Hello Keisha,
The frustration and vexation you share is quite evident. Setting aside the conversation about education, salary, and position status, the place that would benefit a deeper exploration would be respect.
A few details that would be relevant to the discussion are not present such as the type of setting you are working within (home care, center based care, preschool, special education preschool within public school framework or some other) and the ages of the students you are working with would change certain specifics about the conversation, but necessarily the overall concept.
Building respectful relationships with children within the early education experience is a foundation of NAEYC and evidence-based best practices. This endeavor necessitates that the adults build strong, supportive, and respectful relationships among themselves as well. In many early education environments, the delineation of status, position, activities, and responsibilities between leads, heads, senior staff, assistants, aides, and before/after school program staff is challenging at best and downright divisive as seems to have unfolded in your circumstance.
As a lead, the goal(s) you set for the community of your classroom should apply equally to children and adults alike. Engaging in respectful interactions, using social skills, not standing on chairs, sitting on tables, throwing or tossing things, gathering armfuls to "clean up" and the like are expectations for all. As the lead, you are the ultimate model for the interactions and expectations of the classroom.
Without knowing the typical expectations of the classrooms in your setting or the roles set forth in the employment handbook, the resolution would seem to be found in gaining clarity in this area. For example, there is some confusion in how your director would not have been aware of your absence in the classroom for the day such that the proper supervision and ratios were ensured according to regulations.
Are there forms required for injuries when they occur, specific forms or protocol for notification to families, in Maryland there is a checklist for observation when children arrive each morning, things like their mood, physical appearance, any noticeable injuries, bruises, and so forth. This is done to ensure parents and staff are both informed of the child's health and what may have occurred while in your care.
What is the policy for injuries, is the director to be informed when one occurs at the facility? If these were all not followed through with that is something the director would need to intervene with and set clear expectations and denote the legal accountability each staff person is subject to relative to injuries, reporting, and paperwork.
As to the relationship with the other adults (assistants, aides, support staff) in the classroom a lot can be done to facilitate communication and build trust and respect. Setting a meeting with the other adults, perhaps off time with some food, relaxation, and the goal of sharing frustrations along with thoughts on how to resolve struggles and conflict would be a solid starting point. Nurturing independence (for adults in this case) begins with clarifying the responsibilities each carries in the work they have chosen to undertake.
As the lead, remembering that especially in early education, and in special education, assistants, paraprofessionals, support staff and aides are interacting with children and therefore are modeling many "lessons" and setting examples for engagement, speaking and behaving in respectful and trustworthy ways is essential. Allowing the adults to take on certain aspects or responsibilities is a valuable way to connect them to the work and feed their professional integrity and buy-in to the work of the classroom.
As leads we are not the only teacher in the environment. Recruiting the others to buy into the respectful culture you wish to build and doing this by extending them respect (along with accountability) just like the children sets a foundation of integrity and trust for all to rely upon.
A few quick resources to get you started on the path to initiating change and developing a cohesive team with your assistants and setting. Best of luck to you! Please let us know how it turns out.
Leading Change in Professional Learning Communities
http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/dec99/vol41/num08/Leading-Change-in-Professional-Learning-Communities.aspx
Spiro Resistance Reducer Form
https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Documents/Resistance-Reducer-Spiro.pdf
Leaders Must First Change Themselves
https://dennissparks.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/leading-for-results-means-leaders-first-change-themselves/
http://www.smartlearningcommunity.net
This scholarly article is about the healthcare field, yet the problems it discusses are quite relevant in early education as well (with a few substitutions)
http://www.ajustnhs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Culture-2-AM.pdf
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Laveeta Sweeney
Educational & Child Development Professional
Ellicott City, MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-28-2019 07:01 AM
From: Keisha Harris
Subject: Need some advice!
Good morning everyone! I'm coming to you guys cause I need some friendly advice, the last couple of weeks have been very challenging for me in my classroom I have girls that's cussing in my classroom around the children that I cannot tolerate, but recently this put the icing on the cake I had something that happened to a child that caused him to have a blackeye a scratch on his arm And a bloody nose that I was not aware of the parent comes to me and asked me did I know how her child got the mark under his eye and I stood there with a blank stare on my face because I was not told about it so that's when my director called me and asked me about these things I told her I was not in my classroom all day my two assistants were and when I asked them about it I got, why are they calling you I told them because I am the head teacher of the classroom And I need to know what happens to my students then I got don't get smart which I told them that I was not getting smart that I am the head teacher of the classroom and I need to know these things then I got we know you're the head teacher and stop talking To us like we're retarded,
I just don't know what to do anymore and I will not tolerate disrespect!
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Keisha Harris
Teacher special ed
Grand Canyon University
Camden NJ
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