing consequences for other adults’ inappropriate behavior, such as being late, not completing paperwork on time, or having a negative attitude. Sound familiar? We like to guide and lead others as long as everyone is doing what we say. But think about it: children don’t always do what we say, and it takes a lot of patience and innovation to get children moving in the right direction. We wouldn’t let children hit one another because we don’t want to deal with con- flict, so why would we let staff hurt one another with gossip or poor attitudes just because we don’t want to deal with conflict? I SELF-ASSESSMENT Coming to terms with your position as supervisor can sometimes be hard. Look at the questions below and evaluate how comfortable you are in your supervisory role. Taking some time to assess your level of confidence and to think about why you feel the way you do can be helpful in understanding your role as supervisor. 1 I feel confident in my role as a supervisor. Always Usually Sometimes Never List areas in which you feel unsure or insecure: COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL being a supervisor How Am I Doing “Admitting That I Am the Supervisor”?