You know the teacher. She may be great with children. Families may love her. She may have been with you for years. But the gossip, negativity, eye rolling, complaining, and constant conflict are slowly changing the culture of your entire program.
So what do you do—especially when you’re already short staffed?
In this episode of The Child Care Director’s Chair, Erica Saccoccio gets real about one of the hardest responsibilities of early childhood leadership: dealing with toxic behavior on your team.
But before we start labeling people “toxic,” there’s an important distinction to make. Is this a difficult employee—or an employee going through something difficult?
Erica breaks down how to recognize behaviors that are truly damaging your culture, have the conversation before resentment builds, stop workplace gossip and unhealthy communication, coach employees who can grow, and recognize when coaching needs to become accountability.
And there’s a bigger question every director needs to consider: How much energy are you spending managing your most negative employee while your strongest teachers are waiting for your leadership?
Compassion matters. Grace matters. Coaching matters. But protecting the culture you are building matters too.
If you’ve ever thought, “I know I need to address this, but I can’t afford to lose another teacher,” this episode is for you.
The Child Care Director's Chair Podcast is proudly powered by WatchMeGrow, our premier podcast sponsor and a trusted partner in early childhood education.
WatchMeGrow helps child care programs strengthen family engagement through secure live-streaming, classroom video access, and communication tools that build transparency, trust, and peace of mind for families. Their innovative technology empowers programs to enhance safety, strengthen relationships, and showcase the incredible learning happening in their classrooms every day.
To learn more about how WatchMeGrow can support your program, visit www.watchmegrow.com.
Thank you to WatchMeGrow for supporting our mission to inspire, equip, and empower child care leaders around the world.
