Sticky Situations - by Sarah Vanover (Paperback)

About the Book

Sticky Situations is a collection of case studies to help early childhood educators walk through management scenarios and brainstorm the best way to solve typical childcare program problems. Each case study addresses a situation that a director may encounter in an early childh...

Book Synopsis

Sticky Situations is a collection of case studies to help early childhood educators walk through management scenarios and brainstorm the best way to solve typical childcare program problems. Each case study addresses a situation that a director may encounter in an early childhood program. The case study also includes reminders about best practices for the field of early childhood education, one possible method for addressing the situation, and discussion questions to evaluate the way that the situation was resolved.

Review Quotes

After teaching a course in Early Childhood Organization and Administration for many semesters and being a university contact for the Kentucky Director's Credential, I have discovered that future Directors of early childhood centers are often unprepared for the realities of the position. Sticky Situations provides practice scenarios for discussion that Directors of early childhood centers will encounter at some point. The business aspects of leading a successful center are often overlooked. Sarah Vanover has taken her real life experiences in the field and found a way to better prepare future leaders. Not only is the practice scenario provided, readers see the way in which the scenario was actually handled. The opportunity to critique the decision that was made makes this book a very applicable supplement to any Early Childhood Administration class. Students need these opportunities to apply course material and to learn to think critically about the situations in which they will find themselves.

Directors will love Sarah Vanover's Sticky Situations. It's easy to read, and these are real situations. Many of the scenarios are events I've been through myself, and I wish I'd had this as a guide since I've spent many hours wracking my brain for alternatives to these kinds of situations. The book is not a lecture or a "how to" book, it's simple, economical solutions to very real problems directors face every day.

Early Education Directors and Administrators are required to be as knowledgeable and resourceful in small business management as they are in child development practices. This collection of timely case studies, cleverly presented as "sticky situations," will provide the basis for reflection, discussion, and planning of all aspects of a quality early childhood center in either the private or public sector. Topics include meal planning, staff retention, marketing, and other essential managerial areas critical to support a quality multi-faceted educational program. These case studies are great tools for professional learning. While targeted for early childhood leaders, many topics apply to a broad audience and can be the springboard for enhanced management at any school organizational level.

The real life "sticky situations" in this book resonate with early childhood administrators. Many face these challenges on a daily basis. This format serves as a wonderful resource for critical thinking and problem solving.

About the Author

Dr. Sarah Vanover has been working in the field of early childhood education for over sixteen years and has had the opportunity to be a classroom teacher, a director, and a trainer for other early childhood professionals. For the past several years she has focused her work and research on assessing quality early childhood programs for health and safety requirements and school readiness skills. She is the author of Finding Quality Early Childcare: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents about What Matters Most (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).