“There’s a big difference between being a boss and being a leader,” says Tasha McNabb, Center Director at Next Generation Children’s Center in Marlborough.
This distinction is at the heart of what she and Assistant Director Karen Rodriguez have learned from Early Education Leaders’ Essential Leadership Model (ELM), which is taught through the Early Childhood Support Organization (ECSO).
Tasha and Karen, who collectively bring over 40 years of experience to early education, are midway through their three-year journey with the Essential Leadership Model, which equips early childhood education leaders with the tools and support needed to drive continuous quality improvement in their program, and enhance child outcomes. As a result of what they’re learning, they’ve made changes to how they — and their staff — interact with each other and engage with families.
One of the simplest has been how they run staff meetings. Previously, the meetings were run in a top-down fashion. “We would talk at them,” Tasha recalls.
Now, their meetings are far more collaborative. Teachers bring issues to the meetings that are challenging them and everyone works on solutions. At a recent staff gathering, Tasha talked about “problems of practice” that had surfaced from a survey of families. She put giant sticky notes on the wall and used the meeting to brainstorm solutions. In this way, everyone participated in addressing the issue.
“There’s more collaboration and teamwork between teachers and the atmosphere has changed to ‘Okay, what can we do better?,” Karen says, noting that teachers sometimes even reference discussions from staff meetings when working together in classrooms.
Another culture shift they’ve implemented is finding ways for people to grow and learn on the job, rather than carving out time for training outside of the classroom.
“We used to do traditional observations and go over them with teachers afterward. Now with job-embedded training, we are talking and mentoring teachers on the spot,” Tasha explains, noting that when people learn this way, they are more likely to retain the knowledge. This approach can also make it easier for teachers to try new approaches without fear of failure or criticism.
The center has also revamped its approach to family communication by enhancing their newsletters. Now each newsletter includes information about the developmental purpose of daily activities and routines.
“Parents don’t always understand the ‘why’ of why we do things, but with this approach teachers can explain how in doing a playful activity their child learned fine motor skills and sensory integration. It really explains the ‘why’ behind the activities.”
Tasha and Karen have also made changes to the physical environment of their center. They redesigned their office, replacing the traditional desk setup—which both said made their work space feel like a principal’s office — with a round table where people can sit together.
“The teachers are much more comfortable with the new arrangement,” says Karen. “They feel more welcome.”
Perhaps most significantly, both leaders note a profound shift in their mindsets.
“It’s really caused me to reflect on things more,” says Tasha. “It’s getting me to think about things differently and seeing new perspectives.”
Karen adds, “The program has definitely changed the way I think about on how we can approach teachers. We’ve learned about better resources, communication strategies, and even little tweaks for parent engagement. Every training at the ECSO gives us something to use with our teachers.”
Both educators say they’d recommend the program to others. But Tasha offers this caution: “You get out what you put into it. You need to protect your time, which they’ll talk about in the program. You really need to put the program first.”
Karen agreed but also added that you’ll find the support you need. “It was a little overwhelming in the beginning,” she says. “But the teachers and mentors are very supportive and helpful, and it’s been much smoother than we first thought it would be.”
ELM is an instructional leadership program offered to program leaders and educators. It is one of a suite of programs designed by Early Education Leaders to support and facilitate the instructional leadership of early educators working at all levels of the field. ELM focuses on creating conditions for improvement rather than prescribing solutions. With this approach, educators gain the freedom to experiment without judgment, using small, manageable steps that lead to significant program transformation. Programs that engage with ELM develop stronger staff relationships, more collaborative teaching practices, and a resilient mindset where challenges become learning opportunities. ELM’s three-year developmental journey—Planting Seeds, Nurturing Growth, Growing Sustainably—gradually builds capacity so changes truly take root. To learn more, email Essential Leadership Model Director Cristina Mendes at Cristina.Mendes@umb.edu.
