Reflection
After collecting some data on the current program practices, it's time to think about your findings and review the FCCERS-R to think about the various items, indicators, and requirements.
Begin to think about the following:
- Identify areas that are working well
- What areas would you like to focus on making changes or improvements?
- Are there areas where you may need additional training or support?
There are many options for documentation as you reflect and look towards the next step. It is fine to create your own system or look at some of the options we have created.
Creating a Plan of Action
Once areas have been identified to focus on, it's time to create a plan of action. This plan includes brainstorming ideas, figuring out how to make changes that are important and breaking these down into steps or a list, and being realistic about the number of tasks to plan for at the same time. Some tasks may be smaller and easier to change and implement, while others may take more time.
When creating a plan of action think about:
- What is your goal? It's OK if there is more than one.
- What action steps do you need to accomplish to meet the goal?
- How long will each action step take to complete?
- What do you need to do to ensure your plans are carried out and your changes are made?
In this step, documenting the answers to these questions will help you keep track of progress and changes as they happen.
Implementing A Plan of Action
As you get ready to implement the action steps, remember not everything is an easy fix and not all plans are successful the first time around. It can take time and consistency before some positive changes become visible. You may need to consider changing strategies or adjust along the way and always keep in mind that change doesn't happen overnight, it takes time.
During this phase, ask yourself these questions:
- How is implementation going?
- What plans worked and which ones should be tweaked?
- How do you know growth was achieved?
- Did you have any obstacles arise that you did not initially plan for? How will you handle those in the future?
Once the action plan has been implemented and you have documented the actions and progress, start a new cycle by using that documentation to self-assess and expand the next reflection phase. Ideally, the process will continue by assessing whether the plans were effective and goals were met. Then you can determine what to work on next and set new goals.
If you are finishing up your self-study process, congratulations! To prepare for your DCDEE Child Care Consultant's visit, gather the documentation so it is ready to share and be ready to talk about the process, any lingering questions, anything you learned, and any changes that were made.